Most vegetable seeds today are bred by seed companies to be hearty and easier to grow. They鈥檙e created by cross-breeding different varieties and selecting for specific characteristics.

Heirloom seeds, though, are different. Like your grandmother鈥檚 engagement ring or a dusty old photo album, heirloom seeds have been passed down through generations.

Today鈥檚 gardeners likely wouldn鈥檛 have access to many of their favorite heirloom plants if it weren鈥檛 for the work of the in Decorah, Iowa. Seed Savers is one of the world鈥檚 largest seed lending libraries specializing in historic, non-hybrid plants, or heirlooms.

Seed Savers鈥� Heritage Farm in Decorah is full of blooming flowers and vegetables.

鈥淲e have gardens all over the place, just little gardens,鈥� said Seed Savers鈥� Steve Carlson. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not 890 acres of just plowed land, this is 890 acres of rugged, limestone bluffs and forests, and valleys, and pastures.鈥�

Unlike the most of Iowa, Decorah鈥檚 limestone bluffs escaped the last glacial period. Now they provide natural barriers between gardens so that rows of Dragon carrots, Trail of Tears beans, and Silver Queen okra don鈥檛 cross pollinate.

Before World War II, most produce grown and sold in the U.S. were heirlooms. Today, the majority of seeds are hybrids, bred by scientists to express certain traits.

Heirloom aficionados enjoy a connection to the past. By definition, Carlson explains, an heirloom plant has a history of being grown by a specific family or in a specific place. 

鈥淭hese are seeds with histories, with stories,鈥� Carlson said. 鈥淎nd they are related to specific recipes even.鈥�

It was a connection to the past the inspired Seed Savers founders Diane Ott Whealy and her then-husband Kent Whealy.

As a wedding gift, the pair received seeds of German pink tomatoes and morning glory from Diane鈥檚 grandfather. His parents carried the seeds with them while emigrating from Bavaria to Iowa.

鈥淪hortly after Diane got these seeds from get grandfather, he passed away,鈥� Carlson said. 鈥淪o Diane and Kent felt this responsibility to ensure these seed varieties that had been passed down in her family for multiple generations survived.鈥�

In 1975 the Whealys started Seed Savers, trading seeds with about 30 gardeners. With the popularity of hybrid sees booming, Seed Savers wanted to preserve these older varieties. They believe the best way to preserve a plant variety is to grow it.

Jane Miller, an editor with 鈥淏etter Homes and Gardens Magazine鈥� credits the foodie movement with heirlooms鈥� growing popularity.

鈥淭hey鈥檝e suddenly become novelties again,鈥� Miller said. 鈥淚 think they鈥檙e considered to be gourmet, too. You find heirloom vegetables on a lot of restaurant menus that serve really high-end food.鈥�

Today, the Seed Savers Exchange has 13,000 members, reaching all 50 states and about two dozen countries. Some of the world鈥檚 rarest fruits and vegetables bloom in northeast Iowa.

One Seed Savers member, Jere Gettle of Mansfield, Mo., joined in the 1990s.

鈥淚 started trading seeds with people in Australia and Iraq,鈥� Gettle said. 鈥淭hat really was what greatly influence my interest.鈥�

Gettle started his own business in 1998, the . He estimates 25 percent of Baker Creek鈥檚 collection comes from Seed Savers Exchange.

鈥淚t was an amazing organization that grandfathered the whole heirloom movement,鈥� Gettle said. 鈥淭hey really didn鈥檛鈥� start it鈥here were other companies that coined the word before. But they were the one that brought it to the public鈥檚 view.鈥�

Gettle says his business continues to grow. In fact, the recent recession was a lucrative period for Baker Creek. Many people returned to gardening to save on groceries and supplement their income.

From bistro plates to home gardens, millions are able eat heirlooms today thanks to seed savers like Seed Savers Exchange.