Lipman Family Farms, major player in tomato market, featured on tour

With 75 million pounds of tomatoes grown annually, Lipman Family Farms has more than earned a spot on the 2017 Farm City Week Tour.

The privately owned company has farms in Duette and Immokalee, and touts itself as America’s largest field tomato grower.

Customers include Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Walmart, McDonald’s, Subway and more.

Other farms in the Lipman network are located in Kentucky, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina, according to the company website, lipmanproduce.com.

The company is harvesting a variety of tomatoes during October and November, including its signature Crimson, developed by Lipman for its taste, texture, tolerance to heat and resistance to disease.

“The Crimson has a deep red color, more intense flavor and higher lycopene content than standard tomatoes,” the Lipman website says.

Also being harvested in Duette are grape and cherry tomatoes, heirlooms and Romas.

“I am passionate about tomatoes,” says Larry Moss, Lipman’s farm manager in Duette.

During the farm tour on Nov. 17, one of the things Moss will talk about is the challenges facing farmers, including weather and the risky nature of the business.

“The crop that we plant in August and harvest in October and November is always a tough crop because you have to deal with the weather and the heat. Hurricane Irma kind of shocked the crop. We had to regenerate the crop and bring it back,” Moss said.

It costs about $11,000 to grow and harvest an acre of tomatoes, and the market today is no higher than it was 20 years ago when tomato production cost about $6,000 an acre, Moss said.

To cope with changing market and competitive pressures, agriculture has had to become smarter and plan five and 10 years into the future, he said.

Lipman may be a big company, but it approaches its business in a small-company way, Moss said, referring to safe-growing practices and stewardship of its land, Moss said.

Lipman also plays a positive role in its community and is engaged with its neighbors, Moss said.

Betty Glassburn, a life-long resident, says Lipman is neighbor friendly and community minded.

“They don’t mind helping the community,” Glassburn said.

Other stops on the tour this year include Heartland Grove, G & D Wish Strawberry Farm and Sweetbay Nursery. Reservations required at 941-722-4524. The cost is $50 and includes bus transportation, lunch and snacks.

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 4:17 PM with the headline "Lipman Family Farms, major player in tomato market, featured on tour."