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Carrots are native to Afghanistan where they grow in the wild.  The varieties native to Afghanistan are usually dark red or purple in color.

Purple Carrots

Carrots weren’t turned Orange until the 17th Century when Red Carrots were bred with Yellow Carrots to create the Orange Carrots we eat today.

Carrots are very high in Beta Carotene (Vitamin A) which is beneficial for eyesight.  During WWII, Great Britain touted mass consumption of carrots as the reason for their fighter pilots success at hitting enemy targets at night.  This campaign resulted in widespread planting and cultivation of Carrots throughout the U.K.  It was later discovered that they attributed the success to Carrots to cover up their use of advanced radar techniques from the Germans.

Carrots can be bred in various colors

I’m excited to announce that Taste Buds is now available for all of our Farmer’s 4 Education partner schools! If you’re unsure if your school is a Farmer’s 4 Education partner, click HERE!

So, if you want us to bring a fresh fruit and vegetable tasting challenge to your kids – here’s what you need to know:

1) Taste Buds only visits schools on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. No Monday’s & No Friday’s

2) We are currently visiting grades 1-6

3) We will visit your school between 1pm and dismissal.

4) We will visit with 2 classrooms per visit.

5) We prefer that the classrooms are not combined. Trying to play the game with too many kids at one time isn’t effective.

6) We will NOT VISIT with any classroom that hasn’t first sent the Taste Buds permission slip home and had it returned to the teacher before we arrive. The permission slip is important because it alerts us to any potential food allergies.

7) Click HERE for a printable and downloadable version of the permission slip. We would suggest sending this home with every classroom so they’re ready to go whenever we visit.

8 ) Click HERE for a Taste Buds homework piece. This sheet (cut into 3 pieces) allows the kids to write down what they tried and what they liked so their families at home can be made aware of the news.

9) We’ve found that the visits work best if the kids are kept in their classroom rather than relocating to the Gym or Cafeteria.

10) To finalize any visit date or time, you must contact Rick via email at rick@farmers4education.com or by calling 235-9500.

So simple and fun!  These make a great quick lunch or a super energy boosting snack….

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut 5-6 Sweet Potatoes into fries.  Toss the potatoes in a large ziploc bag, drizzled with olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoon), and lightly sprinkle with kosher salt, and just a pinch of  pepper and toss to coat.  Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for the first 20 minutes  on 400,  last 15-20 min. on 425.  I’ve dipped these in ranch sauce (kid’s fav), garllic aioli or just eat plain. Good way to get the kids to eat sweet potatoes without frying – full of vitamin A and beta carotene. Also great with steak dinners.

Tip – put a greased sheet of foil on your cookie sheet – no sticking and no mess.

So delicious and so simple, this Asparagus recipe is a sure-fire hit!

It’s a good thing we field tested this idea.  Turns out kids are really, really scared of a giant banana that makes sudden movements.  Who knew?

Studies throughout the years have shown a relationship between food and cancer. There may be relationships between beer and prostate cancer, soy and breast cancer, and food additives that cause cancer. Food has an effect on our body.

On Wednesday’s Dr Oz Show the doctor gave the audience a list of what he calls “super foods”. He said you need to get these products at your grocery store. In the US there were 1.5 new cases of cancer last year with 600,000 deaths. While one in two men and one in three women will face cancer in their lifetime, certain foods in our diet can knock the cancer cells out.

Oz said there may be a “magic bullet” to help prevent cancer. One study says that one third of all cancers can be prevented. A healthy diet and exercise can go a long way to help. Quitting smoking can help lower your risk of lung cancer. Oz said that some cancers are 70 percent preventable.

There is a new science called epigenetics. Some cancers are genetic and epigenetics is the study of non-genetic changes that cause the genes to behave differently. Epi mean “above” in Greek; thus this study is above genetic causes. The growth of cancer can be influenced by the environment. “The food we eat may have the ability to turn on or off the genes that allow our cells to turn into cancer”, Oz said.

What are the top cancer fighting foods? David Katz helped the doctor illustrate how diet can prevent cancer. Katz said that food helps improve the health of the cells, boost immune function performance and helps remove toxins from your body. He said food can also change the way genes operate.

Karen made green food her medicine for ovarian cancer. At age 48 she was diagnosed with stage III ovarian cancer. “You are what you eat,” she said. Karen made a kale, celery, chard, collards, lemon with the rind, and ginger drink that she takes every day. “16 ounces every day, it’s my religion,” she said. Oz said a diet like that may grow tumors slower in mice.

Heating carrots and tomatoes and adding oil makes it easier for the body to get the nutrients. Fruits and vegetables have special “phytochemicals” to prevent disease.

A: Oz went through a list of fruits and vegetables that can prevent cancer:

1) Carrots
2) Tomatoes
3) Oranges
4) Strawberries
5) Onions

B: Tumor torpedoes include whole grains. Katz said we need three servings a day. Fiber helps move food through our digestive track. This helps move carcinogens out faster. Grains can also lower insulin and stabilize hormone levels.

C: Cell commando foods fight cancer by a different mechanism. Fish like salmon, soy milk, and edamame, The goal here is to limit saturated fat and inflammation.

D: Herbs and spices include garlic, ginger, turmeric, curie, cinnamon. They have anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial characteristics. These are nature’s oldest drugs, Oz said. The bright colors indicate their property.

When you cut garlic it exposes it to air turning on a chemical called alliin. This is an important anti-cancer chemical. It slows down the ability of cancer cells to divide uncontrollably.

We’re through 9 months of our Farmer’s 4 Education and Farmer’s 4 Causes programs and with over 5,000 folks now enrolled the money is really starting to pile up.  Here’s where it’s gone so far…