Greenhouse Tomatoes
History
History of the “Hot House”
A “hot house” is simply another name for
“greenhouse.” The idea of growing plants in
environmentally controlled areas has existed since
at least Roman times. The first modern
greenhouses were built in Italy in the 1500s and
soon expanded to the Netherlands and England.
History of Tomatoes
It is believed that the tomato is native to the
Americas. Its origins trace back to the early Aztecs
in South America around 700 A.D. It was not until
the 16th century that Europeans were introduced
to the tomato.
In the 1880s, the tomato started gaining
popularity. The primary reason for this was the
invention of pizza around Naples in the late 1880's.
The first pizza was made with three ingredients:
tomato sauce, basil, and mozzarella cheese.
It was also in the late 1800s that the classification
of the tomato changed. Before this time, it was
classified as a fruit to avoid taxation, but after a
U.S. Supreme Court ruling it became classified as a
vegetable and was taxed accordingly.
Since before the Civil War, the tomato has become
a staple in kitchens throughout the world.
Americans consume over 12 million tons of
tomatoes each year.
Greenhouse Tomatoes in Iowa
Iowa is well suited to growing tomatoes during the
summer months. In order to get year-round fresh
tomatoes, however, we rely on tomatoes grown in
local greenhouses during the fall, winter, and
spring months.
Tomāto or Tomăto: Fruit or Vegetable?
There is often confusion over
whether the tomato is a fruit
or vegetable. Even though
the tomato is a fruit, it is
usually treated like a
vegetable by chefs. Legally,
it is classified as a vegetable.
The reason the tomato is
considered a fruit is because
it contains seeds. Vegetables
do not contain seeds. Guess
what? Because of their seeds,
cucumbers and squash are
fruits as well!
What do you think?
About Us:
This Farm to School project is part of the Northeast Iowa
Food & Fitness Initiative (FFI). People in Allamakee,
Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek
counties are working together to create vibrant
communities where the healthy choice is the easy choice.
Food and fitness is important because no matter where we
are, the places where we live, learn, work and play affect
our health and quality of life.
FFI is a partner of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food &
Community program and one of one of nine initiatives in
the U.S. This project is also funded by the Leopold Center
for Sustainable Agriculture and the Iowa Department of
Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
www.iowafoodandfitness.org
Page 2
Math Connection
A basket holds 8 tomatoes. Joey
picks the ripened tomatoes in the
garden and gets 24 tomatoes.
How many baskets will he need
to hold the ripe tomatoes?
Estimation and Length
Measurement:
Take a look at a tomato.
Estimate the circumference of
the tomato. Use a string or yarn
to guess the length around the
tomato. Cut the string. Then
measure the tomato with
another piece of yarn or string.
How was the actual
measurement? How close is
your estimate?
Look at a cherry tomato. Guess
how many seeds are in the
cherry tomato. After everyone
has made an estimate, cut the
tomato open with a plastic knife
and count the actual number of
seeds. How many seeds are
there? How close is your
estimate?
Literacy Connection
Charlie and Lola’s I Will Never
Not Ever Eat a Tomato PopUp by Lauren Child,
Candlewick, 2007.
Bear and Bunny Grow
Tomatoes by Bruce
Koscielniak, Umbrella Books,
1993
The Mystery of the Traveling
Tomatoes (Boxcar Children
Mysteries) by Chandler
Warner and Robert Papp,
Albert Whitman and
Company, 2008
Greenhouse Tomatoes
G-R-E-E-N-H-O-U-S-E
T-O-M-A-T-O-E-S
How many words can you create from the letters in
“greenhouse tomatoes?”
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Science Connection: How Greenhouses Work
A typical greenhouse structure
is made of glass, fiberglass, or
plastic. The walls are usually
supported by a frame made of
aluminum, steel, or wood.
Greenhouses protect crops from
too much heat or cold, shield
plants from dust storms and
blizzards, and help to keep out
pests.
Greenhouses work by trapping
sunlight and slowing heat loss.
Much of the heating of the
greenhouse comes from
sunlight, (solar radiation). The
greenhouse cover traps heat
within the greenhouse. The
sunlight shines through the
glass, fiberglass, or plastic and
warms the air and the surfaces
inside the greenhouse (plants,
ground, structures). The roof
and walls of the greenhouse
keep the warm air in the
building. Radiant energy is
absorbed by the surfaces in the
greenhouse.
As the sunlight warms the air
near the ground, this air rises.
An open window at the top of the
greenhouse prevents the warm
air from flowing away because of
the drop in temperature. This is
called an autovent automatic
cooling system.
The closed environment of a
greenhouse has its own unique
requirements, compared with
outdoor production. Pests and
diseases, and extremes of heat
and humidity, have to be
controlled, and irrigation is
necessary to provide water.
Large inputs of heat and light
may be needed, particularly with
winter production of warmweather vegetables.
Page 3
Tomater Wager
Tomato Trivia
Can you unscramble the
following words?
Q: Why did the tomato go
out with a prune?
eceyrh
A: Because he couldn't find a
date!
________________
eestbakef _________________
Tomato Nutrition Facts
Q: How do you fix a
broken tomato?
