In partnership with UC Food Observer: The UC Food Observer is your daily serving of must-read news from the world of food, curated by the University of California. Follow on Twitter.
The year was 1975. Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy wanted to save two heirloom seeds - Grandpa Ott's' morning glory and German Pink' tomato - brought over by Diane's great-grandparents when they immigrated to Iowa from Bavaria in the 1870s.
Today, the Seed Savers Exchange they co-founded has grown into a well-respected network of passionate gardeners interested in preserving heirloom varieties and sharing seeds.
With 13,000 members and nearly 30,000 plant varieties, Seed Savers Exchange makes its home at the scenic 890-acre Heritage Farm in the bluff country of northeast Iowa - just outside the city of Decorah.
There are rolling hills, stoney bluffs, beautiful rivers and streams, as well as multiple gardens.
Right before the start of spring, I had the chance to speak with Seed Savers Exchange's executive director John Torgrimson. Here is what he had to say:
Why should the general public care about heirlooms and genetic diversity in our foods?
German Pink' tomato. Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange.
In the case of heirlooms, these seeds are living things. Heirlooms are open-pollinated seeds that grow true-to-type to the parent plants, so the seeds can be collected and grown again. All heirlooms started out as hybrids that different breeders created, unless they were accidentally created by nature. But most plant breeders created a particular heirloom variety, because they were trying to solve a problem. For example, Tom Wagner of Everett, Washington bred the Green Zebra tomato in the 1980s. He took the lines of four tomatoes to create a small green canning tomato that wouldn't crack.
The reason we should care about conserving heirlooms and genetic diversity is that we don't know what type of conditions we'll be dealing with a hundred years from now. So, it's important that we save this genetic diversity. Maybe there's a particular variety that's not very popular now, but it could solve future problems that we can't even imagine today. It could be overly wet conditions. Or, it could be extra long or short growing seasons. So, it's really about maintaining diversity and genetic heritage.
At Seed Savers Exchange, our gene bank has nearly 30,000 varieties. We have 6,000 varieties of tomatoes and 4,000 varieties of beans. Is every tomato or bean a wonderful, great tasting variety? Probably not, yet at some time in history someone felt strong enough to create it, and we think it's important to save that variety for future generations.
Or, it could be an accident in the garden, and the gardener thinks, I like how this variety evolved. That aggressive bee brought pollen from another plant to create a new line. I'm going to try and maintain that variety.' So, you could say that some heirlooms are accidental.
Heirloom seeds have often traveled to America from other parts of the world, and people have saved these heirloom seeds for generations.
How has genetic diversity decreased in recent decades? Can you offer specific examples of diversity loss in different foods?
The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation did a survey in 1903, which was compared to another survey taken in 1983. They found the number of varieties offered by seed companies had declined substantially.
For example, there was white celery grown around Kalamazoo, Michigan called Kalamazoo Celery. In 1903 there were 58 seed companies selling that celery, and it was one of the top-ten celeries sold in the United States. Now we can't find that celery anywhere and we think it is extinct. In fact, we are asking our members in our magazine if anyone has it.
So, seed companies do a good job of getting seeds into the supply chain, but they don't do a very good job of maintaining and protecting genetic diversity. Seed Savers Exchange, on the other hand, is concerned about all varieties - for their genetics, not just their marketability. We're also concerned about old seed trade varieties, which we want to make certain don't get lost and become unavailable. We want to keep those genetics around, either to reintroduce back into the marketplace or because those genetics may be useful in the future.
John Torgrimson. Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange.
Since the early 1600s there have been 20,000 different varieties of apples documented in North America. Today, we think there are a little more than 4,000 varieties remaining. Seed Savers Exchange has about 1,000 varieties of apple trees, or about 25 percent of the apple varieties of North America growing here. Most of our varieties are pre-1900. We also have built a new orchard that's focused around Midwestern varieties, and also around functionality, such as ciders, pies, winter storage, apple sauce so gardeners can learn which types were considered best for certain functions.
If you go to a grocery store, you'll probably have access to about 10 apple varieties.
The Seed Savers Exchange catalog helps distribute these old varieties. Last year we provided 40 types of grafted apples. We sold about 1,400 apple trees to people in 48 states, who are helping to preserve these varieties by planting them in their gardens. This year we're offering 20 varieties. These heirloom trees are basically the same as what we're trying to do with seeds - get them back into orchards as well as the marketplace.
The best way for these varieties to be conserved is to have them growing in gardens across the country.
How does Seed Savers Exchange support heritage foods and genetic diversity with its work? What are some reasons you've grown so quickly?
Photo courtesy of Seed Savers Exchange.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
In partnership with UC Food Observer: The UC Food Observer is your daily serving of must-read news from the world of food, curated by the University of California. Follow on Twitter.
