Agri-Pulse is pleased to announce that the winner of the 2025 Great Tomato Challenge was California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. Taking second place was Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, 
Staci Rosenberger with Bayer CropScience Vegetable Seeds (left) joins Sen. Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh, Legislative Director Tanya Vandrick and Agri-Pulse Founder Sara Wyant. (Agri-Pulse photo)and third place went to Sen. Monique Limón.
“We were pleased to once again offer a fun competition that educates participants about the challenges of growing delicious tomatoes in the Golden State while also helping those most in need of fresh, local food,” said Agri-Pulse Founder and Publisher Sara Wyant. “Thanks to Sen. Melissa Hurtado’s leadership in helping us organize the contest, our judges and our generous sponsors.”
The first and second place winners will receive $1,000 and $500 donations, respectively, to the food banks of their choice. Speaker Rivas selected Second Harvest in Santa Cruz County, and Sen. Ochoa Bogh selected Table of Plenty.
The competition was open to all members of the California Senate and Assembly and their staff members.
The winning tomato plants all had unique growing experiences, depending on each contestant. For example, the winning tomato was fertilized with composted chicken manure and produced over 30 tomatoes during the competition. Bayer Seminis® brand Early Girl variety tomato plants, donated by Bonnie Plants, were distributed to legislators on April 7, and photos of the plants were collected June 3.
The second place winner transplanted into a planter using soil designed to boost tomato growth, where it could get full sun during the day but shade in the hot Sacramento afternoons. Also, Team Ochao Bogh’s legislative director, Tanya Vandrick, said, “I talked to her a lot.” It was Vandrick’s first attempt at growing tomatoes.
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The Great Tomato
California Senate Ag Committee Chair Melissa Hurtado helped Agri-Pulse distribute plants to California legislators. (Agri-Pulse photo) Challenge was made possible by a collaboration between Agri-Pulse and several sponsors who are involved with growing and processing fresh fruits and vegetables, including Vegetables by Bayer, Bonnie Plants, California Women for Agriculture, DiMare Fresh, and Morning Star.
Judges for this year’s competition included California Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary Karen Ross, Jenny Maloney, Global-Americas strategic accounts manager at Bayer CropScience, and Chad Jorgensen, product development breeder, Americas Fresh Market Open Field Tomato, Bayer CropScience.
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