I have been a passionate gardener all of my life and have been growing heirloom vegetables for the past 15 years. When I first discovered heirloom vegetables, I was blown away by the colours, textures and flavours that were available in vegetables. I realized that our concept of vegetables was so limited due to our modern farming, transport and marketing systems. Some of the tastiest vegetables are not sold in supermarkets due to the reduced transport and shelf life capabilities of some of the heirlooms. We are growers and distributors of open pollinated, heirloom vegetable seeds, some of which are being produced in the Bundaberg region. These seeds have been grown in our climate and are adapted to our conditions. We are passionate about preserving the varieties of vegetables that have been developed and bred by our ancestors over the centuries. This is our true inheritance. This diversity is under threat of disappearing due to modern farming practices that are forced on farmers if they wish to remain financially viable. This pressure is forcing farmers to use genetically modified, hybrid seeds that produce plants that are more likely to produce a crop under modern pressures. Modern farming practices use genetically modified plants and poisons that are killing off our insects and harming our ecosystems as a whole, not to mention continual list of studies from independent scientists and farmers that question or condemn our toxic, factory farm systems. It is time to take back our food system to a time when gardens and farmsteads were diverse places that not only sustained the family, but they helped to support the local community - not the pesticide industry or factory farms.