Save the Heirlooms! Save the World!

As agriculture becomes more and more industrialized, we are starting to see fewer and fewer varieties of plants. In other words, where we used to have many different types of potatoes (or insert any crop here) grown widely across the US, now we only see a few types available commercially. This is hugely problematic and let me tell you why: more varieties of plants means more diversity. More diversity means more protection against disaster.
Disaster you ask? What do you mean? Well, think back to your history lessons about the potato famine in Ireland. The reason why there even was a potato famine was because the Irish were no longer growing the many strains of potatoes that they had traditionally grown, but instead had 'simplified' and were only growing one strain. Well, that one strain just happened to be very susceptible to the blight that came that year, which killed most of the potatoes and left a potato-dependent nation with little to eat. Other countries that had continued to grow a wider variety of potatoes did suffer some losses, but were able to survive on the other strains that were more inherently resistant to that particular blight.
If many varieties are grown instead of only one, you may lose some each year to a certain pest or a low rainfall, but with a large amount of diversity, you will never lose it all. Diversity is protection against a cold summer, a wet spring, an infestation or whatever else may come its way. The more diverse, the more chance some will recover and the better off you and your food supply will be. And this is not just for potatoes here; the same is true for every crop.
In addition to protection against losses, diversity is important for our tastebuds! Ever wonder why store bought tomatoes just don't taste that good? For one, they have been traveling for days or weeks to get to you, but they are also strains that have been selected not for taste, but for their ability to travel well. If you branch out and taste some of the older non-hybridized strains (aka heirlooms) that have been around (in small quantities) for centuries, you will taste exactly what I am talking about. These are the tomatoes that have been selected for taste, and not for travel, and you will be able to tell.
Unfortunately, as more and more farms grow fewer and fewer strains, we are losing more and more of that genetic diversity. So let's all keep our fingers crossed and hope that our entire food system doesn't get wiped out by a couple of years of bad pests and poor weather. You can help to keep these heirloom strains alive by planting them in your garden. Next year when you are selecting seeds, choose specifically for heirloom varieties. Increase the diversity of your yard and of your dinner plate. Pin It Now!