Interesting tomato facts, etc.?

Douglas14 · September 20, 2011

Hi,
I'm going to be giving a gardening presentation, for the residents, at the nursing home I work at, this coming Wednesday. A large part of the presentation will be on heirloom tomatoes. I plan on bringing samples of several varieties of tomatoes I grew this season, to show some of the diversity in fruit characteristics. I also plan on bringing Carolyn's book and a SSE Yearbook, and talk some about them. I'll talk a little about how I grow my tomatoes
Any other suggestions would be welcome. I'm interested in any interesting tomato facts you can give me that I could use. Is there an estimate of how many heirloom tomato varieties there are available in the world? Thanks in advance!

Doug

cleo88 · September 21, 2011

Hi Doug,
I did a presentation for a multi-grade private school about tomatoes - PM me with your email address and I can send you the powerpoint if you are interested.

Raffles · September 21, 2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Douglas14

Hi,
I'm going to be giving a gardening presentation, for the residents, at the nursing home I work at, this coming Wednesday. A large part of the presentation will be on heirloom tomatoes. I plan on bringing samples of several varieties of tomatoes I grew this season, to show some of the diversity in fruit characteristics. I also plan on bringing Carolyn's book and a SSE Yearbook, and talk some about them. I'll talk a little about how I grow my tomatoes
Any other suggestions would be welcome. I'm interested in any interesting tomato facts you can give me that I could use. Is there an estimate of how many heirloom tomato varieties there are available in the world? Thanks in advance!

Doug

It will be interesting to see what some of the residents have to tell you. I find myself wishing I'd paid better attention to my father's methods of growing tomatoes when I was growing up.

**carolyn137** · September 21, 2011

Doug, let me come back this afternoon sometime and share with you the presentations I did at the nursing home where my mother was.

It was great fun for everyone, and I didn't have to bring fruits b'c for several years I'd been giving the place plants in the Spring and one of the maintenance men managed the garden there with my heirloom tomato plants.

Just no time right now, but I'll be back.

**carolyn137** · September 21, 2011

Doug, I did a couple of talks for the residents each year as long as my mother was there, which was about 5 years.

I didn't give them any facts, rather, I brought some tomatoes with me and used dome fruits that I already knew were there from the plants I gave them, and had chosen them b'c they had, to me, some interesting histories. And since they were already being served some fresh tomatoes from the plants I gave them to grow they knew about fruits that were other than just red ones.

But most of the time I just let them talk and asked questions, like do you remember any varieties that you or your parents grew, how were they grown, which ones did you like best, etc.

There were the spouses there are several farmers and they eagerly told about what it was like to start the tomatoes from seeds, grow them in cold frames, how they planted them and so much more.

I was delighted to sit back after giving the history part and just learn from them what it was like so many years ago.

And of course they wanted to know how I got interested in growing so many varieties and why I was doing it, which led to a discussion about SSE and my listings there, which chefs I sold to, the one major Farm Stand I placed plants and fruits with, etc.

So I never gave any specific facts, just what I described above. And I thought of doing it up here where I now live but that didn't work out for several reasons.

Hope that helps.

MrsJustice · September 21, 2011

Don't forget the Tomato history!!!!

Douglas14 · September 27, 2011

Thanks for all the good suggestions!
Cleo, thanks for the powerpoint offer, but I decided to keep it low tech though.
The presentation went well, I'm happy to say.

September 20, 2011	#1
Douglas14 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 602	Interesting tomato facts, etc.? Hi, I'm going to be giving a gardening presentation, for the residents, at the nursing home I work at, this coming Wednesday. A large part of the presentation will be on heirloom tomatoes. I plan on bringing samples of several varieties of tomatoes I grew this season, to show some of the diversity in fruit characteristics. I also plan on bringing Carolyn's book and a SSE Yearbook, and talk some about them. I'll talk a little about how I grow my tomatoes Any other suggestions would be welcome. I'm interested in any interesting tomato facts you can give me that I could use. Is there an estimate of how many heirloom tomato varieties there are available in the world? Thanks in advance! Doug

September 21, 2011	#4
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Doug, let me come back this afternoon sometime and share with you the presentations I did at the nursing home where my mother was. It was great fun for everyone, and I didn't have to bring fruits b'c for several years I'd been giving the place plants in the Spring and one of the maintenance men managed the garden there with my heirloom tomato plants. Just no time right now, but I'll be back. __________________ Carolyn

September 21, 2011	#5
carolyn137 Moderator Emeritus Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Upstate NY, zone 4b/5a Posts: 21,169	Doug, I did a couple of talks for the residents each year as long as my mother was there, which was about 5 years. I didn't give them any facts, rather, I brought some tomatoes with me and used dome fruits that I already knew were there from the plants I gave them, and had chosen them b'c they had, to me, some interesting histories. And since they were already being served some fresh tomatoes from the plants I gave them to grow they knew about fruits that were other than just red ones. But most of the time I just let them talk and asked questions, like do you remember any varieties that you or your parents grew, how were they grown, which ones did you like best, etc. There were the spouses there are several farmers and they eagerly told about what it was like to start the tomatoes from seeds, grow them in cold frames, how they planted them and so much more. I was delighted to sit back after giving the history part and just learn from them what it was like so many years ago. And of course they wanted to know how I got interested in growing so many varieties and why I was doing it, which led to a discussion about SSE and my listings there, which chefs I sold to, the one major Farm Stand I placed plants and fruits with, etc. So I never gave any specific facts, just what I described above. And I thought of doing it up here where I now live but that didn't work out for several reasons. Hope that helps. __________________ Carolyn

September 21, 2011	#6
MrsJustice Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Hampton, Virginia Posts: 1,510	Don't forget the Tomato history!!!! __________________ May God Bless you and my Garden, Amen https://www.angelfieldfarms.com MrsJustice as Farmer Joyce Beggs

September 21, 2011	#2
cleo88 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Sharon, MA Zone 6 Posts: 225	Hi Doug, I did a presentation for a multi-grade private school about tomatoes - PM me with your email address and I can send you the powerpoint if you are interested.

September 27, 2011	#7
Douglas14 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: Minnesota Posts: 602	Thanks for all the good suggestions! Cleo, thanks for the powerpoint offer, but I decided to keep it low tech though. The presentation went well, I'm happy to say.