Seed prices for the home gardner have practially doubled the last 3 years. Even last year, ‘there was a seed shortage’. I’ve noticed certain seed catalogs are offering less and less straight varities.
I live in the North and further, have a poor micro climate for any long season varieties.
I plant my heirlooms in containers so that I can place them where the sun is brighter and longest and take them in to put under lights, if necessary due to late or early frosts. But, for the garden, I bless the hybrids engineered to produce in short seasons and set fruit in cool temperatures. Heirlooms just cannot produce in my garden. Also, several of the heirlooms are more susceptible to blights and blossom end rot than are the hybrids. If I want an heirloom tomato, I have to buy it from someone blessed with a better micro climate. Also, many of the heirlooms are poor keepers, so it is better to just buy what I will use quickly.
There is a place for all sorts of plants, IMO. My garden will be smaller this year, as I have sauce and dried tomatoes from last year that look like they will last through next winter. I will put up enough this year to get through to September 2011.
As to the thread topic, the Farm and Fleet had a huge variety and quantities of veggie seed for 2010, some of it OP, back in December. I think this MSNBC meme, which is being propagated throughout the media, is hype. People love to be scared.