MARION, Indiana – Middlesworth Family Farm has been raising tomatoes for over 70 years. Currently five families are involved, with each member having his or her own “specialty area.” They are one of more than 40 family farms across Indiana/Michigan/Ohio who supply Red Gold with tomatoes. They have been supplying Red Gold direct from the field since 1995. Indiana is the third largest tomato-producing state in the United States.

Beginning around the first of may; the tomatoes are transplanted from trays using a mechanical setter that drops the plant into the ground and then covers it with soil. “Fresh Pack” harvest season occurs between August and October (frost dependent).

The family said the best time to harvest is before 1 p.m. each day. A Tomato Harvester picks up the entire plant, shaking it to free fruit from the vine, then discards the vine back out into the field. The tomato runs through two sorters (one manual) that will differentiate between good and bad tomatoes although the settings can be adjusted. According to Max Middlesworth, “we are looking for a whole, red tomato.” This machine can harvest 60-80 tons of tomatoes an hour; which means there is a loaded 22-ton semi trailer every 20 minutes.

The tomatoes will be unloaded within 24 hours at the Red Gold facility. Red Gold dictates the number of loads per day.