Are they a vegetable or a fruit? It depends on who you ask!
Harvest: Tomatoes
Learn all about the tomatoes grown in Hillsborough County.
When are fresh Hillsborough County tomatoes available at local groceries and farm stands?
October through December, and April through June
What type of tomatoes are grown commercially here?
Round and cherry tomatoes
Where are tomatoes most commonly grown in Hillsborough County?
Ruskin and elsewhere in south Hillsborough
How many acres are planted with tomatoes?
5,776 acres
How many pounds of tomatoes are harvested?
170,392,000 pounds, with an estimated value of $81 million
Fun fact
Botanically, tomatoes are fruit - though many people and even the U.S. Supreme Court consider them vegetables. In 1893 the high court, for the purpose of levying a tariff, ruled the tomato is a vegetable.
Local insight
Hillsborough County grows 15 percent of all fresh-market tomatoes in Florida, and is ranked third in the state behind Manatee and Collier counties
Homegrown Hillsborough is also the name of the food system program coordinated by our Extension Services department.
Homegrown Hillsborough is a network of community members with the mission to grow a strong food system. The vision is to create an integrated food system that is diverse, reliable, and creates opportunity for active participation.
Homegrown Hillsborough will act as an educational and community development initiative with a focus on community nutrition, food entrepreneurship, and agricultural production that will strengthen the relationship that Hillsborough County residents have with their food.