Reasons to Plant Heirloom Vegetables
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It’s hard to miss the eye-catching vegetables marked “heirloom” at the grocery store. But if you’re like most of us, you probably looked at the price tag and thought “are they really such a big deal?” Well, it turns out they are! Plus, when it comes to farming, heirloom veggies are actually more economical than modern hybrid varieties. So in today’s video, we’re taking a look at the top seven reasons to plant these culinary heirlooms.
Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Plant Heirloom Vegetables
1. Guaranteed Non-GMO & Organic Friendly
A vegetable variety is only considered an heirloom if its lineage can be traced back to before World War II. Meanwhile, the first genetically-modified produce was introduced in 1994. In other words, heirloom strains were bred long before GMOs were introduced into our diets.
These generational varieties are also perfect for organic gardens. They were bred to withstand pests and weather without any of the harmful chemical pesticides and fertilizers that commercial farms rely on.
2. Seed Propagation
Hybrids were purposely designed to not produce viable seeds. (how long do seeds last?) Not only do you have to buy new seeds every season, you also can’t breed plants in your own garden. In contrast, one heirloom seed pack is all you’ll ever buy. When dried and stored properly, homegrown heirloom seeds are identical to the ones at the gardening store. And once you stock up, you can even trade your extra seeds for other heirlooms, getting even more bang for your buck.
Even if you’re not into breeding, simply propagating your seeds at home will adapt them to your specific climate. That means your heirloom veggies will get more resilient and forgiving with each new generation!
3. Proper Nutrition
Traditional hybrid seeds are bred to maximize yield and minimize time to maturity. In fact, most of the tomatoes and peppers we see at the grocery store are actually bred to be picked green and ripened in transit, in order to maximize “freshness”. As a result, even organic crops are picked long before they can fully ripen, which severely decreases their nutritional content.
To give you an idea of the difference, consider the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) data on broccoli (how long does broccoli last?)Calcium content. In 2003, broccoli contained 4.4mg of Calcium per gram, compared to 12.9mg per gram in 1950. That means you need to eat three times as much store-bought broccoli as you would of an heirloom variety.
Four More Reasons To Plant Heirloom Vegetables
4. Unmatched Taste
There’s just no denying it - heirloom varieties are delicious. Some say their rich flavor accumulates on the vine, where they spend more time than regular vegetables. Meanwhile, others insist that, in the good ol’ days, food was bred for taste, not profit. And since all heirloom breeds have remained unchanged for over half a century, they retain that heritage to this day.
Even when cooked or canned, the difference in taste is overwhelming. The burst of flavor in a tomato sauce made from homegrown heirloom tomatoes will make you reimagine marinara forever!
5. Nature is Not Uniform
Because hybrids are bred with profit in mind, every plant matures at the same time. This way, commercial farmers can schedule to harvest and replant entire fields like clockwork. But is that what you really want for your home farm?
Chances are, you don’t want to harvest a month’s worth of tomatoes at a time, only to wait another month for a new batch. With heirloom varieties, tomatoes ripen 1-3 at a time, over the course of a few weeks, giving you truly fresh farm-to-table produce every day. The veggies also come in all shapes and sizes, so you can pick as much as you need, leaving the rest to ripen another day.
6. Taste of History
While most heirloom varieties are 50-100 years old, some trace as far back as the 1600’s. That means you might be enjoying the same exact vegetables as Thomas Jefferson! Even if getting a taste of history doesn’t spark your interest, consider how time-tested these crops are.
Most often, heirloom seeds were passed down from generation to generation. Only the most promising seeds were passed on, so varieties that have survived this long are bound to be something special.
7. Long-Term Savings
As we previously mentioned, heirloom seeds restock themselves, and the crops require no expensive chemical fertilizers. We also discussed how they provide more nutrition than hybrids, even if the yield is lower. Another factor we can’t stress enough is how well natural varieties attune to a climate, and how well they perform once they fully adapt. Your first few harvests may be underwhelming but, with time, you can expect yields close to those of hybrid crops.
That wraps up our list of the top seven reasons to plant heirloom vegetables. What’s your favorite generational vegetable variety? Do you know any other benefits that belong on our list? Don’t hesitate to give us your thoughts in the comments.
Sources:
https://www.planetnatural.com/heirloom-vegetables/
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/heirloom-vs-organic-hybrid-produce/
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/design/nature-lovers/heirloom-seeds/
