The Wild Child Heritage Seed Library preserves historic seed varieties with an enduring connection to the farming and gardening heritage of West Tennessee.

 

The mission of the Wild Child Heritage Seed Library:

• Preserve open-pollinated and locally adapted heritage seed varieties.

• Pass on traditional knowledge and skills to new generations.

• Connect people to their cultural heritage and ancestral knowledge.

• Provide open access to heritage seed varieties for the community.

• Regenerate heritage seed varieties that are endangered.

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The heritage seed library is funded through monetary donations and seed grants from a wide variety of heritage seed companies, including the Appalachian Heirloom Seed Conservancy, Baker Creek Heirlooms, Gurney's Seeds, Harris Seeds, Heaven's Harvest Seed Company, High Mowing Seeds, Johnny's Select Seeds, Mary's Heirloom Seeds, Monticello Seed Shop, Seed Savers Exchange, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Southern Seed Legacy Project, the Sustainable Mountain Agricultural Center, Territorial Seeds, and the Victory Seed Company.

 

Local farmers and gardeners, known as Seed Guardians, are encouraged to donate heritage variety seeds for future plantings and preservation of local vegetable species. 

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WILD CHILD HERITAGE SEED LIBRARY MODEL: the Heirloom Vegetable Garden at the Tennessee Agricultural Museum is a unique glimpse into the rich agricultural history of Tennessee. As part of the museum’s dedication to preserving the traditions of rural life, this garden is a living exhibit showcasing heirloom vegetable varieties that have been grown in Tennessee for generations. The Heirloom Vegetable Garden is not only a place of historical significance but also an educational resource that highlights the evolution of farming and the importance of preserving heirloom seeds.

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A living history of agriculture in Tennessee, this one-of-a-kind heirloom garden contains vegetable varieties that were once common in Tennessee home gardens and farm plots during the state's early agricultural development. These heirloom vegetables, sometimes called "old cultivars," are varieties that have been passed down through generations without genetic modification. Unlike many modern hybrids, heirloom vegetables are valued for their unique flavors, resilience, and ability to thrive in local climates. These heirloom vegetables represent a connection to Tennessee’s past, offering a window into the kinds of crops that families would have relied on for nourishment and survival during the state’s early development.

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The Heirloom Vegetable Garden is of educational significance because it is an essential part of the Tennessee Agricultural Museum, which houses over 3,000 artifacts related to pre-electricity rural life in Tennessee. The garden complements the museum’s mission by showing visitors what agricultural life was like before modern farming techniques and machinery revolutionized the way we grow food. For children visiting on field trips, the garden offers a hands-on learning experience. Students are often invited to use a traditional push-plow, a simple tool that was once essential for tending household vegetable plots. This allows them to gain an understanding of the hard work that went into growing food in the early days of Tennessee farming, offering a tactile connection to history that’s hard to find elsewhere.

 

The Heirloom Vegetable Garden bridges the gap between the past and present, helping students and visitors alike to appreciate the evolution of agriculture in Tennessee and the significance of heirloom plants.

 

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