Carrots
History of Carrots

Carrots

Carrots were first grown around 1000 BCE in Europe-that's more than 3,000 years ago! But they were very different than the carrots we love today. They were purple and yellow, not orange! Carrots were grown as a medicine to treat stomach problems, wounds, and other sicknesses. It wasn't until 900 CE in Afghanistan that carrots were grown for food.


Purple and yellow carrots spread to Western Europe and China in the 1300's and to England in the 1600's. Farmers in Holland grew the first orange carrots, and when America was settled, the Pilgrims brought carrot seeds with them to plant in their gardens. Soon Native Americans and new settlers all over the United States were growing the delicious and nutritious vegetable. Today, orange carrots are the most popular type of carrot sold in the United States.