Tough times for tomatoes
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

PHOTO BY ROB PRICE Joseph Delio stands over his tomato stock at Wednesday's farmers market in Bath. Delio says demand for fresh tomatoes has dropped since it was announced dozens of people have been sickened by salmonella-tainted tomatoes.

BATH - Joseph Delio began selling fresh produce at the farmers market in Bath four years ago. An 84-year-old retiree, Mr. Delio says he doesn't need the extra cash; he just enjoys selling produce as a hobby.

"I had nothing to do," he said. "There's nothing for senior citizens to do where I live. I felt like doing something."

Twice a week Mr. Delio drives from his home in Wayland to the Mushroom Road in Rochester, where he loads the back of his pick-up truck with fresh produce purchased at the American Fruit and Vegetables company. Then he drives the load to Bath and the Wednesday and Saturday farmers markets in Pulteney Park.

He was busy selling fresh fruit and vegetables Wednesday: asparagus, onions, peaches and tomatoes. The only problem were the tomatoes. He claimed no one was buying them.

"I haven't sold any of them," he complained.

He blames the lack of demand on the news scores of people across the country have been sickened by salmonella-tainted tomatoes.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating the source of the bacteria, which has been linked to red plum, red Roma and round red tomatoes. Fast food restaurants, including McDonald's and Burger King, have withdrawn tomatoes unless they were grown in certain U.S. states and countries, according to the Associated Press.

The FDA has included New York-grown tomatoes on its list of safe tomato- producing states, according to the AP.

Mr. Delio says the tomatoes he buys at American Fruit and Vegetables are grown in Akron, NY. He has his suspicions about where the salmonella-tainted tomatoes originated: Mexico. He overheard that country identified as the salmonella source during his visit to American Fruit and Vegetables for the Wednesday market.

"All this garbage they send up from Mexico is causing it," he said. His source at American Fruits and Vegetables claimed the tomatoes had been shipped to California, Texas and Arizona, where they entered the national distribution system.

"There was nothing going on in our own country," he said. "Everything's fine."

But that wasn't helping sales of his New York-grown tomatoes. By early afternoon Wednesday, Mr. Delio claimed tomato sales remained anemic.

At least the rest of his fresh produce was moving. In general, Mr. Delio said, business is good.

"I'm shopping around for a bigger vehicle. I want to do more of this," he said