Join me as I join Dr. Eva Littman and Red Rock Fertility Center today at 10am PST for their live virtual Twitter Chat! They will be discussing pregnancy and fertility to help encourage those who are trying to get pregnant.
Do you like Tomatoes? Have you ever even tried one? I grew up in a home where both my parents worked and my sister and I were raised on fast food. I had gone my whole life (over 30 years) without eating tomatoes. I've now learned that there are so many different ways you can incorporate tomatoes. With those different ways, come different tastes. Fresh tomatoes on a salad, juicy sliced tomatoes on a burger, sun-dried tomatoes (one of my fav ways of adding them to pasta), and then there is my favorite - fish ceviche with tomatoes! Tomatoes are one of those foods that many may not know much about. Where they come from, how they are handled and cared for. The Florida Tomato Committee has just launched to help consumers learn more about how the Florida tomato family of growers carefully and thoughtfully grow Florida tomatoes on family run farms that make them so nutritious, delicious and different from the rest.
What makes Florida tomatoes so good...and so good for you?
For generations, our growers have been the true stewards of the land and thoughtfully care for the people that work in the fields and in the packinghouses.
Florida tomatoes are field-grown, handpicked, grown in the warm Florida sunshine.
Florida growers care for their employees, providing safe and positive working environment including supporting community charitable organizations.
Food safety is a top priority for Florida growers, employees and the Florida tomato industry.
Florida growers are committed to socially accountable responsible farming practices.
Each Florida field-grown tomato shipped from Florida is regulated by a Federal Marketing Order that controls grade, size, quality and maturity. The standards are the toughest in the world and ensure that Florida tomatoes are the best you can buy.
A medium sized Florida tomato is high in vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A.
In addition to being fat-free, a medium sized Florida tomato is low in sodium, contains one gram of fiber and meets 10 percent of your daily potassium needs.
Florida tomatoes are also the most widely available source of lycopene – a natural antioxidant.
By incorporating Integrated Pest Management (IPM) into farming practices. IPM allows growers to use GOOD bugs to control pests (BAD BUGS) that threaten our crops – rather than chemical applications. The most often used control for pests are naturally occurring in biological controls. Using disease forecasting models also help to eliminate the need for chemical applications.
Most of our Florida farm acreage is drip and micro-irrigated, minimizing the use of water. Drip irrigation in our farming practices reduces water consumption on the farm by 70%. With drip irrigation delivering water directly to the plant – weed populations are also greatly reduced. Growers also use computer technology to establish fertilization programs that nourish the plants based upon specific environmental factors. Computer technology in conjunction with drip irrigation ensures the tomato plant uses the least amount of water possible while retaining the health of the plant.
By planting cover crops and using land rotation, our growers care for the soil and make it possible to farm the same land for several generations. An example of an important cover crop is growing sorghum. This organic matter is folded back into the ground, helping to reduce weed production, while also improving soil quality.
By using fuel-efficient vehicles and adopting low-till farming strategies to reduce tractor trips through the fields, our growers are committed to reducing emissions.
Florida growers employ recycling programs that ensure cardboard and plastic materials are recycled throughout the year, and whenever possible bio-degradable products are also used.
Florida tomato growers invest in research for newer tomato varieties that require less water and fertilizers, resulting in more sustainable farming practices.
About the Florida
Tomato Committee
The Florida Tomato Committee is a Federal Marketing Order
that was established pursuant to Federal Marketing Agreement and Order No. 966
as amended regulating the handling of tomatoes and has authority over the
tomatoes grown in Florida’s production area comprising the counties of
Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Osceola, Brevard and all counties situated south.
It affects tomatoes that are shipped outside the regulated area, which includes
that portion of the state of Florida situated east of the Suwanee River and
south of the Georgia border.
The Committee funds research and development projects and
marketing promotions that focus on maximizing Florida tomato movement,
including consumer and marketing research and customized marketing programs.
