Produce
HISTORY
Produce is a broad category that includes all fruits and vegetables grown in Louisiana. The top four types of produce grown in the state are tomatoes, watermelon, strawberries and satsumas. Other types of produce grown commercially include southern peas, bell peppers, mustard, navel oranges, okra, cabbage, cauliflower, mayhaws, squash, Irish potatoes, peaches, sweet corn, eggplant, cucumber and tabasco peppers.
Tomatoes trace their origins back to the Aztecs in 700 A.D., where it is believed they are native.
Although Americans love tomatoes today, that was not always the case. It was not until the Pre-Civil War Era that the tomato became a kitchen vegetable. After that point, tomatoes have been a staple food item throughout the world.
Watermelons can be traced back to southern Africa, but the first recorded watermelon harvest occurred 5,000 years ago in Egypt.
Strawberries can be traced back to the Romans and possibly even the Greeks. These berries gained their name when children threaded them into straw and offered them for sale.
Strawberries were discovered in America in 1588, but commercial strawberry production in Louisiana first began in 1876.
Satsumas are a type of citrus fruit. Citrus are among some of the oldest fruits known to man.
In the early 1800s, satsuma trees were introduced to the United States. By the 1890s, satsuma trees were planted extensively across south Louisiana parishes.
PRODUCTION
Louisiana’s vegetable and fruit crop production is quite diverse and has improved from earlier years.
Agriculture research by the LSU AgCenter has developed varieties that thrive in Louisiana growing conditions. More than 60 different types of produce are grown commercially statewide.
Regardless of the commodity, weather is an annual factor in the success of each crop. Heavy spring rains or late spring freezes can wreak havoc on the crops.
Production methods differ depending on the type of fruits or vegetable grown. Produce farmers have to monitor many aspects of their growth including soil fertility, weed management, insect management and water availability. The production of fruits and vegetables is very labor intensive, so finding available work force is also a factor that farmers must manage.
Vegetables are sold on the fresh market and to processors, with many supermarkets and retailers buying their products directly from Louisiana growers.
PRODUCTS
Whole fruits and vegetable harvested fresh from the plant are the primary product. Once harvested, they are either consumed fresh or sent to processing.
Depending on the type of produce, processing methods are varied. Tomatoes, for example, can include canned tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, tomato juice and ketchup—to name a few. Strawberry products include preserves, juices, wines, sauces and purees. Strawberry flavoring is also very popular in dairy products.
NUTRITION
The nutritional value of fruits and vegetables vary according to the type.
According to the MyPlate guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture, fruits and vegetables should be a vital part of your daily diet. MyPlate recommends that each meal contain half of a plate of fruits and vegetables.
FUN FACTS
The tomato plant is Louisiana’s state vegetable and the strawberry is Louisiana’s state fruit.
Learn more about the top fruits and vegetables produced in Louisiana:
TERMS TO KNOW
Budding - a method of asexual propagation in plants
Cultivate - prepare and use land for crops or gardening
Day-neutral Plant - a plant that flowers regardless of the amount of daylight it receives
Gondola - a bin pulled by a tractor that catches tomatoes being harvested
Grafting - process of joining two plants together to grow as one
Grove - a small wood, orchard or group of trees
Hardy - capable of enduring difficult conditions
Hybridization - the crossing of two different types of watermelons
Irrigation - the supply of water to land or crops to help growth
Propagation - the breeding of specimens of a plant or animal by natural processes from the parent stock
Rind - the firm white part of the watermelon fruit that is left behind after the bright pink flesh has been eaten or scooped away
Scurvy - a disease resulting from a lack of vitamin C
Seedling - seeds or young plants
Short-day Plant - a plant that flowers when it is exposed to long periods of darkness and short periods of light
Sowing - planting the seeds of a plant or crop
RECIPES
Strawberry Delight Cake
Ingredients:
18 ½-ounce box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
8-ounce package Philadelphia cream cheese, softened
8-ounce container Cool Whip, thawed
16-ounce frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed
Directions:
Prepare cake mix according to package directions.
