What are Heirloom Seeds?

So, what are Heirloom Seeds? Well, essentially, Heirlooms are old-fashioned Heritage varieties that have been passed down from many generations, which means that someone somewhere thought they were special. And, they were either passed down by a village, a tribe, a family, maybe a region that grew them in a different country. Many of them have stories attached to them, and all of them are open-pollinated. In other words, they breed true. If you grow a seed from a tomato that you love, a Cherokee Purple or a Pineapple, you'll get a Cherokee Purple or a Pineapple, as opposed to the hybrids which were developed in a university, or a laboratory by a selected cross between two specific parents. So, the Heirlooms are essentially 50 years old, they're open-pollinated, and they've been created and passed down by generations of growers - people who recognize their value, and have been selecting and saving them through the ages.