I was given some bean seed in 1966 that was brought over from Italy many years before, this I grow and save seed from every year. I also grow and keep seed from Cherokee Trail of Tears and another bean called Mr Tung, this one was brought over from China in the early 1900's. I'm also growing a Croatian lettuce and keep seed from this every year, the seed was given to me several years back but I don't know the history on this one.
I still grow British Sovereign Strawberries and I keep and grow the same shallots year after year. I'm still looking for a Heirloom tomato I like as much as Celebrity and when I do I'll switch over to it so I can keep my own seed.
These are the only vegetables I grow at present but if I were growing more they would all be from open pollinated varieties. A

We also grow pole beans with seeds that originated from a European who came to Canada early in the 1900's. The beans are wonderful -- no strings, tasty and prolific producers. We've given seed to others so that if we lose ours we have a backup. I don't think Saltspring Sunrise tomatoes are heirloom, but they were developed on Saltspring Island for our climate and I love them. They never fail. We save the seeds.

How long does a seed have to be around to be deemed heirloom?
Saltspring Sunrise tomatoes were being sold back in the 60's at the nursery I worked at.
Dotty, your beans are they green and purple some all purple? Maybe we have the same bean, I'd have to look it up but I think the Italian beans I grow came over around 1910. If you want to try a few of the ones I have let me know. A

Wikipedia says "There is no consensus as to how old a plant variety should be before it can be considered an heirloom. Many gardeners consider 1951 to be the latest year a plant can have originated and still be called an heirloom, since that year marked the widespread introduction of the first hybrid varieties. Some heirloom plants are much older, some being apparently pre-historic. Usually, a plant is not called an heirloom if it is grown widely and commercially, regardless of how old it is. To be an heirloom, a plant must be "open-pollinated", meaning it will grow "true to type" and produce plants like the parents from seed. This excludes nearly every hybrid. Open pollination allows the same cultivar to be grown simply from seed for many generations."

I hear a lot about heirloom tomatoes. Glad to hear about the beans.

Any other heirloom seeds you use?