My husband & I are out celebrating our wedding anniversary! Will be back Monday! Enjoy your weekend!
MomTV is throwing an April shower but instead of May flowers, they will be bringing you top products and solutions for new and expectant moms! The Mother of All Baby Showers, the premier consumer event for expectant parents and parents of newborns through preschoolers, is coming to MomTV and youre invited.
Join Maria Bailey and some special moms-to-be to check out the latest and greatest maternity, baby and toddler products. Just like at a traditional baby shower, you can ooh and ahh over the gifts- and enter to win them! They will be giving away awesome prize packs from brands such as BRITAX, Pediped, HALO, Premama, and more. One lucky attendee will even win the new BRITAX B-Safe 35 Infant Car Seat!
If you've never been part of a MomTV live event, it's a fun and easy way to chat with other moms. Simply tune in here or on the MomTV Facebook page and log in as a guest or with your Twitter or Facebook account to chat. Watch the live video feed and interact with Maria and guests in the chat for a chance to win exciting prizes.
Make sure you’re following MOABS on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date and find out if The Mother of All Baby Showers is coming to a city near you!
THE 7TH ANNUAL KLIP IT FOR KIDZ BENEFITS NEVADA CHILDHOOD CANCER FOUNDATION AND LOCAL SCHOOL GROUPS
Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF), in partnership with Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada (CCCN), present the 7th annual Klip It for Kidz
fundraiser from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 2, in the center park area at Town Square Las Vegas.NCCF invites local businesses, children and individuals to raise
money for critically ill children in Southern Nevada as well as for
local schools and sports groups. Last year, more than $40,000 in pledges
was raised and more than 85 heads were shaved,
collecting 92 hair donations and pony tails.
Professional stylists
will be on-hand ready to shave participants’ heads for summer, or cut
hair to make wigs for children. NCCF invites the community to
participate by raising pledges,
shaving or cutting hair. Participants must be willing to cut a minimum
of eight inches to donate. Individuals may set their own fundraising
goals and collect pledges for NCCF. During previous years, teams of
co-workers, family members, classmates and sports
teams have collected pledges in honor of their companies, families,
loved ones and schools.
The event is open to
the public and features entertainment, family fun and exhibitions by
METRO units as well as fire engines from the Clark County Fire
Department. Funds raised will benefit
NCCF’s more than 45 programs and services for children and adults
affected by cancer and life-threatening illnesses in our community.
In addition, Klip It For Kidz gives sports groups and school children, kindergarten through 12th
grade, an opportunity to raise money for their school or sports team. A
child,
teacher, school or sports team may raise pledges for Klip It For Kidz
and their school/team will receive 50-percent of the total amount
collected. Donors will receive tax deductions from NCCF for all pledges.
Check-in and registration for pledges will be available at the “Klip It For Kidz Salon.” The pledge form is available at
www.nvccf.org and on the event’s
Facebook page. In addition, companies, family, friends and
individuals are encouraged to collect pledges to benefit critically ill
children.
For more information about Klip It For Kidz, visit
www.nvccf.org or call 702-735-8434. Stay up-to-date and follow the event on
Facebookand Twitter @klipitforkidz.
About the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation:
Nevada
Childhood Cancer Foundation is a non-profit organization established in
1993, which offers over 45 programs and services including a variety of
educational services, financial
support and counseling for critically-ill children and their families
living in Southern Nevada. The foundation's mission is to work side by
side with the medical community to provide social, emotional,
educational, financial and psychological support services
and programs to families of ALL children diagnosed with a
life-threatening or critical illness such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, sickle
cell, hemophilia, renal disorders and other immunologic diseases as well
as to adults touched by cancer. Contact the Nevada Childhood
Cancer Foundation at 702-735-8434 or visit them at
www.nvccf.org for pediatric services and
www.thecaringplacenv.org for services for adults touched by cancer.
