Flawed Fruit: The Not-So-Rosy Reality of Industrial Tomato Farming in America - Sustainable Farming - MOTHER EARTH NEWS
I'm a home gardener and tomato grower. Just last night I had the pleasure of slicing one of my end of the season tomatoes to savor with supper. It was unbelievably sweet, juicy, brilliant red, and I am certain, full of nutrition. I had to harvest the last of the green tomatoes clinging to my almost dead vines in mid-October, pack them in tissue paper, and store them in a basket I keep in the garage. I go out every few days, cull the ones that are turning bad, and pluck out the perfectly ripened and firm fruits that are ready. They are, for the most part, small, individually shaped, and flawed in some way, but they are all delicious. I wonder what marvelous process of natural ripening keeps them fresh and appealing? Since I grew them organically, it cannot be anything but nature's gift to me and my palate.
I'm going to purchase the above noted book based on the excerpt I just read and I suggest you at least look at the link I have provided. I hope you will agree that we must demand, not only quality, but equality, from the industrial food organization. Right now my dietary choices have already removed me from many places that would put such tomatoes, as the ones described in Barry Estabrook's book, on my plate. But in a month or so, I'll be dreaming of that perfect slice of tomato on my sandwich, and go looking at the market.
Since I already know the shocking disappointment of slicing into a store-bought tomato, now I understand the reality of why those tomatoes are so awful. I definitely won't be buying anything that I suspect was produced in Florida. God save us from the frightening reality of supporting a slave based economy that is blatantly poisoning our food. And don't forget, as you read, that our federal tax dollars are supporting these farming practices approved and regulated by the Department of Agriculture.
I'm sure you won't be surprised that this tomato farming is going on in the same state that gave the Presidential election to George Bush when Al Gore was the clear winner. Well, keep this in mind and vote with your pocketbook. Don't buy industrial tomatoes from Florida, write your congressmen and women and ask them to withhold federal subsidies from this part of the industry, and please, ask your local restaurants and markets to join you in a boycott of Florida tomatoes.
