Oceanside Pole on a roll in 75th season

West Coast Tomato Growers grower Harry Singh Jr. and his family are celebrating their 75th season of producing vine-ripe tomatoes in Oceanside, Calif.

Vine-ripe rounds and romas reached peak volumes in August, and the Oceanside Pole tomato brand marketed by The Oppenheimer Group is on track for late summer promotions.

The season runs mid-June through mid-November.

"We expect a combined total of 2.6 (million) to 2.8 million romas and rounds," said Mark Smith, senior sales representative for Vancouver, British Columbia-based Oppy.

"The rounds grown at Oceanside are of the Sweet 10 variety."

"As the Singh family has perfected the art of selecting the best seeds and growing vine-ripes on poles over the last three-quarters of a century, they've become known for tomatoes that consistently deliver on flavor and eating quality," Smith said.

"This season has brought some of the best tomatoes we've seen, as if Mother Nature knew this crop should be a special one."

West Coast Tomato Growers, owners of the Oceanside Pole brand, began harvesting rounds June 13 and romas around July 1.

Round volumes will likely peak from mid-August through October, and romas from July through September.

West Coast will harvest about 600 acres of tomatoes this season, with round acreage slightly up from last year and romas about the same.

At the Produce Marketing Association's Foodservice Conference & Expo July 31, Oppy salesman James Galindo said the marketer is making a bigger push in foodservice with Oceanside tomatoes. Promotions in the West are generating stronger demand, he said.

Priya Singh, general manager, is a third-generation grower at the company, which became known as West Coast Tomato Growers in 2012. It owns the Oceanside Pole and Cal-Tom brands.

Oppy will offer both brands in vine-ripened rounds and romas into November.

"My grandfather chose the San Diego area because of a microclimate that lent itself to growing the highest quality and best tasting tomatoes in California," Priya Singh said.

"Harry Singh Sr. passed his love and passion for farming to my father, who expanded the operation to grow various crops like round tomatoes, roma tomatoes, bell peppers, strawberries and cucumbers, along with others."

Through hard work, dedication and passion, Harry Singh Jr. built the widely respected program.

Harry Singh Jr.'s sons and daughters are involved in all facets of the operation, including packaging, accounts payable, human resources and growing. The company's focus is now exclusively on rounds and romas.

Oppy sales and quality assurance staff relocated to Oceanside again this season, where they work with West Coast Tomato Growers counterparts to help assure that tomatoes ship to each customer's size and arrival color specifications.

"While Oceanside Pole tomatoes are perfect for 'grown in California' local promotions, they are popular throughout the U.S.," Smith said.

"Retailers seeking flavorful, meaty, clean-cutting tomatoes that are naturally ripened instead of gassed-green will appreciate the difference without doubt."

Smith said the Oceanside Pole brand may sport a new look before the season is out. The brand is named for its locale and for the poles the tomatoes are grown on.