Planting a garden with heirloom tomato seeds, fruits and vegetables helps create a sustainable lifestyle. For generations people have planted and harvested crops, saving seeds for replanting in the spring, however with the introduction of hybrids and genetically modified crops this has become more difficult. These plants have been developed so their seeds will either be sterile or will revert back to lesser quality parent plants. This has led preservationists within the gardening community to increase their focus on heirloom tomato seeds.
Consumers who purchase their tomatoes in the store often complain about their lack of flavor and pale color. These are often grown by commercial growers using chemical based fertilizers,herbicides and pesticides some of which contain carcinogenic compounds. While this type of farming has become large scale and may to some extent be necessary to produce a large quantity of food for the world, it is not without risks.
As consumers become more health conscience, they pay more attention to the food they consume, including the method of production. Certified organic heirloom tomato seeds are a starting point for developing a healthier lifestyle. Certification of organic seeds is granted by the USDA through the Certified Organic National Program. When ordering seeds with this distinction documented proof should be available on the company’s pages.