It seems to me that V-8 commercials are appearing a lot more often on television these days. You know the ones I am talking about. The commercial where someone is talking about ridiculously unhealthy foods or leaves the vegetables on their plate, and the person they are talking to hits them on the forehead and says, "You could've had a V-8."

When someone mentions V-8, the first thing many people think about is a powerful car engine with 8 cylinders. But for others, V-8 refers to a drink manufactured and marketed by Campbell Soup Company. Although Campbell Soup makes this product, unfortunately, it is not made at the Campbell Soup plant here in Robeson County.

I used Google to search V-8, and the very first page I viewed told me a lot of things that I already knew. According to Campbell Soup, 7 out of 10 adults do not eat the recommended amount of vegetables each day. We all know that vegetables are an essential part of our diet, and if we do not eat enough of them, we are much more likely to have health problems.

I learned that Campbell Soup has been making V-8 juice since 1933. That is more than 75 years. This is a long time for a food product to remain popular, so it must be good, and lots of folks must be buying it. It gets its name because it contains 8 different vegetables. These are the same 8 vegetables today that were used in 1933 when it was first manufactured - tomatoes, carrots, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress, and spinach.

To meet consumer demands, Campbell Soup now provides 20 different formulations of V-8. They provide the low-salt version for those who need foods with less sodium, the Spicy Hot version for those who like their foods with a kick, and an assortment of blends with additional fruits.

According to the web page I was looking at, the mission of Campbell Soup is to help more people get more vegetables every day. So this brings me to the point of my column today. Although I am a huge V-8 fan, I am not trying to sell this drink for Campbell Soup. What I am trying to do is encourage you to eat more fresh vegetables every day and to buy as many of these vegetables as possible from our local farmers.

We have been able to enjoy a few fresh locally grown vegetables during the winter, such as collards, turnips, and sweet potatoes. But within a few short weeks, we will be able to enjoy a much greater variety when early spring vegetables, such as onions, English peas, broccoli, and cabbage, become available. Even better, fresh strawberries will be available in about another month.

Our commercial vegetable farmers have already been working for several weeks getting their equipment ready for the coming year, planting early vegetables, growing transplants in their greenhouses, and preparing fields for later plantings. They will soon have an abundance of fresh vegetables available for you when the local farmers markets open or when they open their roadside markets.

This past year, I talked to hundreds of people, either on the phone or in person, about local vegetables. I even used this column several times to share information with you about different vegetables, and I also featured some of our local farmers who grow these vegetables.

It was not a surprise to me that many people I talked to were having problems trying to grow their own vegetables for the first time. They did not realize the importance of taking good soil samples of the area where their vegetables would be grown and the need to plan lime and fertilizer applications accordingly. They had not anticipated the problems they would have with weeds, insects, diseases, and the weather.

When these folks returned from the garden center with their first tomato plant, with blossoms and small tomatoes already on it, all they could think about was a delicious tomato sandwich or fresh tomatoes in their salad. They became completely frustrated when the small tomatoes began to rot on the bottom and when the weeds grew faster than the vegetables. They quickly learned that growing fruits and vegetables is not as easy as it appears.

After talking with many people, I am aware that there are 3 major reasons why more people are now trying to grow their own vegetables. I anticipate even more people will start gardening this year for the same basic reasons.

Many people have become much more concerned about where their food comes from. They much prefer to grow it themselves or buy it from local farmers than to have it shipped in from other states, or from other countries, where there is little control of the use of pesticides.

A growing number of people are very concerned about the safety of the foods they buy in the grocery stores. They become alarmed when they see news reports about tainted tomatoes and peppers, unsafe peanuts, and bad spinach. They trust themselves, and they trust farmers in their neighborhoods, to grow foods safely.

A large number of people are developing an increasing concern for our environment. They are alarmed that vast amounts of petroleum fuel are used to ship foods thousands of miles to be sold in grocery stores when the same foods can be grown locally.

I have shared several good reasons why you should insist on locally grown fruits and vegetables. Treat your family well. Contact my office for more information about how to grow your own fruits and vegetables. If you don't have the time, space, or patience to grow your own, visit one of our local vegetable farms and buy directly from them or visit the local farmers markets.

Remember, "You could've had a fresh vegetable."

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 06/08/09