Saving Seeds and Growing Heirlooms...You Might Want To Think About It

NOB HILL--One of the newest movements in gardening seems to be "seed saving" and growing "heirloom" plants. The post about Monsanto Co. that follows this one tells you why. Corporations are making an assault on two things the world can't live without: food and water. More about water later, but the patenting of single season seeds could very well lead to the extinction of many varieties we have today. That is what the Seed Saver's Exchange is all about. To quote from their website:

How it all Began

german pink tomato

Seed Savers Exchange was founded in 1975 by Diane and Kent Whealy, after her terminally-ill grandfather gave them the seeds of two garden plants, Grandpa Ott's Morning Glory and German Pink Tomato, that his parents brought from Bavaria when they immigrated to St. Lucas, Iowa in the 1870s.

grandpa ott's morning glory

Seed Savers Exchange is a nonprofit organization that saves and shares the heirloom seeds of our garden heritage, forming a living legacy that can be passed down through generations. When people grow and save seeds, they join an ancient tradition as stewards, nurturing our diverse, fragile, genetic and cultural heritage.

Compare the above statement with the alarming article that follows. I have seen the Seed Saver's catalog. It does make for fascinating reading. They go into the history of every seed they carry!