Seed Harvest

I've been a bit lax in the area of seed harvesting and I guess for the most part it's been an excuse, although; there are still a few plants, I'm just not quite sure what produces what I'm supposed to plant. One beet plant produced a great branch above with what looked like seeds, while another beet simply grew and grew and grew until it looked like something from a sci-fi movie. Anyway, harvesting seeds is a great thing for many reasons and I'll go over just a few. Now, keep in mind, I'm talking heirloom seeds here, not the run of the mill packages. In the old days before I had embraced organic heirloom gardening, some of the hybrids have come up as volunteers the next year and produced beautifully, and some have only been plants . . . Back to the seed harvest. My buddy-in-law harvested some radish seeds from the garden and i planted them for fall radishes. They are doing quite nicely, along with the green beans and lettuces. I am starting to harvest some okra pods for next year's seeds and that's really become quite fascinating. Okra has a very short window of "good" before it gets tough and spiny, so if I miss the window, I leave it on the plant to produce seeds and each large pod has several seeds! The seeds and large pods are so abundant, I'm able to share, as well as prepare for next year's garden. End of the season produce, once the seeds are harvested, is also great poultry and livestock feed. By harvesting seeds, not only am I being obedient to Scripture, but I'm saving my seed money, making my grocery bill even more economical! And another thing, when it comes to certain planting, I plant the entire "fruit." Tomatoes, pears, apples, peaches, grapes, elderberries, I guess, now that I look at the list, it is fruit, but it's as though G-d designed the seeds to be nourished off of the body of the fruit as it breaks down in the soil. So, if you're new to homesteading, this is what I've discovered. If you have input, please feel free to comment. And if you're just contemplating the concept of growing your groceries, go for heirloom seeds and don't forget the seeds are a part of the harvest!