California Tomatoes

Did you know that tomatoes were originally considered to be fruits until the Supreme Court actually made a ruling in 1893 that tomatoes are vegetables? Do you know where the best, most tasty and luxurious tomatoes are grown? It is the State of California.

There are so many tomatoes that are grown in the State of California that there is an Association devoted to tomatoes in California. This Association is called The California Tomato Growers Association, Inc. This association is owned and operated by the tomato growers.

The State of California provides 1/2 of the world's total need of tomatoes and over 90% of the nation's processed tomatoes. These processed tomatoes are a $547 million dollar crop.

During the height of the season, tomato growers are producing 2,000,000,000 lbs per week. That means 40,000 tomato trucks are on the road carrying 300,000 lbs of tomatoes each. There are nine counties in California that produce 90% of the tomatoes that come out of California. These counties are, in the order of the most growing acres, starting with San Joaquin, Meced, Fresno, San Diego, Kern, Stanislaus, Kings Tulare and last but not least Sacramento. There are different planting and harvest times for each part of the state.

There are also two basic and genuinely distinct growing methods that are used in California. The Pole Production is used to describe tomatoes grown on poles which are grown in the southern counties. These plants have stakes placed between every two or three plants. Plants are tied 4 to 6 times during the season to increase pollination. The Bush production is where tomatoes are transplanted. These are preferred because of weed control and earliness. These transplants are grown by commercial greenhouses from seeds.

California is well known for its tomatoes around the world.