Unit 13: Vegetables

Lesson 3: Exploring Fresh Tomatoes

Estimated Time for Completion – approximately 45 minutes

Student Learning Objectives:

  • As a result of this lesson the student will…
  • Explore various production and marketing strategies for tomatoes.
  • Examine the economic climate of tomato production.
  • Understand production-related issues for greenhouse-based tomato production.

Purpose:You find them as a topping on burgers, made into a “sauce” to put on hotdogs, diced and put in salads, as well as being used in pasta sauces, pizzas, and numerous other wonderful foods. Tomatoes, while not native to North America, has become invaluable in the foods we eat today. Not only are there many different varieties of tomatoes, but the way in which tomatoes are processed can also be greatly varied. This activity will give you an in depth look at the current state of the tomato industry.

Directions:Access the commodities and products tab on the AgMRC website ( and find the link to Vegetables. Utilize information located here to answer the questions below:

  1. What are two primary differences between the fresh-market tomato industry and the processing tomato industry?
  • First, select the “Commodities and Products” link.
  • Then select the “Vegetables” link.
  • Select the “Tomatoes” link.
  • Click on the blue “Fresh Tomatoes” link in the “Overview” section to expand the page.
  • Look in the “Overview” section to find the desired information.
  1. According to the AgMRC website, “the fresh tomato market is oligopolistic”. What does this term mean?
  • First, select the “Commodities and Products” link.
  • Then select the “Vegetables” link.
  • Select the “Tomatoes” link.
  • Click on the blue “Fresh Tomatoes” link in the “Overview” section to expand the page.
  • Look in the “Industry Characteristics” section to find the desired information.
  1. To what two things are “fresh tomato prices especially sensitive”? How and why do these factors influence tomato prices?
  • First, select the “Commodities and Products” link.
  • Then select the “Vegetables” link.
  • Select the “Tomatoes” link.
  • Click on the blue “Fresh Tomatoes” link in the “Overview” section to expand the page.
  • Look in the “Production” section to find the desired information.
  1. According to the AgMRC website, “greenhouse tomato production has begun to change the shape of the U.S. fresh-market tomato industry”. What benefits does greenhouse production provide versus traditional field-based production?
  • First, select the “Commodities and Products” link.
  • Then select the “Vegetables” link.
  • Select the “Tomatoes” link.
  • Click on the blue “Fresh Tomatoes” link in the “Overview” section to expand the page.
  • Look in the “Value-added Market for Greenhouse Tomatoes” section to find the desired information.
  1. Despite Mexico’s eminence in North American tomato production, the country’s capabilities in greenhouse production have been limited. What are two reasons for this occurrence?
  • First, select the “Commodities and Products” link.
  • Then select the “Vegetables” link.
  • Select the “Tomatoes” link.
  • Click on the blue “Fresh Tomatoes” link in the “Overview” section to expand the page.
  • Look in the “Value-added Market for Greenhouse Tomatoes” section to find the desired information.

Reinforcement activity:Tic-Tac-Tomato

For this activity, you will need to utilize your school’s lunch menu. Hopefully you can find the menu for at least one full month. Using the menu, look through each day’s meal and identify any food that contains tomato in any form. Then label each food as either fresh, or processed.