Well written great pics! Author obviously has a passion for heirloom seeds that he turned into a very successful business. Ordered seeds for my own garden and can't wait to get them started!! ( )

The author begins with his upbringing and his life was somewhat similar to "little house on the prairie". How he got involved in saving seeds began when he noticed his favorite seeds disappearing from catalogs.
He shares his experience in Mexico, Guadalajara, and Bangkok for the purpose of buying/saving seeds.
At the end of the book he lists foods; their history, saving seeds, how to grow the food and what to do with it in the kitchen.
Resources are also given.
I found the book to be fascinating including his trip to Bangkok which is a location I will never visit, so I was able to do so vicariously in this book. The author is also inspirational in trying other types of foods we're familiar with, but have become accustomed to one specimen i.e. try a purple potato instead of the familiar white or a yellow carrot instead of orange, etc. I know my garden will be increasing this year. ( )

For at least the first fifty pages, this book reads as a puff piece for the author's seed company. We learn about his upbringing (homeschooled, homesteading) and the early years of his company (founded as a teenager, took over Mom and Dad's house) with lots of family pictures, moving on to his wife (homeschooled, perfect) and daughter. First it gets tedious, then it gets annoying. Shades of Gilderoy Lockhart. However, once the author actually gets down to describing growing YOUR own food, rather than his, the book is informational (although still larded with many family photos - ooh, little Sasha and an eggplant! ooh, little Sasha picked a beet!). It has perhaps the best photo essay on saving tomato seeds that I have seen, and the vegetable A-Z section was useful. I borrowed this book from the library; when I buy a book on heirloom seeds and gardening, I'll choose one that is primarily about heirloom seeds and gardening, rather than an autobiography. ( )

Description:Tired of genetically modified food? Every day, Americans are moving more toward eating natural, locally grown food that is free of pesticides and preservatives--and there is no better way to ensure this than to grow it yourself. Anyone can start a garden, whether in a backyard or on a city rooftop; but what they need to truly succeed is The Heirloom Life Gardener, a comprehensive guide to cultivating heirloom vegetables.

In this invaluable resource, Jere and Emilee Gettle, cofounders of the Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, offer a wealth of knowledge to every kind of gardener--experienced pros and novices alike. In his friendly voice, complemented by gorgeous photographs, Jere gives planting, growing, harvesting, and seed saving tips. In addition, an extensive A to Z Growing Guide includes amazing heirloom varieties that many people have never even seen. From seed collecting to the history of seed varieties and name origins, Jere takes you far beyond the heirloom tomato. This is the first book of its kind that is not only a guide to growing beautiful and delicious vegetables, but also a way to join the movement of people who long for real food and a truer way of living.

Thoughts: The Gettles founded Baker Creek Seeds, which is an amazing seed company that saves, preserves, and sells heirloom, open pollinated, patent and GMO free seeds. They produce the most AMAZING (and beautiful) seed catalog each year and now have this book out. The Gettles also run a seed farm, the Petaluma Seed Bank, and Comstock, Ferre & Co- America's oldest continually operating seed company (201 years)- which they have rescued from closure and are returning to it's former glory. I love these people!

Anyway, the book is interesting. It's a great introduction on heirloom varieties and why it's important to grow them. It's not just about how wonderful they taste compared to modern hybrids or how it's good to get back to out roots (no pun intended): most importantly, preserving heirlooms is of the most reliable way to safeguard our food supply against unforeseen future events. By maintaining genetic diversity, we can breed plants to respond to changing global conditions, pests that are evolving, and plant diseases that are changing faster in response to chemicals treatments. This is saving for our future.

If you are already an heirloom convert (like me) or long time gardener, then this book isn't going to teach you anything you don't probably know, but it is interesting to read Jere's story of founding the company out of his bedroom at 17 and his travels around the world preserving seeds. There is also a WONDERFUL A-Z guide (which is about half the book) that has great tips and facts for the most popular heirloom garden varieties.

I mostly read this because I love all the Gettles do. Very little of it was new for me, but, all in all, it's a nice book. And as usual (if you get their seed catalog you know this) the pictures are AMAZING!

http://www.librarything.com/topic/130721#3217613 ( )

I love this seed company. I enjoyed a more in depth look at the
Varieties of veggies ( )