How Certain Types of Food Products Became Identified as “Heirloom”
The food landscape throughout the world has changed dramatically over the last century, with large agricultural businesses producing most of the world’s fruits, vegetables and meats. As a consequence, many varieties of common food items have become rarer and rarer. In response, small farmers have reintroduced many historic “cultivars” of vegetables and fruits, as well as many co-called “heritage” meats, often referring to them as “heirloom” foods. What is an heirloom food? How did the heirloom food movement arise?
Heirloom vs. Heritage—Is There Any Difference?
Historically, the term “heirloom” has been applied to fruits and vegetables, and the term “heritage” has been used to describe meat and fish products.
What Makes a Fruit or Vegetable an Heirloom?
While there is no consensus on what qualifies a fruit or vegetable as an “heirloom,” there are a number of characteristics that are commonly present:
- The age of the cultivar—This refers to when the specific variety was first grown. Some proponents of heirloom fruits and vegetables point to 1945, which marks the beginning of widespread use of hybrids by seed companies and growers. Others believe that an heirloom variety should have a certain minimum age (though some suggest 50 years, others 100 years and some as little as 20 years)
- Open pollination—Virtually all heirloom producers agree that heirloom plants must rely on natural pollination (insects, wind or natural movement of plants) rather than on human or mechanical pollination.
- No use of genetically modified organisms—A plant will not be considered an heirloom if it has been genetically modified in any way
When Did the Heirloom Fruit and Vegetable Movement Begin?
The use of the term “heirloom” actually predates World War II, as horticulturist J.R. Hepler first used the term in the 1930s to refer to vegetable varieties that had been handed down through families over many generations. In 1984, after the publication of The Heirloom Gardener, by John Forti, the movement gathered momentum. There are now multiple “seed banks” where heirloom varieties can be gathered and shared.
Heritage Meat Products—The Requirements
The so-called “heritage meats” also employ farming methods that were common before the advent of modern industrial agriculture. Sometimes referred to as “purebred” or “traditional” livestock, these animals are typically fed a diet of natural forage, rather than concentrated feeds, and are never injected with antibiotics or growth hormones. As a result, they tend to grow at a much slower pace.
