The term "heirloom seeds" have been floating around recently and growing in popularity, but what exactly are they and why are they important?

Heirloom seeds are plants which were grown before large scale commercial agriculture. They are open pollinated, non-hybrid, non-GM seeds which have been handed down from generation to generation and are at least 40-50 years old.

Hybrids plants have been altered to look pretty, have uniformed colour and shape, to be able to withstand long distance travel  or extended shelf life. Whereas heirloom seeds are grown, saved and sought after for different reasons, for example superior flavor, color, texture and to increase the available gene pool.

"The loss of genetic seed diversity facing us today may lead to a catastrophe far beyond our imagining. The Irish potato famine, which led to the death or displacement of two and a half million people in the 1840s, is an example of what can happen when farmers rely on only a few plant species as crop cornerstones.

One blight wiped out the single potato type that came from deep in the Andes mountains; it did not have the necessary resistance. If the Irish had planted different varieties of potatoes, one type would have most likely resisted the blight." (more)

We have recently discovered a wealth of traditional vegetables here on the Wild Coast, which the Xhosa people have been passing on from generation to generation.