California Grown Tomatoes

Who would have thought that California is the tomato capital of the US? Of all the tomatoes that are grown in the country, 95 percent are grown in California. Eliminate the heirlooms and ordinary tomatoes and you will see that California is tops in the production of tomatoes destined for processing. The sauce on yesterday's pizza was likely made from California tomatoes.

California has concentrated its efforts on growing tomatoes that have been bred to withstand the rigors of the processing and canning processes. Tomato paste and tomato sauce are the primary ways these tomatoes are shipped. Some do get cut, diced, crushed or dried. Fifty years ago, many states could grow tomatoes commercially until the Californian sun and long summers lengthened the growing season and made tomato crops much more profitable. Due to the dry climate, the tomatoes face less pests and diseases. Hand harvesting of tomatoes by migrant workers became too expensive so hybrids that would ripe at the same time and could be harvested by machine changed the complexion of the tomato industry. The industry went from about 4,000 growers to approximately 600 within two decades.

At the same time, fertilizers, weeding labor, seed and fuel costs have increased. The only way to really make money is by sheer volume. There is also the water issue to consider. Each acre of tomatoes require two and one-half acres of water before harvest time. Water availability has become a critical issue in California and has added to the cost of tomato production. In the 2008-2008 growing season, farmers are expected to be paid 3.5 cents per pound for their tomatoes. It is estimated that 225 growers in the Central Valley produce these tomatoes for the 16 tomato processors in California. Tomatoes are necessary healthy vegetables.