Think tomatoes only come in red?
Maybe you've seen those little pear-shaped tomatoes that come in yellow. Well, I bet you haven't seen a purple tomoate. You're not likely to see it in your local grocery store. You might see one in a health food store. Think a purple tomato is a result of some genetic modification? Think again.
Heirloom vegetables are vegetables from our ancestors, passed down from generation to generation. Vegetables they grew on their land, harvested and enjoyed. Heirloom vegetables are an endangered. They've fallen by the way side of mass-produced, high-volume vegetables.
Tomatoes actually come in all colors, shapes, sizes and flavors. Seed Savers Exchange is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving our vegetable and fruit heritage.
So back to purple tomatoes. How many kinds of tomatoes do you see in your grocery store, health food store or farmer's market? Did you know that there are more than 5500 varieties of tomatoes?! That's right, over 5500! Check out some of the varieties here
The varieties have wonderful names too, like Purple Russian, Aunt Ruby's Green, Gold Rush, Hillbilly, and Garden Peach. How fun!
Did you know that in 1900 there were 7,000 named varieties of apples in the U.S.? Now there are less than 1,000 of those existing today. How many do you see in your stores? Seed Saver's Exchange maintains the most diverse, public orchard in the U.S., where 700 pre-1900 apple varieties are on display. Want to blow your mind? Visit Seed Saver's Heritage Farm.
BTW - you can request a catalog from Seed Saver's Exchange. Just looking through it will expand your awareness. You might even feel inspired to order some seed and grow your own purple tomatoes. (I did!) Imagine showing your child a purple tomato!
Now you know - there ARE purple tomatoes, and orange, yellow, green, etc. So what else do you think you know for sure? :D Until next week -
In Spirit,
Lauren
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