By Michelle Fabio

We know that tomatoes are good for us.

From their lycopene alone, we may be getting protection from any number of cancers and heart disease, but did you know that tomatoes may also hold the key to fighting Alzheimer’s Disease?

It is believed that Alzheimer’s, the most common cause of dementia, is caused by the accumulation of the protein beta-amyloid, which in turn kills neurons in the brain, affecting memory.

If scientists can manage to prevent this accumulation through immune system stimulation, Alzheimer’s Disease may be slowed down or even prevented.

And so, in Korea, researchers used tomatoes, which carry a small percentage of Read the rest of this entry »

By Michael Nolan

When the summer started I moved to a home on the other side of town away from all of my precious seed-started vegetable plants that included thirteen heirloom tomato plants.

It took a while to adjust to my new surroundings that were veggie-free when on a last-minute trip to a local nursery I realized my summer gardening season may not be a complete loss.

A very sweet lady who works there recognized my sadness when I explained my situation to her as I perused row after row of azaleas.

She took me by the hand and led me to Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

Researchers in England decided to experiment with an unusual idea involving a perfume ingredient.

The surprising results may yield a highly effective new tomato pesticide.

At Lancaster University, as Dr Nigel Paul explains in an article in the Lancashire Evening Post, “We were investigating the mechanisms by which wild plants defend themselves against pest attack to get a better understanding of what works in nature.

“We were spraying Read the rest of this entry »

By Vanessa Richins

There are quite a few interesting members of the Solanaceae, or Nightshade Family.

Of course, tomato is the most important, but here are some of the others.

Potatoes: We are all familiar with the potato. You should be careful planting potatoes and tomatoes near each other, because they can get some of the same diseases.

You could also save room in your garden and graft a tomato plant to the top of a potato plant. The yield for both will be less than if you Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

If you have an iPhone but you’ve been patiently waiting for some way to display your tomato love with it, the wait may be over.

With Splat, a new iPhone application prototype from AT&T, you would be able to virtually throw tomatoes (and other objects) at the television.

Remember when we talked about the History of Throwing Tomatoes? Read the rest of this entry »

By Kira Hamman

Maybe because I live less than two hours from Washington, D.C., or maybe because I have two young, curious children, or maybe because I am just that kind of geek, I love the Smithsonian.

An entire empire devoted to creative ways to save things and educate people – what’s not to love?

Oh, and did I mention it’s all free?

So I was particularly thrilled this month when Read the rest of this entry »