Background Agricultural Connections
Tomatoes are scientifically classified as a fruit because they develop from a flower and have seeds. However, many people view them as a vegetable because they are used in cooking and food preparation more like a vegetable. Believe it or not, in 1893 the supreme court actually ruled tomatoes as a vegetable in the case of "Nix v. Hedden."
Tomatoes are usually grown from seed. Tomatoes are annual plants, which means they complete their life cycle in one season. They begin as seedlings, then grow into a bush or vine. Flowers then form, pollination occurs, and actual tomato begins to grow. There are many varieties of tomatoes which include differences in size, shape, and flavor.
Tomatoes are a common garden crop, but they are also grown commercially by farmers. Some tomatoes are sold to grocery stores, but a large portion of tomatoes are used to make ketchup, spaghetti sauce, tomato soup, pizza sauce, etc. When grown commercially, tomatoes are sorted by color as they are harvested by machines in the field. Most tomato harvesting machines use lasers to sort green tomatoes from the ripe red ones. The green tomatoes are pushed off of the harvester and are thrown back onto the ground for fertilizer. Tomatoes can also be handpicked for shape, size, color, and beauty.
Canning tomatoes have been specifically "designed" through selective hand-pollinating of desired tomatoes, to be "squarish" in shape (like a Roma tomato), so that they can be easily harvested with harvesting machines and packed more efficiently in tractor-trailers. The University of California at Davis is well known for its creation of the "square tomato."
Canning tomato growers have contracts with specific canning companies. The contract states what date the farmer must have a certain amount of tomatoes at the cannery. This is done so that the cannery is used efficiently and the tomatoes do not rot. Farmers must carefully plan the planting and watering of their fields so that their contract can be met.
