There is an artistic touch to growing food which eventually gets to the table. From the moment soil crumbles between fingers to when it is pulled from the ground by the roots, there is a certain pride to seeing food from the backyard garden served on a dinner plate.
Anna Hindle has been doing it her whole life. She said as a little girl, she watched her mother plant tomatoes and harvest them. Her mother always used the same heritage seeds, which Hindle uses in her own garden.
“They’ve been in my parents’ family for decades and they’ve used the same seeds all the time,” she said. “They’re a great tomato. They’re great for stews and pizzas and canning and eating fresh. So they’ve always made sure they’ve never lost that seed.”
Hindle talked about how her mother showed her how to plant the seeds. She said she harvests a lot of seeds from the tomatoes she grows every year.
She also used the tomato seeds to help raise money as part of Marine Area Business Association for a community clock in January 2012. She laughed when she explained that some customers were bringing her boxes of tomatoes as they had too many.
The Wisdom of Plant Heritage: Organic Seed Production and Saving by Bryan Connolly, said heritage or heirloom seeds are “selected because of a set of desired characteristics and been handed down from generation to generation.” Seeds can be harvested from these plants and used the next year, continuing the heritage of the seeds, as Hindle will surely do with hers.
“You want to make sure you rinse all that gel that comes around the seed. You dry it out on a piece of cardboard. It’s very basic. Mom would label all her little cardboards, this is this variety, that variety. I’ve watched and followed and it’s amazing. So we’ve been able to produce and keep that seed in the family and I’m sure I’ll pass it on to my kids.”
Hindle follows moon phases for planting, which means she only plants when the moon is waning, to produce the best results. She said she has experienced the difference it makes in her own garden. She has been helping her mother with her garden, and said she expects the seeds will get passed on to her newlywed son.
“My son got married last year and I know he has taken a little interest in gardening so I imagine he will take that up in their family. They love the fresh produce. The art of it coming to your table and you’ve actually grown it yourself, it’s really rewarding.”
