The Amish grow varieties their great-grandparents brought from Europe. Some are 200+ years old.
What Is Heirloom
A variety passed through generations. Usually 50+ years old. Open-pollinated — seeds reproduce the parent plant. Unlike hybrids (F1) which give unpredictable offspring.
Why Not Hybrids
Hybrids: buy seeds every year. Heirloom: save your own free. Hybrids: bred for shipping and looks. Heirloom: bred for flavor.
Examples
Brandywine tomato: since 1885. Large, pink, incredible flavor. Lower yield than hybrids — but one tomato is worth ten. Mortgage Lifter: tomato up to 1 kg. Jacob's Cattle Bean: bean from the 1700s. Moon and Stars watermelon: dark green with yellow star spots.
Preservation
Every lost variety means lost genes. The Amish are guardians of genetic diversity. Major seed banks only realized this in the 1990s.