The Ark of Taste
The Ark of Taste is a living catalog of delicious and distinctive foods facing extinction. By identifying and championing these foods, we keep them in production and on our plates. Learn more at Slow Food USA.
Turnip Seeds - Seven Top
Brassica rapa HEIRLOOM. Seven Top has been the standard by which turnip greens have been measured in the American South for almost 200 years, earning them a spot on the...
Pole Bean Seeds - Cherokee Trail of Tears
Phaseolus vulgaris HEIRLOOM The Cherokee Trail of Tears bean memorializes the forced relocation of the Cherokee Indians in the mid-nineteenth century. They carried this bean throughout this infamous walk, which...
Slicing Tomato Seeds - Aunt Ruby's German Green, ORGANIC
Solanum lycopersicum ORGANIC. HEIRLOOM. This legendary tomato is as large as a beefsteak, but bright green which progresses from the shoulders, with a hint of pale yellow and pink on...
Winter Squash Seeds - Thelma Sanders Sweet Potato
Cucurbita pepo HEIRLOOM. Small acorn shaped fruit with deep ribbing. So delicious and well-loved, the Thelma Sanders squash is now part of the Slow Foods Ark of Taste! Fruit is...
Winter Squash Seeds - Seminole Pumpkin
Cucurbita moschata HEIRLOOM. Originally cultivated by the indigenous peoples around the Everglades and quite rare today, this squash is excellent for southern growers. Delicious 6-8" round fruits with buff-colored rind. Productive...
Paste Tomato Seeds - Amish Paste, ORGANIC
Solanum lycopersicum ORGANIC. HEIRLOOM. It's easy to understand the enduring popularity of this variety - thick meaty fruit with a small seed cavity means more flavorful sauce with less work....
Sweet Pepper Seeds - Jimmy Nardello
Capsicum annuum HEIRLOOM. Shhh! Don’t let the other peppers know, but after growing this heirloom you may never choose another sweet pepper variety for your garden again. This pepper can...
Winter Squash Seeds - Long Island Cheese
Cucurbita moschata HEIRLOOM. Named for its provenance (the Northeast) and its doppelganger (a wheel of cheese), this squash would prefer to be known for its wonderful pie-making. 6-10 lb fruits...
Winter Squash Seeds - Cushaw Green Striped
Cucurbita argyrosperma HEIRLOOM. Hailing from the Caribbean, this variety of Cushaw squash also goes by the name Tennessee Sweet Potato Squash and is part of the Slow Foods Ark of...
Watermelon Seeds - Moon and Stars Yellow
Citrullus lanatus HEIRLOOM. For the star gazers among us, which is to say everyone. This delicious variety has a moon and star speckled rind, but with a unique and tasty...
Pole Bean Seeds - Turkey Craw
Phaseolus vulgaris HEIRLOOM - This variety came to us from outstanding then-teenage gardener Kyler Johnson, of Greeneville, TN. It is stringless and has excellent flavor as a snap bean or...
Winter Squash Seeds - Candy Roaster Melon
Cucurbita maxima HEIRLOOM. A North Carolina original and part of the Slow Foods Ark of Taste! Large, rampant vines produce 12-14 lb fruits. Produces delightfully warty, buttercup-shaped fruit, with pinkish-orange...
Okra Seeds - White Velvet
Abelmoschus esculentus HEIRLOOM. Now very rare, this heavy producer of long, pale, velvety pods was once a favorite in the Southern states, especially Alabama. Spineless pods are ideal for pickling...
Slicing Tomato Seeds - Cherokee Purple
Solanum lycopersicum HEIRLOOM. Our most popular tomato, this beauty lives up to its praise. So tasty and adored, the Cherokee Purple is part of the Slow Foods Ark of Taste!...
Hot Pepper Seeds - Fish Pepper, ORGANIC
Capsicum annuum ORGANIC. HEIRLOOM. Fish pepper probably came to the United States from the Caribbean in the late 1800s, and quickly became a garden staple among the African American community...
Inchelium Red Softneck Garlic
Allium sativum One of the best of the softnecks, considered to have a very fine flavor, both complex and spicy. Bulbs can grow very large under the right conditions, with...
Drying Bean Seeds - Marrowfat
Phaseolus vulgaris HEIRLOOM. The Marrowfat bean, also known as the White Egg bean, became popular in the mid 1800’s in part because of its creamy texture and bacon-like flavor. This...
Norton Sweet Potato Slips
Ipomoea batatas An heirloom that dates back to the 1800s with tan skin and bright yellow flesh when cooked. Moist and sweet with a creamy texture. Good yields, fairly uniform...
Loretta Blue Sweet Potato Slips
Ipomoea batatas The Loretta Blue has been stewarded by Anne Grier of Gaining Ground Farm for 14 years as their favorite purple sweet potato to offer to their CSA community....
Slicing Tomato Seeds - Halladay's Mortgage Lifter
Solanum lycopersicum HEIRLOOM. Mortgage Lifter tomatoes are famous for their enormous and super-meaty fruits with few seeds - the perfect sandwich tomato. There are a number of strains of Mortgage...
Watermelon Seeds - Moon and Stars Red
Citrullus lanatus HEIRLOOM. The Moon and Stars Watermelon has luscious red flesh with a dreamscape rind of small yellow "stars" and large yellow "moons" on a dark green skin. Introduced...
Slicing Tomato Seeds - Big Momma
Solanum lycopersicum This tomato is amazing! Large, meaty, with few seeds and the perfect balance of sweetness. Wins the newcomer of the year award! We can't find too much history...
Nancy Hall Sweet Potatoes
Ipomoea batatas Nancy Hall is an heirloom that dates back to the 1800s with a firm texture, complex sweetness, and hints of chestnut-like flavor. This variety was celebrated at the...
Southern Pea Seeds - Mississippi Silver
Sold out for 2025 Vigna unguiculata HEIRLOOM. This Southern favorite produces heavy yields of 6" long silvery pale green pods that produce large brown cowpeas. Easy-to-pick, disease resistant and well...