The early history of the tomato in the United States was characterized by the colonialist belief that the brightly colored fruit was poisonous. By the time commercial production began in the mid 1800s, the tomato was well established as a popular produce item in the American diet. By 2004, nearly 2 million tons of commercial fresh market tomatoes were produced in the United States. In addition, 12 million tons of processing tomatoes were produced. In the United States, the two tomato industries (fresh market and processing) are distinctly separate. Processing tomatoes account for the majority of tomato tonnage, while the comparatively higher prices of fresh market tomatoes make them higher ranked in terms of value. October 2005 . . . Fresh Tomatoes
The U.S. tomato processing industry, comprised primarily of tomato pastes, sauces and canned tomato products, is distinctly separate from the fresh market industry. Specific characteristic differences separate tomatoes entering the two markets: fresh market varieties are juicier and harvested when immature, while processing varieties contain higher percentages of soluble solids, are vine ripened and have a thicker skin than fresh market tomatoes to survive mechanical harvesting and bulk transport. The marketing methods of the two industry segments differ as well. The majority of fresh tomatoes are handpicked and sold on the open market, while all processed tomatoes are mechanically harvested and sold under contract. Although the harvest tonnage of processing tomatoes is 5 to 6 times larger than that of fresh tomatoes, the low market value for processing tomatoes in terms of dollars per pound make fresh market tomatoes responsible for a larger share of U.S. total crop value than processed tomatoes. November 2005 . . . Processed Tomatoes
- Budget for Greenhouse Tomatoes, Mississippi State University Extension.
- China Agricultural Data, Agricultural Issues Center, University of California, 2001 - Information on production, cost of production and trade.
- Eatwell Farm of Winters, California, raises between 40 to 50 different organic products. It is known as "Tomato Wonderland" because of its testing of heirloom and modern varieties of tomatoes. Tomatoes are marketed through a farmers market and through the farm's own Community Supported Ag Program.
- "Effects of Price Premiums for Multiple Product Attributes on Product Quality: California Processing Tomatoes," by Corinne Alexander, Rachael E. Goodhue, Sandeep Mohapatra and Gordon C. Rausser - Alexander and others examine how growers respond to price incentives and how these incentives interact for two important processing tomato quality attributes: limited use tomatoes and material other than tomatoes.
- EU Support Reductions Would Benefit California Tomato Growers and Processors, Bradley J. Rickard and Daniel A. Sumner, California Agriculture, 2006 - This article presents simulation model results from a 50 percent reduction in European Union Trade barriers and subsidies.
- Factors Affecting Tomato Consumption in the United States, Economic Research Service, USDA.
- Fruits and Vegetables: Enhanced Federal Efforts to Increase Consumption Could Yield Health Benefits for Americans, GAO Report Number 02-657, 2002.
- Growing Hydroponic Tomatoes, University of Arizona.
- Integrated Pest Management Series: Tomatoes, Maryland Cooperative Extension - This online document explains the tomato plant's response to possible pests.
- Key Points of Control and Management of Microbial Food Safety: Information for Producers, Processors, and Handlers of Fresh Market Tomatoes, University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources free download (8-page pdf), ANR Product Code 8150.
- Long Wind Farm of Thetford, Vermont, has grown organic tomatoes for more than 10 years. It has a 1.3-acre greenhouse. The farm supplies tomatoes to supermarket chains throughout the Northeastern United States.
- National Organic Program, Ag Marketing Service, USDA.
- PlantFacts, Ohio State University - This Web site provides a full-text search engine of all extension and academic department information from all land-grant universities in the United States. Additionally, there are significant image and video databases, a FAQ database and a glossary.
- Processed Vegetables (including tomatoes) (Domestic Production and International Trade Info), FASonline, USDA.
- Production of Greenhouse Tomatoes, Florida Greenhouse vegetable production handbook, Vol. 3, University of Florida.
- Quality Standards - Fresh Fruit and Vegetables, Ag Marketing Service.
- Selected costs and returns budgets for horticultural food crops, Virginia Tech - This link provides production cost estimates for ground grown and stringweave tomatoes. It also has estimates on drip irrigation and a solid-set sprinkler system.
- Tomato, University of Georgia.
- Tomatoes, Briefing Room, ERS, USDA.
- Tomato: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality, University of California-Davis.
- Verrill Farm of Concord, Massachusetts, grows 140 acres of fruits and vegetables, including 30 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. Produce is marketed through a farmstand and to many fine restaurants in Boston.
- Watering Tomatoes Drip by Drip, Cornell University - This research-based document provides helpful information on irrigation systems.
- What's Wrong With my Tomatoes?, Cornell University.
Links checked February 2008.