WHAT IS AN HEIRLOOM?

While people have been talking about heirloom vegetables for more than a decade, they have yet to reach an agreement on exactly what an heirloom variety is. So far, experts in the field agree that heirloom vegetables are old, open-pollinated cultivars. In addition, these varieties also have a reputation for being high quality and easy to grow.

Just how old a cultivar has to be to be an heirloom is open to discussion. Some authorities say heirloom vegetables are those introduced before 1951, when modern plant breeders introduced the first hybrids developed from inbred lines. While there are good reasons to use 1951 as a cut-off, many heirloom gardeners focus on varieties that date from the 1920s and earlier.

 

Appalachian Heirloom Plant Farm and Seed Conservancy is located in Adams County on Route 136 just 2 miles south of the Appalachian Highway (Route 32). Appalachian Heirloom Plant Farm is dedicated to the preservation, education and use of heritage food crops from the Appalachian region. This region has a wealth of genetically diverse food crops not seen elsewhere. There are literally hundreds of unique family varieties of tomatoes and beans that have been passed down thru the generations but are otherwise unknown.

For 2010, we are offering 36 varieties of heirloom tomato seedlings such as Black Mountain Pink, Grant County Pink, Granny Cantrell, Aunt Ruby's German Green, Vinson Watts, Virginia Sweets, Tiffen and many others. For our field production, we will be growing at least 20 heirloom tomato varieties and will be offering these tomatoes at the Anderson Farmers Market this summer. We have also acquired a couple "new" heirloom tomatoes from southern Ohio families and we are trying these this year. Along with heirloom tomatoes we grow eggplant, various peppers, cucumbers, okra, beans, squash, etc. Our heirloom Sheepnose Pimento Peppers, Jimmy T White Cucumbers and fresh cut lettuces are popular at the market and here at the farm.

We produce our own seed stock each year for tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, green beans, okra and many other unique Appalachian crops. Along with our own seed production, we grow and fill seed contracts for heirloom seed companies. We use low impact farming practices which includes adding compost and natural mulch materials to our growing beds. Synthetic fertilizers and pesticides are used very little and many of our crops receive none of these at all. We use no restricted use chemicals on our farm. Visitors are always welcome.

WHAT DRAWS MANY GARDENERS TO HEIRLOOMS?

They want a tomato that tastes like a real tomato, not a plastic one. They long for corn that tastes like it did when they were a kid. They search for a sweet, juicy muskmelon, and wonder why cantaloupes are crisp and dry. After trying varieties that look good on the pages of seed catalogs but just don't taste like much, they turn to heirlooms.