Survival Seeds to Sow – Heirloom, GMO or Non-GMO

Tess Pennington
Ready Nutrition
January 2010

As many are beginning to take interest in buying seeds in order to secure their future, there is confusion as to what type of seed to buy. With the different varieties available such as genetically modified (GMO), non-genetically modified (Non-GMO), and heirloom seeds, it is no wonder why there is such confusion.

In a survival situation, finding the right type of seeds that will offer vitamins and food security with reoccurring harvests will be of great importance for long term survival.

Food Security in Seeds

All seeds are good to have in order to grow food. However, there are certain types that are preferred seed varieties because they are better at sustaining long term survival. That being said, if a person is purchasing seeds for food security, then the seeds purchased should be heirloom open-pollinated or non-hybrid (non-GMO) quality.

Heirloom or Open Pollinated Seeds (Non-GMO)

Heirloom seed varities are an open pollinated seed developed before 1940. These type of seeds are bred for their flavor and not their durability while being shipped. Additionally, these types of seeds will produce fertile seeds that can be saved for subsequent growing seasons. This is the preferred seed variety that preppers and survivalists are storing as one of their long term survival items. These seeds are the ones that will continually produce viable seeds.

Genetically Modified Seeds (GMO)

Seeds from a genetically modified variety are a hybrid of two separate varieties that have different genetic make up from it’s parent plant. As the plant matures, the seeds produced from the plant will either be sterile, or start to revert back to the parent plants. Furthermore, the seeds that have been genetically modified have been so to be disease resistant, insect resistant, and drought resistant is some cases. However, these type of seeds are not good choices because while the seed is created a pesticide known as bacillus thuringiensis or BT, is created inside it in order to keep insects away. The reasoning behind this idea was to create more plentiful crops. The problem is that the finished product is a seed that holds pesticides inside it that will kill off any insects (even the beneficial insects). These are not the best choices for survival seeds due to the BT pesticide and the seed that is produced from the mature plant will be sterile.

Survival Insurance

Long term survival encompasses items that will sustain a person or family for years. MRE’s, canned goods and dehydrated food can only get a person so far. If a person has a sustainable way to create food for years to come, then they have the necessary survival insurance that can keep them alive and healthy for the long haul.

Author: Tess Pennington
Web Site: http://www.ReadyNutrition.com/
Date: January 17th, 2010

Related Categories: Micro Farming, Survival Food

Join the Conversation! There are 5 responses to this article.

PrepperMom says:

January 17, 2010 at 6:34 pm

Wonderful post . Good work.

Misty says:

February 2, 2010 at 2:22 pm

Very informative. I’ve been thinking about buying my own seeds, and I didn’t know what the difference was between the different types of seeds.

Tess says:

February 2, 2010 at 5:43 pm

Misty,

The different types of seeds can get confusing. In fact, many believe that organic seeds are an option as well. All that organic seeds really are, is the envornment in which the seeds were grown. If they are not non-gmo or heirloom, stay clear of them. In a survival situation, a person wants to feel confident in their food supply. And that means having seeds that will produce fertile seeds for the next harvest.

Thanks for posting.

Bud Wood says:

August 30, 2010 at 3:56 pm

Try to stay away from GMO seeds. They contain insecticides which can over the years cause detrimental effects.

Also, we stay away from canola oil, as it typically will be from GMO growth. We usually use almond oil – - mostly from almond trees which are GMO-free. In fact, we use almond oil as a butter replacement. Very light taste and very effective in frying meats, vegetables, etc.

jim anderson says:

April 29, 2012 at 6:07 pm

not to mention that GMO foods have been shown to be dangerous and even poisonous to lab animals. if you eat the gmo foods you also eat pesticides…