The first 1,500 children who stop by the Chipotle Tent, located next to the Chipotle Edible Garden at Como Zoo (south of the Visitor Center) will receive a free Pahl Farms Roma tomato plant (beginning at 10 a.m. and ending when all 1,500 plants are given to children).
The celebration will mark this season’s kickoff of the Chipotle Edible Garden, the zoo’s exhibit for visitors of all ages designed to teach about planting and preparing foods that can be grown at home.
All tomato plants purchased by Chipotle for the giveaway are grown nearby in Apple Valley by Pahl Farms, the local and sustainable vegetable farm.
Roma tomatoes, which are in the plum tomato category, are egg shaped and either yellow or red. With lower water content and fewer seeds, plum tomatoes are a good choice for cooking and canning. (The tiny grape tomato is a hybrid Roma tomato.) Tomatoes are packed full of nutrients—they are a good source of fiber, are rich in Vitamin C, and contain Vitamins A and B, and potassium. They are also a very good source of lycopene, an antioxidant that may help reduce the risk of heart disease and some forms of cancer. All great reasons to “Please Feed the Humans” with those homegrown tomatoes.
Como Zoo and Conservatory is located at 1225 Estabrook Drive in Saint Paul.
