ROSS, Ohio — Ashley Burwinkel walks through rows of vibrant tomato plants at her family farm, carefully inspecting each one. With 3,500 tomato plants under cultivation, she's constantly evaluating which varieties produce the best flavor and yield.
"It is a lot of work but we love it," Burwinkel said.
The farmer at Burwinkel Farms spends significant time in the fields, ensuring their locally grown tomatoes meet the high standards their customers expect.
"I'd say I'm out in the field picking about three times a week," Burwinkel said.
WATCH: What tomato tariffs mean for grocery prices, local farmers
While grocery stores prepare for potential price increases on imported tomatoes, local farmers like Burwinkel see a possible opportunity. Experts predict grocery store tomato prices could climb by about 10% due to new tariffs after the U.S. ended a 30-year price agreement with Mexico.
"I think people will discover hey we've got local farm markets here that they never even knew about, and really starting to experience that quality, the taste, the flavor," Burwinkel said.
Burwinkel Farms relies entirely on local production, either from their own fields or neighboring farms. Though local farms typically charge more than supermarkets, Burwinkel says customers get what they pay for.
"It's a big difference. You can definitely taste the difference when you buy from us or other farmers," Burwinkel said.
Will local tomato prices increase too?
When asked if increased demand might drive up prices for local tomatoes as well, Burwinkel was thoughtful about the potential impact.
"That's a good question. I would say for us trying to keep up with supply and demand, that's why we also source to other farmers who do a great job, so I'm not sure if it would," Burwinkel said.
For now, local growers are taking a wait-and-see approach to gauge the full impact of these new tariffs.
Many American brands unaffected
Notably, many American brands won't be affected by these changes at all:
- Heinz exclusively uses domestically grown tomatoes for their ketchup sold in the U.S.
- Red Gold does the same with their canned tomatoes
- DiGiorno frozen pizzas source 100% of their sauce from California-grown tomatoes
While some prices may go up for tomato-based ingredients, many American products should remain stable. We'll be monitoring grocery store shelves closely in the coming months and will keep you updated on any significant price changes.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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