By Jamie Baranda, Education and Curriculum Intern
If you’re thinking about growing your own produce during the summertime, tomatoes are a great start. Tomatoes are one of the most versatile fruits summer has to offer, which means you can use them for a variety of delicious recipes. If you’ve decided to add tomatoes to your garden, why not grow them organically?
The term “organic” refers to the way agricultural products are grown and processed. When it comes to produce being grown organically, it means that your fruits and vegetables are being grown with natural fertilizers. Non-organic produce is grown with synthetic or chemical fertilizers. Organic produce is grown with natural ingredients, and other aspects that can affect the produce are controlled through natural methods as well. For example, weeds can be controlled through crop rotation, hand weeding, mulching, or organic-approved herbicides instead of chemical herbicides. As for pests, these would be controlled using natural methods such as traps and naturally-derived pesticides as opposed to synthetic pesticides.
Much like other fruits and vegetables, organic tomatoes are substantially more nutritious than your conventionally grown tomatoes. Organic tomatoes have higher Vitamin C levels and antioxidant delivering compounds known as phytochemicals than conventionally grown tomatoes. Growing your tomatoes without chemical fertilizers and pesticides may not get you the biggest tomato in the neighborhood, but it’ll definitely get you a fresh one packed with high Vitamin C levels and antioxidants!
For some delicious tomato recipes check out this article written by Eddy Chen, our Website Design Intern.
References
Organic foods: Are they safer? More nutritious? (2022, April 22). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/organic-food/art-20043880
Picard, C., & Garrity, A. (2020, May 20). Growing Tomatoes 101: How to Plant and Grow Tomatoes. Good Housekeeping. Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/g19574760/planting-tomatoes/
Robinson, L., Segal, J., & Segal, R. (2022). Organic Foods: What You Need to Know. HelpGuide.org. Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/organic-foods.htm
Vinje, E. (2013, March 4). Organic Tomatoes vs. Conventional Tomatoes. Planet Natural. Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.planetnatural.com/organic-tomatoes/
Wallington, J. (2021, January 3). How to grow organic tomatoes including heirloom tomatoes. Jack Wallington. Retrieved July 18, 2022, from https://www.jackwallington.com/how-to-grow-organic-heirloom-tomatoes/
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