Florida Tomato Growers Council keeps the best tomatoes away from us

[Stinky The Clown]

I just read an article in the current issue of Gourmet. It seems there's some real crap going on in the tomato biz.

Have you ever had one of these?



It's an Ugly Ripe. It is a new hybrid tomato that crosses a commercially viable tomato with a French heirloom variety. They were developed by Procacci Brothers Sales Corporation, which is run by second generation tomato grower Joe Procacci. This company grows tomatoes everywhere ...... New Jersey (where Joe's father started the business during the Depression), North Carolina, Florida, Puerto Rico, Mexico, etc. They grow the Ugly Ripes in New Jersey, North Carolina, and Florida. They also grow a lot of what we normally get in supermarkets ... 'mature greens".

Mature greens are tomatoes picked green, but able to turn red with ethylene gas. They never, however, gain any more flavor. Ugly Ripes, on the other hand, are picked red and ripe and can withstand travel, albeit with some special packing and handling.

Some other background facts .........

Mature greens currently fetch 42¢ a pound at wholesale. Ugly Ripes get $1.75. Clearly we're talking about different markets here!

A mature green that drops from a truck and falls on the road generally survives the fall unscathed! An Ugly Ripe at the bottom of a three layer deep stack of tomatoes will suffer some damage.

The Federal Trade Commission has given near-dictatorial power to the Florida Tomato Committee (FTC). The FTC is made up of ..... you guessed it ... tomato growers. They have decreed that no ugly Florida tomato may leave its borders between October 15 and June 15. (Presumably any nasty, shitty, crap-assed tomatoes can be shipped freely outside that time frame.) Here is a link to Federal Marketing Order 966. Notice there is no standard for taste! http://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/mocommodities/966.htm

Joe Procacci's company grows 15% of all tomatoes sold in the US!

He has the only palatable tomato that is also commercially viable.

The law is aimed squarely at him by ..... his competitors.

And once again, we the people get the shaft.

Tomato Lovers Unite!