Allow cake to cool and split layers in half.
Beat cream cheese; add Cool Whip.
Drain half of the syrup from strawberries; add strawberries and ½ syrup to cheese mixture. Beat well.
Frost each layer and top cake with a heavy frosting. Refrigerate. Improves second day.
Foods à la Louisiane—a cookbook by the Louisiana Farm Bureau Women
Submitted by Grace Graugnard of St. James Parish
COLORING PAGE
Select the image below to download, print and color this fact sheet. Fit-to-page printing option recommended. See more commodity coloring pages!
LESSON PLANS
Grades K-2
A is for Apples
A Taste of Leafy Greens
Eat ‘Em Up
Eating Plants
Freshest Fruits
Fruit and Vegetable Bingo
Fruits of Our Labor
A Garden Plot: The Tale of Peter Rabbit
Homegrown in Your State: Fruits and Vegetables
How to Grow a Monster: The Needs of a Zucchini Plant
My Healthy Plate
Plant Tops and Bottoms
Potatoes: More Than Fries
Pumpkins... Not Just For Halloween
Storing Winter Squash
The Seed Match
Tomato Trivia
Who Grew My Soup?
Grades 3-5
A “Sour” Subject
Apple Science: Comparing Apples and Onions
Bunches of Berries
Esperanza Rising
FoodMASTER: Fruits
FoodMASTER: Vegetables
Get Growing
Give Me Five!
Making Half MyPlate Fruits and Vegetables
My Life as a Fruit or Vegetable
Nutritional Value of Fresh Produce
Peaches: What’s All the Fuzz About?
Powerful Potato
Preserving the Powerful Pepper
Pumpkins... Not Just For Halloween
Tasty Testing
The Chemistry of Fruits and Vegetables
The TART Cherry on Top
Who Grew My Soup?
Grades 6-8
Aeroponic Engineering and Vertical Farming
Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’ Food Packaging Specialist
DNA: Expressions in Agriculture
FoodMASTER Middle: Fruits
FoodMASTER Middle: Vegetables
Use of Biotechnology in Selecting the Right Plants
Grades 9-12
Aeroponic Engineering and Vertical Farming
Design 'Y'er Genes
Fruits and Vegetables: The Right Pick for Vitamins and Minerals
Melons, Mitosis and Meiosis
Strawberry Breeding and Genetics
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS
360 Canadian Apple Orchard Tour (6:12)
360 TOUR - AeroFarms: The Future of Farming Unframed by Gear 360 Now This (1:53)
360 Tour of Gotham Greens’ Urban Rooftop Farm - Food Network (2:07)
A 360 Look Inside Brooklyn’s Farming Revolution (2:47)
A Vertical Farm Grows in Newark - The Daily 360 - The New York Times (1:45)
Capture Scratch’s Live Action 360 Virtual Farm Tour (3:38)
Cranberry Harvest - True Food TV - My BIGGEST Regret on my BIGGEST Video (4:33)
Cranberry - How Does It Grow? True Food TV (5:23)
ExplOregon Agriculture - Blueberry Harvest (2:08)
ExplOregon Agriculture - Broccoli Harvest (1:40)
ExplOregon Agriculture - Cauliflower Planting (1:39)
ExplOregon Agriculture - Green Bean Harvest (2:07)
ExplOregon Agriculture - Radish Seed Harvest (2:42)
ExplOregon Agriculture - Sugar Beet Seed Harvest (3:03)
Farm Life 360 - Virginia Apple Orchard (2:27)
George the Farmer - Apples VR (3:30)
George the Farmer - Chickpeas VR (4:00)
SOURCES
Produce
LSU AgCenter
Pennsylvania State University
Strawberries
California Ag in the Classroom
LSU AgCenter
Tomatoes
California Ag in the Classroom
Nutrition and You
Watermelon
National Watermelon Promotion Board