If you’ve recently bought California vine-ripe tomatoes at your local grocery store, chances are they were Oceanside Poles from West Coast Tomato Growers. Headquarters for the farm is at 5780 Mission Ave. Oceanside, CA Off Highway 76 and East of College Blvd.
The family-owned company has been growing crops in the Oceanside region for over 80 years. The 680-acre business, started by Harry Singh Sr. in 1939 is now known as West Coast Tomato Growers and is the largest vine-ripened tomato producer in the country.
Singh Farm/Camp Pendleton, west of Interstate 5, circa 2000
Until 2010 the Singh family farm expanded its farm on land leased from Camp Pendleton and with other land at the current farm location in Morro Hills. In 2011, the government lease came to an end and the entire operation moved to Morro Hills, a region of Oceanside at Highway 76 and Singh Way.
Current location in Morrow Hills
The Singhs are the last pole-tomato producers in California. About two-thirds of the Singhs’ tomato crop is the Beefsteak variety. The rest are Romas. During peak harvest times in September and October, the company in those days packs 40,000 to 50,000 24-pound crates of tomatoes a day.