by RYAN MILEJCZAK
Sponsored by Farm Credit of Central Florida
Florida gets plenty of attention for its fruit, from oranges to watermelons and more. But did you know that Florida is also the nation’s top producer of fresh market tomatoes? In fact, 70% of all fresh-market tomatoes grown in the U.S. come from right here in the Sunshine State!
While commonly associated with Italy and its cuisine, the tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is actually native to the Americas, where it was first cultivated in Mesoamerica by 500 BCE or even earlier. It’s a member of the nightshade family, along with many other new world crops like potatoes, chili peppers, and of course, the tomatillo (to name just a few). However, it wasn’t until about 1870 that they were first grown commercially here in Florida, with the first farms growing them likely being in Manatee County.
Today, Manatee County is still one of the main producers of tomatoes along with Hillsborough; together, they represent 40% of total tomato production in Florida. Tomatoes are also grown commercially in Sumter, Lee, Palm Beach, Martin, Collier, and Miami-Dade counties.
Tomatoes thrive in Florida thanks to its hot climate (not surprising, considering their origins in the sweltering hot regions of Mexico and Central America).
In the 2024 season, there were 24,000 acres of commercial tomato cultivation across the state of Florida, of which 23,200 acres were harvested. Total production for 2024 was 638 million pounds, down 27% from 2023. This represented a total production value of $331 million, making it the state’s second-most valuable crop overall, second only to strawberries.
Tomatoes are a labor-intensive crop to harvest, and a 2017 estimate stated that about 30,000 workers are employed to harvest, and this in addition to non-harvest employment means the Florida tomato industry also helps provide jobs for our state.
Like most Florida crops, the majority of tomato varieties cultivated in our state were developed by the folks over at UF/IFAS, which began all the way back in 1922. Some popular varieties include Fla. 7804 and Tasti-Lee Fla. 8153.
Tomatoes in Florida are generally planted between August and February, and the Florida Tomato season runs from October to June, with peak harvest from November to January and April to May. This nice, long season helps secure Florida’s spot as the nation’s top producer of fresh-market tomatoes (meaning they’re meant for direct consumption, rather than further processing into sauces and other products).
A common debate is whether the tomato is a fruit or a vegetable. In fact, the answer depends on who you ask; while in the culinary world it’s considered a vegetable, in the botanical world, it’s a fruit — more specifically, a berry.
In fact, this debate was even at the center of a legal dispute when, in 1893, the US Supreme Court declared it a vegetable, rather than a fruit, for tariff purposes.
Regardless of what you consider it, tomatoes are a healthy addition to any meal. They are low in calories, an excellent source of vitamin C, and rich in lycopene, which may have positive impacts on cardiovascular health. They’re also versatile and can be used in a wide range of recipes; they can be turned into sauces and relishes, fried, stuffed, placed in a sandwich, or even made into jam. And they’re a key part of our state’s diverse cuisines.