Mechanical Tomato Harvesters in New York

Abstract

One notable event that concerned the New York processing tomato industry in 1965 was the advent of the mechanical harvester. In that year one vegetable grower in Western New York took the initiative to obtain a tomato harvester to use in picking processing tomatoes. He continued to make use of his machine in 1966 and three other growers joined him by using a harvester for the first time. Two makes of harvesters were in use: there were three of one make and one of another. Three of the four machines were purchased by the grower; the fourth machine was rented. The farmers had large vegetable or vegetable and fruit businesses and each grower had a sizable acreage of processing tomatoes, ranging from 90 to 123 acres.