Jeremiath Gettle has been saving seeds since he was four years old. He lives with his wife and daughter on an original 1850’s homestead and produce farm. It’s also a replica of a pioneer town. I know from reading their quarterly magazine, "The Heirloom Gardner," that they began building the town mid-winter 2007.

Jeremiath greets me all dressed up in cowboy clothes in front of his white picket fence. The hand-hewn woodwork of the structures that make up the village is stunning, each building filled with antique furniture collected through the years. Fenced-in areas hold heritage chickens, ducks, geese, pheasants, pigeons, turkeys, a few rare sheep, rabbits and swans. There are piles of heirloom fruits, vegetable produce, and a storeroom full of alphabetized seed packets. He’s a modern day Noah with Bakersville as his ark.

Jeremiath: I started my own catalog at seventeen. It was black and white. I sent out my first bunch to 550 gardeners, filling all the orders myself in my bedroom. Now, my seeds come from everywhere. People bring them to me, saying, "Here’s some seed for you," or "My great-great-grandma brought these over from Germany and we’re afraid we might lose them." I also find seeds wherever we travel; so far I’ve been to Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. I look for seeds on the Internet. People find us online and send batches from different countries.

Heirloom seeds are seeds with a history passed down from generation to generation. There’s a difference in opinion about how old an heirloom seed needs to be, but basically it’s just one that has been passed down. The oldest varieties are more nutritious: they have a higher level of protein and vitamins along with micro-nutrients. The more diversity you have when you’re growing a crop, the stronger it will be. Online at: Rare Seeds.com

This recipe is really great to use with all sorts of vegetables. We especially enjoy sweet carrots, green beans, cauliflower, eggplants and summer squash. Okra is great too! Thinly slice or break apart the veggies and following the batter instructions below: