3 days ago
Minnesota tomato grower Bushel Boy Farms is sold
Minnesota tomato grower Bushel Boy Farms is sold originally appeared on Bring Me The News.
Bushel Boy Farms, Minnesota's year-round tomato grower, has been sold.
The company confirmed in a Facebook post last week that it is no longer operating its hydroponic greenhouses in Owatonna, Minnesota (32 acres), and Mason City, Iowa (16 acres). It comes after being sold by its parent company Rahr Corp.
"While this chapter of our journey is coming to an end, we will be forever grateful to the employees and customers whose passion for premium, locally-grown produce made it possible," the post reads.
"We are deeply proud to have been a part of every meal you made with something we all of us, thank you for being part of the Bushel Boy story."
Bushel Boy president Chuck Tryon confirmed to the Star Tribune that the company had been sold to a firm called Best Boy Farms, who he says will hire "a number" of former Bushel Boy employees.
Few details are available regarding the new owner, with Best Boy incorporated as a company in Minnesota this past April. It's not clear yet whether the Bushel Boy brand will continue under the new ownership.
Bushel Boy has been operating since 1990, when it was founded by Owatonna's Jay Johnson to grow tomatoes year-round in the otherwise inhospitable environment of Minnesota.
Rahr Corp., a Shakopee-based malting company, bought Bushel Boy in 2018.
Offering a wide variety of Vine-on, Roma, and Cherry tomatoes, Bushel Boy recently expanded to other fruits and vegetables, including strawberries and cucumbers.
Bushel Boy products are ubiquitous in Minnesota, featuring in the produce sections of a vast number of grocery stores across the state.
Bring Me The News has reached out to Rahr Corp. for further comment.
This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
