With legislation that threatens family farms such as HR 875, Codex Alimentarius, and C-51, it is more important than ever to acquire high quality, royalty-free seeds. However, seeds will not keep forever, lasting between 2 and 5 years on average. This article will outline those seeds with the longest average shelf life to help seed savers maximize the longevity of their investment.

In the past, seeds have been worth their weight in Gold. Seeds cannot be created from scratch, yet they do self replicate, and they offer plant life in its most compact form. Many of our ancestors sewed seeds (literally) into the lining of their clothing to avoid having them be detected (and confiscated) during immigration. This allowed them to maintain heirloom varieties that their families had often kept for generations.

However the pesticide industry has been buying up the seed industry at an aggressive pace over the past two decades. Consumers and corporations have different interests regarding seeds and vegetables. Given a choice, consumers prefer more tender vegetables that are vine-ripened since they normally have more flavor (and nutrition). Big Agribusiness however opts for items that can better survive freight, often at the expense of all else. While consumers want diversity, corporations want uniformity. For example, out of 10,000 edible plants, only 120 (or about 1%) provide 90% of the food worldwide!

Types of Seeds

Before purchasing seeds it is essential to understand the three main types of seeds:

* Heirloom seeds (known as Heritage seeds in Europe) will reproduce the same every generation (most assume all seeds are like this). Heirloom seeds are also referred to as being Open Pollinated since they can be pollinated by birds, insects or the wind. While many plants must be protected from being crossed with other types using a greenhouse, walls or field isolation, some crops are "self pollinating" and can be relied upon to breed true, with the occasional "off type".

* Hybrid seeds are a combination of two or more heirloom varieties. While providing diversity, over time these seeds gradually revert to the parent that was dominant, often changing unpredictably for the worse. Hybrid seeds must be repurchased each season in order to obtain the same exact crop. Hybrid seeds are also known as Closed Pollinated seeds since they are typically pollinated under controlled conditions to show specific traits.

* Genetically Modified (GMO) seeds are manipulated in a laboratory (often combining plants with animal matter in ways impossible in Nature). On one hand, the corporations that make GMO seeds claim that their product is unique enough to patent; on the other hand they argue that no testing should be required since these products are GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe). GMO pollen not only contaminates organic farms nearby, but courts have found those organic farmers guilty of patent infringement! Some GMO crops have been designed to produce sterile seeds by using a gene Terminator (picture a seed with dark shades saying "I'll not be back!"). Recent studies confirm that GMO crops not only require more pesticide but produce lower yield than conventional crops. GMO pollen can never be recalled and biotechnology will likely one day provide the world with a major Bio-uh-oh.
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