WHO IS REBEL TOMATO?
A bit of Rebel History...
The Rebel Tomato ripened in Detroit sometime in the summer of 1989, in an abandoned lot next to Al's Carryout. He was not born a rebel - he was planted in the lot by a neighborhood kid who wanted an alternative to the tough and tasteless tomatoes that were shipped to Al's from a far-off field 2000 miles away. The kid did not know much about gardening, but he watered the Rebel well and kept the weeds pulled around him.
As the Rebel Tomato ripened, he realized how important he was to the kid who would visit him and water him every week. This made the Rebel stronger every day, and he soon saw that other people began to pay attention to him and that vacant lot next to Al's. They began to dig up the soil around him and plant more tomatoes and vegetables. Even Al himself became interested, and offered to buy some produce from the vacant lot gardeners because the vegetables were so much tastier and healthier than the ones he was shipping in from far away.
The Rebel saw the huge impact that he could have in a community, from getting everyone to work together, to providing fresh food and tasty food for the neighbors. Rather than be eaten, he jumped off the vine, and decided then and there to travel far and wide, planting a few seeds everywhere he went, sprouting up new Rebels every year.
And that's how the Rebel became a rebel - by helping start a garden revolution.
OK, Some Facts...
Since everyone knows that tomatoes don't build websites, it is important to let you know who is behind this site. RebelTomato.com was created in 2007 by the American Community Gardening Association with funding from the United States Department of Agriculture community food projects grants.
This site was created as a resource for people involved in youth gardening - garden leaders, educators, teachers and, most of all, youth themselves. The site is designed to serve as a one-stop-shop for useful, interesting information about youth gardening, and features several interactive components that are designed to get people exited and talking about gardening.
The development of this site was managed by Sarah Alexander of the ACGA, the design was built by Grip Technology (which is now Falgren, Inc.), and site content was written and managed by Heide Martin. Content was also contributed by Scott Ulrich and the School Garden Wizard.