Why I Grow My Own: A Look at the Recent Tomato Recall in the U.S.
Every now and then, something in the news reminds me exactly why I plant, water, weed, and harvest my own food — even if it’s just a few beds in the backyard. This week, it was the tomato recall in the United States, where certain batches were pulled from shelves due to salmonella contamination. While it’s thousands of kilometers away, it struck a nerve. Because food safety concerns like this? They can happen anywhere.
What Is Salmonella, and How Does It Get on Tomatoes?
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that causes foodborne illness. Most people know it from raw chicken warnings, but salmonella can live on fresh produce too — especially fruits and vegetables that are eaten raw, like tomatoes.
So how does it get there?
Contamination usually happens when produce comes into contact with:
Contaminated water (like in irrigation or washing post-harvest),
Unsanitary handling during harvesting, packing, or transport,
Or even animal droppings in fields that aren’t managed well.
Once contaminated, salmonella can be hard to wash off — especially on porous skins like tomatoes.
The symptoms? Not fun. Think stomach cramps, fever, nausea, and days of not being able to leave your house. For the very young, elderly, or immune-compromised, it can be dangerous.
Yes, It Happened in the U.S., but It Could Happen Anywhere
I know what you might be thinking — “Well, that’s in America.” True. But food systems are global, and large-scale agriculture works similarly around the world. In South Africa, we’re not immune to contamination, recalls, or oversights.
Most fresh food today travels through a long chain — from farm to packhouse to wholesaler to shelf — and any break in hygiene along that path opens the door to trouble.
That’s exactly why I choose to grow some of my own food.
Why I Put My Hands in the Soil
When I grow my own tomatoes, I know:
Where they’ve been from seed to plate.
What water I’ve used.
That I didn’t spray them with something I can’t pronounce.
And I picked them at their sweetest, ripest moment — not green and trucked for days.
I’m not saying grow everything. That’s not always practical. But even a few pots of tomatoes, some leafy greens, or a couple of herbs on the patio give me peace of mind — and a bit of resilience.
There’s something empowering about being able to step outside, pick what you need, and know it’s clean, safe, and grown with care.
Final Thoughts
Food recalls like this are unfortunate, but they serve as reminders. They remind us of how far food often travels before it reaches our plate — and how little we know about what happens along the way.
We may not be able to control everything, but we can plant a seed.
And that’s always a good place to start.
Happy Gardening Friends
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