84-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, October 2, 1993
Seeds From
Grandma’s Garden
LOU ANN GOOD
Lancaster Fanning Staff
LANDISVILLE (Lancaster
Co.) If you are searching for
beans like Grandma used to grow
in her garden, but can’t find them,
check with the Heirloom Seed
Program at Landis Valley
Museum. Chances are that they
will have the bean seed although it
may be called a different name
than Grandma called it.
That’s because many of the
seeds handed down through the
generations are referred to by fam
ily names such as Alma’s Limas or
Jacob’s Cattle beans.
As years pass/ many seeds that
were commonly available in previ
ous years disappear. In fact, Nancy
Pippart, coordinator of the Heir
loom Seed Project and historical
gardens at Landis Valley, said,
“Less than three percent of the
seeds available in 1903 are avail
able today. And of the 7,000 apple
varieties available in the states in
1900, more than 5,000 are lost.”
Many seeds have been lost
because of hybridization and the
requirements of large-scale
growers.
That does not mean that the pro
duce from the seeds did not taste as
good as those that that did survive
or that they are less disease resis
tant. Through time, the seeds have
been lost
Pippart and about 20 volunteers
at Landis Valley want to change
that. For the past eight years, they
have been planting several acres
with heirloom seeds passed on
through family generations. These
seeds are available by ordering
through the Museum’s catalogue
and at the Museum’s annual
Harvest Days, helld this year on
October 9 to 10.
During Harvest Days, visitors
may observe the fenced-in gar
dens, typical of 200 years ago, and
purchase heirloom seeds and a lim
ited quantity of produce grown in
the gardens.
Volunteers work year-round in
the gardens. Pippart said, “They do
everything plant, weed, hoc,
water, harvest, process, fill seed
packets, and ship catalogue orders.
Most of the volunteers are back
yard gardeners themselves whose
nostalgic for the past often invokes
interest in heirloom seeds. Parti
cipants in the heirloom seed prog
ram strive to preserve the varieties
that their own families use.
Pippart said the program began
when Lee Stoltzfus from Lititz
presented the idea to the museum
board. Stoltzfus had contacts and
many seeds that he had been pre
serving over the years. With his
and donations from many other
families, the museum has been
able to offer numerous traditional
strains of non-hybrid varieties of
plants grown by Pennsylvania
Germans before 1940, which have
an oral or written history extending
back into the early 1800 s.
Ida Risser, columnist for Lan
caster Farming, is one of the per
sons who has donated heirloom
seeds. The Risser Early Sugar Pea
and Risser Sickle Pea arc family
favorites which have been passed
through the generations and are
now available for other gardeners
to purchase through the Heirloom
Seed catalogue or at Harvest Days.
Prices for the seed packets range
between $1.25 to S 3. Since some
seeds are in short supply, custom
ers can purchase only one packet
per each variety.
The heirloom seed project is
only a small part of the Harvest
Days celebration. More than 75
craft and living history demonstra
tions from the 1750-1900 era will
show-how to make items such as
apple cider, gingerbread, bricks,
Battenberg lace, dry a house, rye
straw roof thatching, dyeing,
scherenschnitte, and many early
crafts.'
Story telling, folk and fiddler
music, angling, clock repairing
and presentations about Menno
nite life and religion will be held.
Horse-drawn wagon and car
riage rides with the Museum’s
horse are available to visitors.
Landis Valley is the largest out
door museum of Pennsylvania
German rural heritage that is a vil-
(Turn to Pago B 5)
Johann McKee Is one of the volunteers who will be working In costume In the farms
tead garden at Landis Valley during Harvest Days on October 9 and 10. The raised bed
gardens are recreations based on the 4-square desr leal of their isthcentt
Volunteers sort heirloom seeds for packaging in preparation of the upcoming
Harvest Day celebration that highlights Pennsylvania Dutch history.
GOOD FOOD OUTLET STORES
See Our Original Line Of Golden Barrel Products Phis All Kinds
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* BAKING MOLASSES * MAPLE SYRUP
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BROCHURE A VEGETABLE OIL
* SHOO-FLY PIE MDC
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Located At Good Food, Inc.
W. Main St, Box 160, Honey Brook, PA 19344
218-273-3776 1-800-327-4406
Located At L & S Sweeteners
368 E. Main St., Leola, PA 17540
717-686-3486 1-800-633-2676
- WE UPS DAILY -
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Mo*'.-. ' i'o
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CLOSED SUNDAYS, NEW YEAR,
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BUS. HRS: BOX $7
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SPECIALS FOR
OCTOBER
GOLDEN BARREL LIGHT
CORN STROP
Regularly SI.N
now $1.69
GOLDEN BARREL CANOLA OIL
S 3 Ounce - Regularly $l.BO
row $1.29
GOOD OLD FASHIONED SHOOFLY
PIE MIX WITH STROP
Regularly $1.89
HOW $1.69
A FUNNEL CAKE MIX
* PANCAKE A WAFFLE
MIX
* ASSORTMENT OF
CANDIES
* DRIED FRUIT
* SNACK MIXES
* BEANS
■k HONEY
A PEANUT BUTTER
* BAUMAN APPLE
BUTTERS
* KAUFFMAN PRESERVES
A SPRING GLEN RELISHES