GRAINGER COUNTY, Tenn. — With reports of prices potentially rising for tomatoes from Mexico, Grainger County tomato farmers say locals won't have to worry about where the tomato crops are coming from this summer.
Friday was the start of tomato season for many Grainger County farmers and they will keep harvesting until early fall. The farmers say they haven't adjusted their prices yet, but with possible tariffs, they may have to reevaluate.
If you ask a Grainger County tomato farmer why they do what they do the answer is simple.
They say it's in their blood.
Brandon Williams and Luke Stratton have farmed the majority of their lives in Grainger County.
"It gets in your veins I think," Stratton admitted. "I'm not sure."
Luke Stratton is the fifth generation to run Stratton Farms, and tomatoes help pay the bills.
"There's something magic in the soil here in Grainger County," Stratton said of the famous Grainger County tomatoes.
He sells to places like Food City, Earth Fare, and local grocery stores and says when he heard talk of a potential tariff on Mexican tomatoes, he was thinking numbers.
"Maybe we can sell our products at a little more higher price than what we would usually give them," Stratton said. "That's hopeful."
The price increase is not official, and Stratton says while tomatoes are in season here in the South, locals shouldn't worry.
"I think the tariffs will not really play an important part in the price until maybe in the fall months or early winter months when there are no produce available locally," Stratton explained.
He says buying local is beneficial to the farmers and consumers.
"The produce in the foreign countries I don't feel like most of the time that they're held to the highest standard with the rules and regulations," Stratton explained.
This can make selling crops more difficult for local growers.
"It does make it a lot harder for the local farmers in this County and East Tennessee in different parts of the country to be competitive," Stratton said.
So in Grainger County, Brandon Williams says they can keep tomatoes and tariffs out of their head, especially if you, "Shop local and support your local farmers."
Brandon Williams farms for B & B farms in Grainger County. He grows all kinds of fruits and vegetables, but tomatoes are the big one. If you want to buy some of his produce you can call or visit the Flour Pot in Rutledge.
Luke Stratton farms for Stratton Farms with his family. They grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and take great pride in their tomatoes. If you would like to buy from Stratton Farms, you can call the farm or look for the Stratton Farms sticker in select local grocery stores.