Although greenhouse tomatoes still constitute a minority share of the U.S. fresh tomato market, their influence is growing in retail channels, which represents about half of U.S. tomato consumption. The greenhouse tomato industry has established itself as an important part of the North American fresh tomato industry. According to an article published in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, around 37 percent of all fresh tomatoes sold in U.S. retail stores are greenhouse produced, compared with negligible amounts in the early 1990s.

In a consumer society that appreciates differentiation and variety, greenhouse tomatoes can be seen as one more development in this trend in regards to tomato offerings, which has also seen a growth in the variety of in field-grown tomatoes. These improved varieties, as well as the positive health benefits associated with eating tomatoes have helped to contribute to a 30 percent rise in U.S. consumption of fresh tomatoes since the mid 1980s, with estimated 2003 annual per capita consumption levels around 19.4 pounds.

While greenhouse tomatoes typically have higher retail prices than field tomatoes, several factors have contributed to the growth in this sector: Their protection from weather and other conditions generally produce a much more uniform appearance than field tomatoes. Also, they are less likely to experience swings in production volumes. These factors have led to a greater consistency in quality, volumes and pricing – issues that are of particular concern to the retail and foodservice industries.

Major greenhouse industries have been established in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, with the United States being the largest North American market for greenhouse tomatoes. However, in recent years, the growth in U.S. imports has exceeded the growth in U.S. production. In 2003, Canada accounted for an estimated 46 percent of U.S. imports of greenhouse tomatoes.

One such Canadian greenhouse tomato grower is Great Northern Hydroponics, located in southern Ontario, where the singular focus is the production and packaging of gourmet tomatoes on the vine through state-of-the-art hydroponic technology.

Great Northern Hydroponics’ 50-acre greenhouse facility is capable of producing more than 2.1 million cases of gourmet tomatoes annually. The latest production techniques are applied such as raised troughs, inter planting, run-off fertilizer recycling, computerized climate controls, biological pest management, and computerized labor tracking.

The result is a tomato high in nutrients with extended shelf life, pesticide and herbicide free, and provides customers with significant value and uncompromised quality. Packaging capabilities are fully automated with the latest technology and include the ability to package in bulk, stickered and unstickered, and in plastic or netted bags.

At Great Northern Hydroponics, tomatoes aren’t the only thing the company is producing. Having recently signed a 20-year power purchase contract with the government of Ontario, Canada, the company has also developed a 12 mega-watt electrical power facility. Under this contract, the Canadian government will purchase enough electricity generated by the plant to power 5,000 residential homes in the local area.

Creating electricity from natural gas produces substantial amounts of thermal energy, as well as carbon dioxide exhaust emissions. This thermal energy, in the form of hot water, will be supplied to Great Northern Hydroponics to heat the greenhouse.

Learning how to avoid tainted foods these days may seem to be a never ending lesson in food safety. This month it is salmonella in tomatoes. A few months back it was E.coli from spinach. What will be the next scare to come from the Food and Drug Administration? How can we protect ourselves from becoming a victim to the latest outbreak? Or, can we?

The toll from salmonella-tainted tomatoes is over 220 as of this writing. The Food and Drug Administration, while saying it is close to identifying the source of the contamination, are really no closer to solving the case than when it was first reported on June 1. Twenty three states have reported cases to date, wit that number expected to rise. Restaurants are pulling tomatoes from their menus until the source of the salmonella can be located and dealt with.

FDA officials warn that there are three specific types of tomatoes that are tainted. Red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes are known to have been tainted. The FDA’s advice? Don’t eat them! Unless you know where they were grown and are certain that those areas have been cleared as safe, just don’t eat them.

How do you know where they were grown? One sure fire way is to make room for your own garden space. Grow your own tomatoes and other vegetables. You don’t have to have a large garden or live in the country. Tomatoes can be grown in five gallon buckets on your patio. Lettuce, onions and radishes can be grown in planter boxes from your deck. Spinach and other leafy vegetables can be grown in the same manner. You can even make your garden organic, or pesticide free, to further ensure the safety of your vegetables.

A home garden, no matter how small, can produce a good quantity harvest. It can be a terrific hobby that can involve the entire family. Learning how to avoid tainted foods can be as close as your back yard or patio. Best of all, the home grown vegetables you produce will be guaranteed fresh and, after all, anything home grown always taste better! Fresh, better tasting and safe! What a great reward for taking a few precautions in food safety.

Because these kinds of fruit orchards and vineyards are more-than-likely sprayed with insecticides or fungicides during their growing seasons, the residues of these chemicals could remain on these fruits to varying degrees.

My concern is with the thin-skin ones, like, grapes, apples, peaches, or pears. You might take a good look at your next batch of grapes. Do most of them have a cloudy film on their skins. Try to wipe that film from a single grape with a napkin or paper towel. You should now see a clean shiny grape.

The next question is – what was that film? The answer is – I don’t know. But I do know what it could be, at least, in part. Since that film could contain chemical residues, I rinse my batch of grapes with water, and then carefully wipe off each one individually as I eat them. Another remedy for the grapes in question is to soak the batch in water for a long period to dilute any residues by diffusion. But, I prefer the rinse-and-wipe technique because I can watch the film disappear.

I do the same thing with the apples, peaches, and pears. I wipe them well. Yet, these fruit can be peeled instead of wiping them to remove any potential contamination from their skins. Additionally, I cut out the stem pit from these particular fruits. That pit is where the insecticidal or fungicidal sprays could pool as liquids, and thus, could soak into the fruit meats through the skins. Still, I sometimes wonder if these extra precautions are necessary?

For scientific information on the compiled chemical findings in fruit, and the reduction of agricultural chemical risk, see the references below.