Community Alliance With Family Farmers, 36355 Russell Blvd, Davis, CA 95616, US

In the tomato industry, information is everything. The CTGA keeps growers up to date on issues that affect the farming business through meetings, newsletters, magazines and special correspondence. In 2006, the CTGA led the formation of the Tomato Products Wellness Council ( TPWC ), which is a voluntary organization funded by growers, processors and branded marketers. TPWC's mission: "To increase the consumption of processed tomatoes through facilitation of pertinent collaborative research and generic communication." To succeed in its goal, the TPWC will fund clinical research which will be supported by targeted public relations. The CTGA is the largest funder and its other members include the major branded marketers from the US, Europe and Japan ; independent processors from California and Indiana ; and Canadian and Australian grower organizations. With less than three percent of the population involved in farming, farmers' needs are no longer high priorities for legislators. From Sacramento to Washington D.C., politicians are making decisions that directly affect growers' business. The CTGA actively lobbies to protect growers' interests in the areas of water, labor, pesticides, taxation, transportation, trade and land use. After the growers' hard work and the expense of raising a crop, fair grading is essential. The CTGA's original charter mission was to ensure a fair and impartial grading system. For this reason, the CTGA worked to form the California Processing Tomato Advisory Board and continues to be involved in this service.