A: Tomato paste!
oht shoue
____ ____________
laros dtraaino____ __________
Q: Why was the tomato
blushing?
A. Because he saw the salad,
dressing!
Tomato Treats “Energy In--Energy Out”
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Use tomatoes in salads and soups.
Serve on sandwiches or with a
variety of cheeses.
Include fresh, locally-grown
tomatoes on your pizza or make
your own pizza sauce!
Try tomato juice or eating a tomato
like an apple!
Kids need 5-9 servings of
vegetables and fruit each day.
One cup of chopped raw tomato
has potassium, vitamin C and
vitamin A.
Tomatoes are a good source of
lycopene which reduces the risk
of some cancers and lutein which
is important for eye health.
Eat food when they are naturally in season.
Greenhouses extend the tomato season.
Let the seasons be your guide to healthy eating!
Tomato Web Resources & Game Sites
Tomato Ketchup Game: www.quickflashgames.com/games/tomatoketchup/
Tomato Bounce: www.thekidzpage.com/freekidsgames/games/bounce/bouncehs
Visit www.iowafoodandfitness.org for active links to these pages!
Resources used in this folio:
Cooperative Extension Service
www.extension.org/pages/Tomatoes_Loaded_with_Health_Benefits
International Seed Saving Institute
www.seedsave.org/issi/904/beginner.html
Agricultural Resource Marketing Center
www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/vegetables/fresh_tomatoes_profile.cfm
Look for greenhouse
tomatoes and other Local
Foods at your grocery store.
Find a northeast Iowa farmer
by visiting
www.iowafreshfood.org
Farm to School Classroom Lesson: Tomāto or Tomăto:
Objectives:
Supplies for each small group:
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Engage students in conversation
about a common food item.
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Educate students about health
benefits of tomatoes.
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Encourage youth to share local
food source information with
parents to increase family
awareness and purchase of
locally grown foods.
1 California tomato (i.e. Roma)
1 locally grown tomato
Serrated knife
Cutting board
Bowl
Spoon
Venn Diagram per group
Local
California
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Small plate for each
student
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Whole grain tortilla chips
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4 locally grown tomatoes
2 decks of cards (to split into
small groups)
Sweet Salsa Recipe: In a blender
combine the following:
Chopped onion
Chopped pepper
Salt, pepper, sugar
Juice of one lime
Lead the Activity:
Prior to lesson, review lesson folio for additional
information. Make the sweet salsa recipe in a blender.
Have children feel and smell the whole tomatoes.)
What does each smell like? What does each feel
like? What does each look like?
After high school student introductions and review of
group guidelines, begin the lesson with a series of
questions.
(Cut each tomato in half.) Now what do you notice?
Sight? Smell? (Cut into bite-sized chunks.) Now
taste one of the tomatoes. What does the
California tomato taste like? Now taste the local
tomato. What does it taste like? Which tomato
did you like best? Why? (Be sure to write all
characteristics on the Venn diagram. Record the
number of students that preferred each tomato.)
Tell me what you know about tomatoes. (Allow
many responses.)
How long have tomatoes been around for people to
enjoy? (Allow many responses. Share some of the
history of tomatoes from page 1.)
Where are tomatoes grown? How do you grow
tomatoes in a greenhouse? In a garden?
We are going to work in small groups today to
compare and contrast local tomatoes and
California tomatoes. Who can tell me what the
word compare means? (“Compare” means looking at
things that are similar between two items.) Who can
tell me what the word “contrast” means?
(“Contrast” means looking for the things that are
different in two items.)
(Draw a Venn Diagram on the chalk/white board.) Does
anyone know what this is called? It is a Venn
Diagram. In our groups today, we are going to use
the Venn Diagram to list things that are similar
and different between the types of tomatoes.
(Ask the students to go back to their desks to discuss
the similarities and differences as a large group.)
So, let’s record which tomato you like best. (Have
each group share the number of students liking the
locally grown tomato and the number liking the
California tomato.) What did you like about the
locally grown tomatoes? The great thing about
local produce is that it doesn’t have to travel
thousands of miles to get to us. It is picked ripe
on the vine and sold to us—so it is at it’s best for
flavor. Plus, in buying local, we are supporting are
own Iowa producers which helps our economy and
provide jobs.
Our special treat today is that you get to taste
homemade salsa. While we are serving you, we
have some questions for you to answer.
To separate into groups today, we are going to
hand you a playing card. We want the aces in a
group; the twos in a group; the threes in a group;
and the fours in a group. Go find your group!
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What have you learned about tomatoes?
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What are some ways to include tomatoes in
your meals?
(Each team teacher will complete a Venn Diagram with
their respective group. Compare and contrast the
characteristics of the two different types of tomatoes.
Similarities should be placed where the circles overlap.
Differences are listed in the non-overlapping part for
each respective tomato.)
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Where are tomatoes grown?
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What are some of the good things about
tomatoes?
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Why is it important for our families to purchase
foods from local food producers?
(Pass each type of tomato around the small group circle.
Thanks for your time today! You were a great
group. See you next time!