2025 marks the 100th volume of the Agricultural Review, the free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. To celebrate, we’re taking a journey back in time. We’re digging out some old papers, dusting off their pages and looking back at what has happened in agriculture in the last 99 years. Each month, we’ll share an article, recipe or other piece of content “From the archives” of the Ag Review. We can’t wait to see what we find!
Tomatoes are staples in home gardens, at farmers markets and on dinner tables in North Carolina, especially during the summer. One of the most versatile varieties grown in the state is the Roma tomato. Prized for their firm flesh and low seed content, Roma tomatoes are considered a good canning and sauce tomato. But in the 1960s, they were lovingly referred to as “pizza tomatoes” – because they were often used for making pizza sauce.
In 1966, some 110 acres of “pizza tomatoes” were planted in eastern North Carolina, according to an article in the issue of the Agricultural Review from May 15 of that year. According to the article, the planting marked the first time farmers in the eastern part of the state were producing tomatoes for the processing trade. They expected to harvest around 20 tons of tomatoes per acre – so roughly 2,200 tons.
The tomatoes were planted in Lenoir County, near Kinston, the article said. The article describes Roma tomatoes as “plum shaped fruit, low in acid and high in solids,” and added that they were largely used in “paste type food products.”
Find the full article below:
Do you have more tomatoes than you know what to do with this summer? Here are some recipes from the Sept. 1, 1983 issue of the Agricultural Review that might inspire you!
