Heirloom Vegetable Seeds

Just what are Heirloom seeds? If a goal for 2010 is to plant some, the answer to that question is important. My search turned up interesting information, but http://www.heirloomseeds.com/history.htm had the best answer -- there is not universal agreement on what "heirloom" means, but key aspects include open-pollination (not hybrid or genetically engineered), excellent taste and heritage (often more than 50 years old ). http://www.halcyon.com/tmend/links.htm offers a good list of heirloom seed resources.

I ordered my heirloom seeds from The Victory Seed Co http://www.victoryseeds.com/ because I felt a kindred spirit with them -- a small family farm that grows their own seed organically with Christian principles of stewardship and sustainability. Which seeds to order?! On the list is Radiator Charlie’s Mortgage Lifter pink tomato … just because of the name! Another whimsical purchase is PlumGranny Melon, to be grown on the trellis by the patio because of its reputation for fragrance. Three varieties of tomato (Brandywine Red, Delicious and Roma), yellow and zucchini squash, okra (last season’s biggest hit), red onions because no tomato pie should be without them, cantaloupe and bush beans. New for me, but grown by my father and grandfather, are butter beans (lima beans to those above the Mason Dixon line) and corn. Hopefully we will get more corn than the raccoons. Unfortunately, they were sold out of all sugar snaps, so I’ll have to get those elsewhere.