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5 Reasons You Need Heirloom Seeds + Seed Giveaway

February 18, 2015 by Melissa Norris 205 Comments

Been hearing about heirloom seeds? Heirloom seeds are the ultimate in preparedness and survival. They're how human kind has been eating since creation, but it's not what's in your seed packets at the big box stores. Learn how and why you should be using heirloom seeds. Read now if you're planting a garden or plan on it.

It's time for our annual heirloom Tarheel Green Bean Seed Giveaway!! For those of you who don't know our story my grandparents brought this strain of pole beans with them when they migrated from North Carolina (Avery County area) in 1941. We've been saving it and replanting every year since.

When I think of how many lives have been touched by that first seed my ancestors planted, I'm humbled by what God can do with something so small. It's nothing short of amazing to me how we can put a small hard seed in the ground and with a little care it produces bushels of food for us to eat. Talk about a modern day miracle right there in our backyards.

With the threat of GMO's invading our food source (the FDA just approved an GMO apple) I'm even more excited and dedicated to only planting and growing heirloom seeds. And to help you out, I'm giving away 10 packets to 10 winners of our families strain of heirloom Tarheel green pole bean seed. Enter via the Rafflcopter widget below. Contest is open to the United States of America and you must be 18 years old or older. For full contest rules and regulations go here.    ***Contest Closed***   

5 Reasons You Need Heirloom Seeds

1.Frugal. Buy once, harvest for life. Heirloom seeds need only be given or purchased once. You can save the seed every year (unlike hybrid or GMO seeds), making heirloom seeds the ultimate in self-sufficiency. How to save heirloom seed.  Heirloom seeds are the ultimate preparedness plan and self-sufficiency must.

2. A stronger plant. Because you the gardener are selecting the best producing and strongest plants to save the seed from each year, your saved heirloom seeds will become a stronger plant due to your natural selection. They will also acclimate to your weather and climate, making them the very best choice for where you live.

3. Taste. Heirloom seeds haven't been selected and bred for uniform shape in order to sell better on a grocery store shelf. They have a depth of flavor rarely found in hybrid seeds. Check out our Pioneering Today Podcast on Benefits of Heirloom Seeds.

Learn how to save your garden seed. There's nothing like never having to buy seed again and upping your self-reliance and preparedness level. Great tips, her family has been saving several strains of seed for over 100 years.

4. Variety. They're way more varieties and colors in heirloom and open-pollinated plants. From purple potatoes to blue tomatoes. There is beauty in the varieties you'll likely only find in specialty stores and farmers markets. Gardening should be as colorful as a masterpiece painting and just as beautiful as it is delicious.

5. The stories. Heirloom seeds are a living part of our ancestors, a living connection back to those who went before us. They're just as God made them when He created this world and nature. I love to hear the stories you've shared with me on different strains of seed you've come across or your family has saved and passed down.

For further information on heirloom gardening, check out these articles as well!

Where to Buy Heirloom Seed

List of Heirloom Varieties to Grow in Your Garden

10 Unique Heirloom Vegetables to Grow in Your Garden

Natural Weed Control & Heirloom Flowers

Heirloom Seed Saving & Gardening

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Filed Under: Gardening, Raising Your Own Food Tagged With: gardening, preparedness, seed giveaway, survival, tarheel green pole beans

Giveaway-Heirloom Garden Seed & copy of Pioneering Today!!

March 6, 2013 by Melissa Norris 59 Comments

One of the joys of gardening is being able to share with family and friends. While I can't share my produce with all of you, I can share my heirloom Tarheel green bean seed. It's been in my family for approximately a hundred years going back to my great-grandparents and beyond.

Heirloom Seed & Book Giveaway @MelissaKNorris
Heirloom Seed & Book Giveaway @MelissaKNorris

My grandparents moved from North Carolina to Washington state in 1941. They traveled with two other families on the back of flat-bed truck they converted to a camper with bunks. One of the times they brought with them were their Tarheel green bean seed.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Other Articles Tagged With: heirloom gardening, heirloom seeds, seed giveaway, tarheel green been giveaway, tarheel green pole beans

Pioneering Today-Heirloom Tarheel Green Bean and Seed Giveaway

April 2, 2012 by Melissa Norris 121 Comments

To celebrate the arrival of spring, I'm going to share my favorite vegetable with you. My grandparents moved from North Carolina to Washington state in 1937. They traveled with two other families on the back of flat-bed truck they converted to a camper with bunks.

Can you imagine the cramped quarters? Packing space was limited to say the least. But my grandparents brought with them a packet of their pole green beans and a cast iron skillet. We've always referred to them as tarheel green beans.

When my husband and I were dating, he came to meet my parents for the first time. He told me he didn't care for green beans, so when my mom passed the pot of green beans, I was surprised he took a serving. After eating his beans, he helped himself to more. I leaned over and whispered, “You don't have to eat more.” I thought he just wanted to impress my parents.

He replied, “These are the best beans I've ever eaten. I don't like other green beans, but I love these.”

Tarheel Green Pole Beans

We've grown them every year since we've been married. Going on thirteen years now.

Tarheel pole beans grace many a garden in our valley. These beans can’t be bought in a store, either the seeds or the harvest. Originating from the Appalachian Mountain range,  they have a small white bean inside the pod and are lumpy. The taste is phenomenal, sweet and buttery. Add a little fat back, chunk of bacon, and you’ll be hard pressed to find a better dish.

They are a heritage bean, meaning they haven’t been altered by science. Each family or hollow would have their own unique bean and would trade with other families for different varieties. These beans must be staked or you can plant them on a fence, but they need something to climb. In fact, prized beans were considered part of a girl's dowry!

Tarheel beans produce a lot per plant. They do require stringing, but the flavor is worth the extra work. I like to let some of the beans mature. I mix the shelled small white bean in with the fresh snapped green pods. They are excellent fresh, canned, or in true Tarheel fashioned, leather britches style. Beans are strung on a string and left to dry. You then soak them when ready to eat and cook as usual.

I leave one bush unpicked. Let the beans hang on the vine until they have turned almost white and have started to shrivel. Then shell the beans, allow them to dry, and store in a cool dry place for next years seed. We tried putting some in the freezer this year and they came up fine, but my dad leaves them in a five gallon bucket in their laundry room with no problems.

***Contest Closed***

So, here's where it get's good. One lucky winner will receive a packet of my seeds. Here are the rules for entering. Winner will be announced here on Tuesday April 17, 2012. Good luck! Remember, you need to sign up via email in addition to leaving a comment. Thanks!

1. Leave a comment with your email address below.

2. Sign up via email to receive new blog posts. Just click on the sign me up button on the right hand side of the page.

3. Tweet or share this link of Facebook.

To get your name in the drawing a second time follow me on Twitter and come hang out with me on my author Facebook page. If you're a Pinterest fan I'd love to swap boards with you.

You know mine, what's your favorite family heirloom? It can be an item, memory, or tradition.

To read more about legacy's we leave, here's my post on leaving a spiritual legacy for your children.

This post is featured on

The Prairie Homesteaders Blog Hop

Far Above Rubies: Domestically Divine Tuesdays

Filed Under: Gardening, Raising Your Own Food, Vegetables Tagged With: green pole bean, heirloom green beans, heirloom seed, heritage green beans, heritage seed, seed saving, spring gardening, tarheel green pole beans, Vegetables

Melissa K. Norris

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