High Tunnel-Grown Tomatoes Go to Amarillo Supermarket
AMARILLO - Dr. Charlie Rush is claiming success - tomatoes from a Texas A&M AgriLife Research high tunnel project are being sold in an Amarillo grocery store. And now the real work begins. "We delivered tomatoes to United Supermarket in Amarillo, and they were thrilled to get them," Rush said. "The next day we delivered jalapenos and poblano peppers. We can produce a quality product and there is clearly a market for the produce. "Now, we need to work on maximizing yields, cropping systems and pest management, provide an economic analysis and convince a few growers to give it a go." Rush, an AgriLife Research plant pathologist in Amarillo, said the project is funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Ogallala Research Initiative and the Texas Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. The project's goal is to provide locally grown tomatoes and other high-quality vegetables to the public. This year's crop, which...