My grandmother used to say that food doesn't taste the same as it did in her day. I, of course, knew that old people always said stuff like that and rolled my eyes in response to her lament. All tomatoes tasted the same to me, weird with lots of slimy seeds. As the new century approaches, I have become reflective, discovering aspects of myself I never imagined before. I've developed a passion for gardening, as well as an appreciation of antiques.
Nobody can seem to agree on a definition of what makes a vegetable an heirloom.
Some describe it as those that were grown prior to 1925. Others hold to the notion that the date can be as late as 1940. Many say that it applies to any whose seeds have been passed down through a family from generation to generation. What all heirloom gardeners do seem to agree on is that these varieties are just plain better than anything you can buy in the store today. Sometime prior to the midpoint of this century, as the population began to explode, farmers were forced to find ways to produce more food cheaply.