Tomato, Tomatl
by Stefanie T. Stauffer
A few months back I wrote a column called “Infinite Green Tomatoes” about how the industrial food system has given us the unwanted gift of year-round tasteless tomatoes (among other things). It pointed out that the widespread practice of picking the tomatoes green in California or Florida to have them chemically ripened in trucks criss-crossing the U.S. has made many people turn against tomatoes entirely. What I didn’t have a chance to point out before is that industrial tomato growing operations also deserve to be criticized for their atrocious labor practices, characterized by slave wages and poor work conditions for migrant farm workers and others.
If you’ve ever driven past fields full of tomato-high tunnels in Southern California, if you associate tomatoes with salmonella outbreaks or if you’ve heard about the victory of the Immokalee Workers against Taco Bell in 2005, you know what I’m talking about. But none of these things are the tomato’s fault. So, instead of focusing on all that’s wrong with how most tomatoes are grown, let’s instead celebrate the arrival of local tomato season!
If you’re like me, then you grow your own tomatoes. Perhaps you also grow them organically from seeds you saved yourself like I do. Either way, since I know there’s quite a few of us backyard tomato growers out there, let’s try a little experiment. Take a red tomato from your garden (or from one of our fabulous local farmer’s markets) and then get a similar-looking tomato from the grocery store. Cut slices of each, making sure to have a friend keep track of which is which, put on a blind-fold, then taste. Do you notice a difference? If so, what characteristics stand out? Sweetness? Texture? If you don’t notice a difference, then you either went to an independently-owned grocery store, had a bad crop or you may want to get those taste buds checked…
Whatever the outcome, though, this little exercise serves to highlight why we should insist upon only eating fresh, locally-grown tomatoes when they are in season! Not only do they taste better, but they are safer to eat, and by eating them you are also subsequently taking a stand against the exploitation of farm workers and the degradation of the environment. And, for me, a commitment to locally-grown, high-quality tomatoes is also personal. After emigrating to the U.S. from Italy, my grandmother’s father was an urban tomato farmer who sold “backyard direct” to lines of his loyal customers near Holyoke, Mass. So, to keep the family tradition alive and to help advocate for in-season, local tomatoes, I started a seasonal Ypsi-grown, Ypsi-made hot sauce and salsa company, hoping to illustrate how much more delicious salsas made with in-season, local ingredients could be (that and I grew way more tomatoes, tomatillos and chilies than I knew what to do with)!
In summary, there’s so much to love about local tomatoes! If you’re still not convinced, though, come see me at the farmer’s market, and I may just let you taste one of the 32 varieties that I am growing this year. Just bring a copy of this issue and mention that you want to take the “heirloom tomato challenge.”
Check out ‘Infinite Green Tomatoes’ here
For more about the Immokalee Workers vs. Taco Bell, visit this link
For more about labor practices referenced above, visit this link
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