Page 2—Grower and Marketer, Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 11, 1999 Tomato Council Ensures Uniform Pack (Continued from Page 1) including grading, packing, and shipping. The Jersey Tomato, a regis tered trademark, and the Jersey Plum Tomato have to undergo special procedures to qualify for packing by the Council. The tomatoes are to be stake-grown with scheduled, staggered plantings for consistent supply throughout the season in plastic mulch with drip irrigation. The tomatoes have to be picked vine-ripened, and the grower must use integrated pest man agement and nutrient manage ment procedures. Buyer benefits include high quality tomatoes with longer dielf life and consistent daily supplies. The method is proven in producing quality tomatoes. The tomatoes are picked firm but at a stage to ensure full fla vor. The tomatoes are of uni form grade, size, and color, with PLU labels attached. There are three grades. The first, Premium, packs tomatoes in 20-pound, two-layer contain ers. The second grade is Qual ity, packed in 25-pound place pack, including XL, Jersey XL, and Jumbo, and a consumer pack, large. The third grade is Chef's Choice, a 25-pound pack with XL, Jersey XL, and Jumbo. About 60 percent of the pro duct is marketed and shipped to New York and Philadelphia areas. They also market toma toes to Miami, areas east of the Mississippi, western Pennsyl vania, New England states, and occasionally west of the; Mississippi. Neary noted the Council works closing with large chain stores and other retailers. The Council is looking for good, quality tomatoes, those that are firm, don’t crack, with a good nnal color, good taste, and overall good yield, he said. Growers represent 375-400 acres, including plum tomatoes. Workers pack about 1,200 tomatoes per hour, or about ' / Seabrook Brothers, in Seabrook, N J., packs a lot of different vegetable items for a variety of customers in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast From left, Chet Naksi, Andrew Carpenter, and Jim Seabrook Jr. 10,000-14,000 tomatoes per day, at the Cedarville process ing facility. With the PLU and pack num bers, the Council can track the inventory to the pallet level, Neary said. Only recently the Council started to contract for and grow asparagus, marketed also to chains. About 100-110 acres of asparagus have been packed. Neary noted that more toma toes are in demand than ever before. Per-capita consumption of tomatoes have risen from 15 pounds to 18 pounds. Tomatoes, when they are brought in, are cleaned in a water bath, though they can also be spray-washed. The temperature is dropped to about 65 degrees to slow ripening until they arrive at the chain distribution houses. The chains “want full-color tomatoes,” Neary said. The Council owns the equip ment and bins, but not the facil ity. The 30,000-square-foot facility was constructed at a cost of about $700,000. Seabrook Brothers, in Sea brook, N. J., packs a lot of diffe rent vegetable items for a varie ty of customers in the Mid- Atlantic and Northeast. Seabrook began growing vegetables in 1893 by Charles F. Seabrook, a pioneer in agri culture, the commercial freez ing of vegetables, and the deve lopment of the nursery industry in South Jersey. Seabrook’s research on get ting fresh vegetables to more consumers led to the develop ment of frozen food processing, which began on a large scale in 1931. He founded Seabrook Farms Corp. near Bridgeton in 1933. Until 1976, according to the PVGA, the firm was one of the largest farming and frozen foods operations in the United States, controlling production of mote than 30,000 acres of vegetable crops. In 1978, thee grandsons of Seabrook started Seabrook Brothers and Sons and con structed a frozen vegetable pro cessing plant in Upper Deer field Township at a cost of $9.2 million. The plant freezes snap beans, spinach, collards, mus- 3 All the major southern greens are processed at the plant, which employs 600 and 480 year-round. “We packsoo,ooo pounds of green beans a day,” said Jim Seabrook, Jr. Drew Norman, White Hall, Md., looks at the beans. We’re Breaking New Ground. Disc Harrows • 5'2", 6'4" or 8' widths • Adjustable gang angles • 18" Notched or smooth disc blades, 22" on 8' • Break up the ground with a heavy-duty frame and heat-treated disc blades • Ideal for landscapers and small acreage farmers Betts Equipment 3139 Windy Bush Road.Rt 232 New Hope, PA 18938 215-598-7501 Hoober, Inc. Mam Street Intercourse, PA 17534 717-768-8231 Hoober, Inc. East Main Street McAlisterville, PA 17049 717-463-2191 Deerfield Ag & Turf Center. Inc RR 2 Box 212 Watsontown, PA 17777 570-538-3557 Detlan Equipment, Inc 141 East Main St Silverdale, PA 18962 215-257-5177 Thomas L Dunlap Rt 220, Mam St Exit Jersey Shore, PA 17740 570-398-1391 tard greens, peppers, peas, and lima beans. They process more than 93 million pounds of pro duce from 22,000 acres, with a sales value of $6O million. Eckroth Bros Farm Equip Rd 2, Box 24A New Rmgold, PA 17960 570-943-2131 Eckroth Equipment Co 4910 Kernsville Rd Orefield, PA 18069 610-366-2095 Hines Equipment RT 220, Belwood, PA 814-742-8171 Keller Brothers R 7 Box 405 Lebanon, PA 17042 717-949-6501 1950 Fruitville Pike Lancaster, PA 17601 717-569-2500 M.S. Yearsley & Sons West Chester, PA 610-696-2990 Fikevilie Equipment Inc RD 2, Oysterdale Road Oley, PA 19547 610-927-6277 All the major southern greens are processed at the plant, which employs 600, and 480 year-round. “We pack (Turn to Page 6) -** f f -¥* Stoltzfus Farm Service Cochranville, PA 610-593-2407 Stouffer Bros Inc. 1066 Lincoln Way West Chambersburg, PA 17201 717-263-8424 Rodio Tractor Sales North White Horse Pike Hammonton, N J 08037 609-561-0141 Warren County Service Center 228 Route 94, Blairtown, N J 908-362-6916 Frank Rymon & Sons, Inc RD 3, Box 355 Washington, N J 07882 906-689-1464 landpnde com
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