Tomatoes in the News

• California Farm Bureau Rains help, but could be 'too little, too late'California Farm BureauIn the southern San Joaquin Valley, which did not receive as much precipitation as Northern California, Bob Wilson, a diversified grower in Kings County, said his tomato planting is "still pretty much on schedule," with three-quarters of his crop ...
• Ag leaders optimistic despite challengesGustine Press-Standard... hay continues to be a West Side staple commodity and the diversity of row crops ranges from broccoli and cauliflower to lima beans and tomatoes. Water issues are clouding this year's prospects, however. The Central California Irrigation District is ...and more »
• ConAgra Completes Del Monte DealFood Product DesignConAgra Foods, Inc., has completed its acquisition of Toronto-based Del Monte Canada, Inc., a leading provider and marketer of packaged fruits, fruit snacks and vegetables in Canada, from an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners.ConAgra Foods Completes Acquisition of Del Monte Canada from an Affiliate of ...MarketWatch (press release)ConAgra Foods completes acquisitionCBS Newsall 19 news articles »
• Tomatoes Ripe With Powerful Health BenefitsFood Product DesignResearchers from the National Center for Food Safety & Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology and ConAgra Foods Inc. examined current research to discover the role tomato products play in health and disease risk reduction. ...Tomatoes Pack A Nutritious Punch, Study FindsBETTER Health Researchall 3 news articles »
• Local companies face cap-and-trade deadlineFresno Business JournalEmitting more than 53000 metric tons of pollutants in 2008, the processing plant of Los Gatos Tomato Products in Huron will also be looking into allowances or offsets to fulfill its share of the emissions cap. Producing around 265 million pounds of ...
• California Farmers Feel PainTruth about Trade & TechnologyFIVE POINTS, Calif.—Sharp cutbacks in water for farmers threaten to trigger renewed layoffs in a large swath of California, eating into the state's $40 billion-a-year agriculture industry and damping its nascent economic recovery.and more »
• California Farm Bureau Commentary: Farm Bureau outlines programs key to farmers, ranchersCalifornia Farm BureauBy Rayne Pegg Programs in the US Department of Agriculture budget that benefit California farmers and ranchers include those aimed at fighting specific pests, such as Asian Citrus Psyllid. Programs in the US Department of Agriculture budget that ...
• Fresno Bee Smelt Supreme Court ruling goes against farmersSan Francisco Chronicle(10-31) 15:43 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The US Supreme Court denied an appeal today by Central California farmers who claimed the federal government lacks constitutional authority to protect the imperiled delta smelt by limiting north-to-south water ...Supreme Court denies California farmers as Delta smelt swims onWestern Farm Pressall 47 news articles »
• Western Farm Press California tomato processors to contract for 12.7 million tonsWestern Farm PressAs of January, California tomato processors reported plans to sign 2012 contracts totaling 12.7 million tons of processing tomatoes. Processors estimate the contracted production for 2012 will come from 266000 acres producing an average yield of 47.74 ...

Mexican Beef Wraps
 
Kids at school love these wrap-ups filled with good tomato flavor.

• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  
• 3/4 cup chopped onions
  
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
  
• 6 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

• 1 3/4 pounds ground lean beef
  
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
  
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  
• 1/8 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
  
• 1 (9 ounce) can yellow sweet corn, drained

10 (7-inch) tortillas
1 cup shredded Cheddar and American cheese, mixed

Combine canned tomatoes, onions, green pepper, tomato paste, and vinegar in a large stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 45 minutes, stirring frequently. Set aside.

Place ground beef in large heavy kettle. Cook until no longer pink, stirring to break into 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch crumbles. Turn off heat. Thoroughly drain fat from beef. Add water to cover. Stir. Add seasonings and mix well. Stir in corn and reserved tomato sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer over medium heat for 45 to 60 minutes.

To serve, portion 1/2 cup beef mixture down center of each warm tortilla, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border at bottom. Sprinkle beef with 2 tablespoons cheese. Fold bottom edge of tortilla up over filling and roll up, overlapping edges. Serve hot.

Serves 10

Nutrition facts per serving: 420 cal (42% cal. from fat), 19g total fat (8g sat fat, 7g mono, 2g poly), 65mg chol., 850mg sodium, 38g carbo., 2g fiber, 24g pro. Daily Value: 15% vit. A, 25% vit. C, 10% calcium, 20% iron, 14% potassium.

Adapted from the School Nutrition Association Recipe Database.