Open-pollinated Seeds

Our crops are open-pollinated, many of them heirloom.
Why open-pollinated?

“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat” (Genesis 1:29).

We have chosen to only buy open-pollinated seeds for our crops, most of them heirloom seeds from open-pollinated varieties that have been raised for generations. However most of the vegetables and other crops grown commercially are grown from hybrid seeds. Does it matter? What’s the difference?
God’s Creation Design – “And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:12). Hybrids do not produce seed after their kind and do not consistently bear useful seed for planting next year’s crop.

Taste – Heirloom vegetables and other crops often surpass their hybrid counterparts in flavor and eating quality.

True genetic diversity – Unlike hybrids, open-pollinated seeds breed true and their seeds produce a plant like the parent plant. Hybrids, in the second generation, produce unpredictable and often inferior offspring. Varieties of open-pollinated crops have distinctive genetics that can be maintained and improved through selection.

Preservation of old and unique varieties – Hybrids only came into common use in the last century, while plants have been propagated by open-pollination and selection through millennia. Since the advent of hybrids, many unique and regionally adapted varieties prized for their hardiness, productivity, culinary attributes, and cultural histories are in danger of extinction.

Basic food security – When farmers and gardeners around the world select and save the seeds from food crops that produce best in their areas, they ensure a continuing supply of locally adapted and available food plants in contrast to ongoing dependency on commercial companies and agricultural institutions.