By Vanessa Richins

The United Press International recently ran a story about a couple in Southern California who are very avid tomato growers.

They reported that Bill Anderson and his wife, Christine Griego had grown over 11,000 pounds of tomatoes in the past year, and was aiming to grow 15,000 pounds this year.

They were able to do all of this on a plot of land that is smaller than a quarter acre. The yard is almost exclusively tomato plants, with a few rose bushes and some trees thrown in.

Bill keeps very exacting Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

California tomato growers have long had to deal with Tomato Spot Wilted Virus (TSWV), but a new potential threat has been uncovered in the Tomato Yellow Leaf Curl Virus (TYLCV) coming up from Mexico, according to Bob Gilbertson, a University of California, Davis plant pathologist at the annual meeting of the California Tomato Growers Association’s (CTGA).

Both viruses are spread through insects and can greatly diminish yield and quality of tomato production.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Michelle Fabio

Even though farmers are coming off the best year ever for tomato harvests in California, look for reduced numbers this year as lack of water and higher prices of other crops will likely force growers to cut back on tomatoes.

Because of drought restrictions, water delivery may be cut back by as much as 33 percent this coming season, which makes growing tomatoes less attractive than other crops that require less irrigation.

Moreover, since there is an ever-increasing demand for grains, especially corn for the production of ethanol, many farmers are weighing the pros and cons of growing tomatoes at all. Read the rest of this entry »