Heirloom Seeds

There is not hard and fast definition of “Heirloom” but the general consensus is that the seeds must be at least 50 years old. Much more interesting is the history that surrounds these prized varieties. Take the Mortgage Lifter Tomato, or the humble Fava Bean. Fava Beans were cultivated before the time of the Roman Empire so they certainly quality as Heirlooms. The Mortgage Lifter Tomato took M.C. Boyles, with no training in Botany, 6 years to develop. By the 1940’s, selling these heavy bearing tasty plants for $1.00, he paid off his $6000.00 mortgage. Wouldn’t it be a good idea to teach history with a bit of botany?