Originally published in Metro Santa Cruz , this article is reprinted here with permission of the author. The most glamorous menus showcase heirloom produce.
Farmers markets overflow with exotic shapes and colors.
From the pages of small catalogs, sprout seeds with names like Rainbow Inca Corn, Appaloosa beans, Red Alpine fraises des bois , Zapotec pleated tomatoes. In the simple act of planting a seed the gardener simultaneously blows a kiss to the past, and guarantees the future. The Irish potato famine of the 1830s perfectly illustrates the implications of a dwindling bio-gene pool. In a classic case of putting all its eggs in one basket, Ireland had planted its meager soil to a single variety of potato. And, since the potato was the staple of the Irish diet, most of the Irish who who couldn't emigrate starved to death.