Meet brother and sister Jorge and Paty Tomas of Tomas C Farms in Marion, NC. “Our vision for the farm is to try to improve the farm, help the community, help the environment, do best in taking care of the soil. Farming is not easy. Sometimes you have weather, diseases. You have to enjoy every moment. You have to go out and say okay, I can do this, I can do this better. I like farming. It’s a job, but I enjoy it,” said Jorge.
Find Growing Minds educational resources that compliment this video below.
Lesson Plans & Resources:
- Peppers can be picked at any stage. The longer a pepper is on the vine the more the flavor will develop. Sweet peppers will be sweeter and hot peppers will be hotter. Hot peppers should be picked young to avoid too much of a kick if heat is not ideal for your taste.
- Chef Mark DeMarco’s Sweet Pepper and Summer Vegetable Salad
- Seed Exploration (preschool)
- Fresh Summer Salsa recipe lesson plan (K-2)
- Eating in Season lesson plan (3-5)
- Nourish Curriculum Guide (6-12)
Viewing comprehension questions:
- What is something that Jorge enjoys about being a farmer?
- What is something that Paty enjoys about being a farmer?
- What are some of the traits it takes take to be a farmer?
- Can you name some of the peppers Paty said they grow?
- What did Jorge say the peppers need to grow?
- Where do they sell their produce?
- What months are included in their farming season?
- What did Jorge say their vision is for their farm?
Journal Prompt
In the video, Paty mentions that there are many different types of peppers that they grow on their farm. Do you have a favorite dish that features this vegetable? Do you prefer to eat peppers raw or cooked? Did learning more about how peppers grow make you more interested in eating them? Why or why not?