Furmano Foods held a season recap meeting with its Lancaster County, PA and surrounding area tomato growers.  It was reported that the farms department delivered a budget crop of tomatoes, in spite of the extremely wet growing season that was experienced this past year.  Plans are already underway for next years planting season, expected to start in April 2005 for harvest beginning in August.

Aaron Hawbaker was recognized as the company’s top grower for the season, delivering tomatoes to Furmano Foods at the start of the season on August 6th and making his final delivery to the plant on the final day of processing on October 6th.   He farms over 113 acres of tomatoes along with peaches and apples on his farm in Cove Gap near Waynesboro, PA.  He is proud to point out that his farm was the original homestead of President James Buchanan, our 15th president (1857-1861).  Paul Hawbaker, Aaron’s father started growing tomatoes for processing 20 years ago, Aaron now runs the business and is hopeful that one of his sons will take over the family business someday.