Bushel Boy harvesting their first tomato crop from Mason City greenhouse development

MASON CITY — Bushel Boy Farms is about to harvest their first crop of tomatoes from their new Mason City facility. The Owatonna Minnesota-based company placed a new $35 million hydroponic growing facility on an 80-acre development south of 43rd Street Southwest and east of Pierce Avenue that includes a large greenhouse along with a 50,000 square foot packing house.

Bushel Boy president Chuck Tryon says they’ll be able to grow a substantial amount of tomatoes from their 16-and-a-half acre greenhouse.  “We’ll be able to grow eight million tons of tomatoes, that’s about two and a half pounds for every person in Iowa.”

Tryon says you’ll soon be seeing Bushel Boy tomatoes grown in Mason City at a store near you.  “We planted our first tomatoes about the middle of December. We are now harvesting those. This is a big week for us. We’re going to have product being picked up this week with an Iowa Bushel Boy sticker on those tomatoes, so by the end of the week, you should start seeing Iowa Bushel Boy in local stores.”

Tryon made his comments at the Mason City Chamber of Commerce Ag Breakfast this morning as part of National Ag Week.