After 67 years, popular Burgaw tomato stand to close

Richard Thomas said he’s not sure if it’s the right time to quit, but he knows he won’t miss the early mornings and late evenings of running Thomas Produce Farm in Burgaw.

He announced the seasonal business won’t reopen this year on Wednesday. 

The produce farm was started by his parents in 1954. 

“I grew up on this farm,” Thomas said. 

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Thomas went on to college and received an engineering degree, “but I never got the dirt from under my fingernails," he said. 

He, his parents and brother have run the farm through the years. For the past 38 years, it’s been Thomas and his wife.

“I’m 71 now, and that’s not 65,” he said. 

While Thomas sells a variety of summer fruits and vegetables, he’s mostly known for his tomatoes. This year, he won’t plant his crop of field tomatoes but will continue to offer his wholesale hydroponic heirloom tomatoes.

“I’m going to ease into this thing,” he said. “See how it goes.” 

He will turn the field into a garden for his family and extended family. 

Thomas Produce stand usually opens in the middle of June, for a very short window, Thomas said. They typically close again in early August, and offer you-pick tomatoes in late July.