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    StoryLetter 2010

    Uploaded by

    Lynda Schrumpf
    The document discusses the history and origins of carrots, including their role in World War II propaganda. It is believed that wild carrots are the ancestor of domestic carrots, though scientists have been unable to domesticate wild carrots through breeding. During WWII, the British Minister of Food promoted the idea that carrot consumption helped RAF pilots see in the dark, known as "Cat's Eyes", as a cover for revealing they had radar technology. While carrots do contain beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A important for vision, they do not actually improve night vision. The document concludes with current carrot production statistics for California, which produces the majority of US carrots.

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    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    StoryLetter 2010

    Uploaded by

    Lynda Schrumpf
    240 views1 page
    The document discusses the history and origins of carrots, including their role in World War II propaganda. It is believed that wild carrots are the ancestor of domestic carrots, though scientists have been unable to domesticate wild carrots through breeding. During WWII, the British Minister of Food promoted the idea that carrot consumption helped RAF pilots see in the dark, known as "Cat's Eyes", as a cover for revealing they had radar technology. While carrots do contain beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A important for vision, they do not actually improve night vision. The document concludes with current carrot production statistics for California, which produces the majority of US carrots.

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    Carrots and Cat Eyes

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    The document discusses the history and origins of carrots, including their role in World War II propaganda. It is believed that wild carrots are the ancestor of domestic carrots, though scientists have been unable to domesticate wild carrots through breeding. During WWII, the British Minister of Food promoted the idea that carrot consumption helped RAF pilots see in the dark, known as "Cat's Eyes", as a cover for revealing they had radar technology. While carrots do contain beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A important for vision, they do not actually improve night vision. The document concludes with current carrot production statistics for California, which produces the majority of US carrots.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    240 views1 page

    StoryLetter 2010

    Uploaded by

    Lynda Schrumpf
    The document discusses the history and origins of carrots, including their role in World War II propaganda. It is believed that wild carrots are the ancestor of domestic carrots, though scientists have been unable to domesticate wild carrots through breeding. During WWII, the British Minister of Food promoted the idea that carrot consumption helped RAF pilots see in the dark, known as "Cat's Eyes", as a cover for revealing they had radar technology. While carrots do contain beta-carotene which is converted to vitamin A important for vision, they do not actually improve night vision. The document concludes with current carrot production statistics for California, which produces the majority of US carrots.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 1

    Carrots and Cat’s Eyes

    The history of the domesticated carrot (Daucus carota s.sp sativus) is filled with both vagueness and heroics. Historical
    records of its origins are almost non-existent. It is believed that wild carrot (Daucus carota s.sp. carota) is the ancient
    ancestor of the domestic carrot, but scientists have never been able to produce a domestic carrot from years of wild
    carrot breeding. Hybridization of different Daucus subspecies is likely to have produced the orange carrot we know
    today. The earliest written history dates the carrot’s origin about 5,000 years ago in the vicinity of Afghanistan. The
    cultivated carrot made its way into Europe around the 15th century and eventually into North America with the first
    English settlers in 1609. Despite its humble beginnings, the carrot played a part in one of history’s biggest cover-ups.

    At the beginning of World War II England began developing the use of radar to detect incoming hostile aircraft. By
    September of 1940 the first radar system was installed into a British warplane. This allowed the plane’s on-board
    operator to detect and track enemy aircraft, then give directions to the pilot. Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot John
    Cunningham and radar operator Jimmy Rawnsley manned the newly equipped warplane. On November 19, 1940 the
    crew took down the first enemy plane with the aid of on-board radar. Cunningham and Rawnsley continued their success
    throughout the war with a record 20 confirmed kills during night time fighting.

    Concurrently in 1940, food rationing began in England, but there was a large surplus of two crops: potatoes and carrots.
    Carrots weren’t widely popular and it was up to the Minister of Food, Lord Woolton, to promote the vegetable to the
    public. He did so by informing them that John Cunningham and the rest of the RAF night fighters ate copious amounts
    of carrots to help them see in the dark. The public responded favorably to the campaign, especially due to the widely
    popular heroics of Cunningham who was nicknamed “Cat’s Eyes” due to his ability to take down so many Nazi bombers
    in the dark. The campaign also served the higher purpose of covering up the RAF’s radar technology from the Germans.
    It would seem unlikely that the Germans would believe that carrots gave the British pilots super-human abilities, but it is
    plausible since a similar theme existed in German folklore in which carrots were also used as a cure for jaundice,
    diphtheria, warts, and bedwetting.

    Although carrots may not give you superior night vision, they can help maintain and improve eye sight for those
    suffering from vitamin A deficiency. Carrots are filled with a chemical called beta carotene, which is converted into
    vitamin A inside the body. Vitamin A is then synthesized to retinal, the chemical responsible for vision in the eye.
    Vitamin A deficiency is a major concern in developing countries; approximately 250 million preschool children are
    affected by it. Of these children, 250,000 to 500,000 go blind and half of them die within twelve months of losing their
    sight. Carrots are filled with other nutrients including vitamins B and K, dietary fiber, calcium, and potassium. Eating
    carrots can help lower cholesterol, promote healthier skin, and build stronger bones. One of the most important health
    benefits of the carrot is its powerful antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight cancer by neutralizing the free radicals
    associated with causing the disease.

    As people become more aware of the outstanding health benefits carrots have to offer, their popularity remains strong.
    In the last 10 years carrot acreage in Kings County has more than tripled, to nearly 4400 acres. In California, carrots
    brought in nearly half a billion dollars from 62,000 harvested acres in 2009. This was nearly 85% of the total U.S.
    production, making California the top producer of carrots in the country. The U.S. was the third largest producer of
    carrots in the world following China and Russia, respectively.

    In California there are five main carrot production areas: The central coast (Monterey County); the southern desert
    (Imperial and Riverside Counties); the high desert (Los Angeles County); the Southern San Joaquin Valley (Kings and
    Kern Counties) and Cuyama Valley (Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties). Carrots are grown year-round in
    California. They are always direct seeded using raw or pelleted seed that can range from 175,000 to 400,000 seeds per
    pound and are sown at a rate of 0.9 to1.3 million seeds per acre.

    Carrots are versatile and can be found whole, in juices, frozen or sliced. Baby carrots are a very popular snack among
    all ages because of their small, bite-sized shape and sweet taste. Kings County continues to produce millions of these
    healthy and tasty snacks each year. So the next time you are searching for a light and tasty bite, reach for the one that
    may give you “cat’s eyes”.
    1

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