§ 78636 Tomato Definition And Exceptions

Food and Agricultural Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

Key Takeaways

•This law is about tomatoes grown to sell, not the ones you grow in your backyard.
•It doesn’t count small cherry tomatoes or tomatoes grown inside a greenhouse with special controls.
•If the people who grow and sell cherry tomatoes or greenhouse tomatoes want to be included, they can vote to be part of the rules.

Example

A farmer grows big red tomatoes in a field to sell at the store.

These tomatoes follow the rules in the law because they are grown outside and sold fresh. But if the farmer grows them in a greenhouse with special water and temperature controls, they don’t count unless the farmers vote to include them.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 78636 Tomato Definition And Exceptions

(a) “Tomatoes” means all tomatoes that are produced for commercial purposes and are handled within the state in fresh form, except cherry tomatoes and tomatoes grown in a greenhouse. (b) For purposes of this section, “tomatoes grown in a greenhouse” means tomatoes grown in a fixed steel structure using irrigation and climate control, in an artificial medium that substitutes for soil. (c) Cherry tomatoes and tomatoes grown in a greenhouse may be included in the definition of tomatoes in subdivision (a) if approved by the producers and handlers of those tomatoes pursuant to a referendum conducted in accordance with the procedures in Article 5 (commencing with Section 78690) of Part 2 of Division 22. (Amended by Stats. 2003, Ch. 350, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2004.)

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

tomatoes greenhouse tomato fine definition election irrigation accordance

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 78636.

§ 78636 Tomato Definition And Exceptions

Food and Agricultural Code·California

AI SummaryVerified

§ 78636 Tomato Definition And Exceptions

Key Takeaways

•This law is about tomatoes grown to sell, not the ones you grow in your backyard.
•It doesn’t count small cherry tomatoes or tomatoes grown inside a greenhouse with special controls.
•If the people who grow and sell cherry tomatoes or greenhouse tomatoes want to be included, they can vote to be part of the rules.

Example

A farmer grows big red tomatoes in a field to sell at the store.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source

View on CA.gov

§ 78636 Tomato Definition And Exceptions

Last verified: January 23, 2026

Key Terms

tomatoes greenhouse tomato fine definition election irrigation accordance

References

Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
California Legislature. Food and Agricultural Code. Section 78636.

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References

Key Takeaways

Example

Key Terms

Related Statutes

References