AMADO, ARIZ. — Wholesum, Fair Trade certified growers and shippers of organic produce, inaugurated its newly renovated tomato greenhouses at Wholesum Farms Pacific. A ribbon cutting ceremony took place on Wednesday, December 9th in Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. The event consisted of a virtual live stream on the company’s Facebook page as well as an in-person event with attendance from local vendors and stakeholders.
This expansion represents a new chapter at Wholesum as the company prepares for exponential growth. The new 37-acre greenhouse infrastructure maximizes the use of natural resources for sustainable agriculture and is well-equipped for intense tomato production. With state-of-the-art climate control, irrigation and filtration systems, the greenhouse will create optimal growing conditions for the tomatoes.
“The expansion in Culiacan, Mexico is a great milestone for Wholesum as we tread the path towards a bright future,” says Ricardo Crisantes, Chief Commercial Officer of Wholesum. “We believe that healthy, sustainably grown organic food should be accessible and attainable. To achieve this dream, we must continually innovate, find new tools and solutions for organic agriculture and prepare for exponential growth.”
As a result of the expansion and renovations, Wholesum expects a 25% – 30% increase in tomato volume from the first harvest scheduled for the second to last week of December and an up to 50% increase in the next cycle of production. The increase in production will not only create more employment opportunities but will also generate more fair trade community development funds to invest in impactful projects that address worker and community needs. Wholesum has raised over 5 million dollars in fair trade community development funds since the inception of the program. These funds have been used towards laundry facilities, a learning center equipped with computers, school buses, a dental clinic and home improvements at the workers’ communities.
“From my grandfather’s humble beginnings back in 1928, we have come such a long way in our production and capabilities,” says Theojary Crisantes, Chief Operations Officer of Wholesum. “I only wish he could see how far we have come in our ability to innovate; I know he would be very proud of every single person on the Wholesum team.”
About Wholesum:
Wholesum, third generation family-owned and operated farms based in Southern Arizona are growers and distributors of Fair Trade, organic produce. With over 90 years of farming experience, Wholesum has been dedicated to continuous improvement along the supply chain through responsible sourcing, twenty plus years of organic growing, equitable labor practices and environmental protection. They are also pioneering in the fair trade movement as the first Fair Trade Certified farm in the US and partner with organic growers with the same mission and commitment. Through a combination of greenhouse and open field production, Wholesum provides a year-round supply of high-quality organic vegetables. More information is available at www.wh.farm.
