Wholesum Organic growing and celebrating milestone
The fair trade movement has helped many companies move beyond the typical way of doing business.
Nogales, Ariz.-based Wholesum Organic Produce joined the cause and took on the added work and expense to attract a premium for its produce. That premium is understood by all levels of the supply chain as needing to be passed along to growers and farmers more equitably.
Wholesum is a third-generation organic, family-farming operation. It grows and ships 100% organic, Fair Trade Certified, fresh produce, and grows in both the U.S. and Mexico. Its commodities include tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, peppers and eggplant year-round.
The company will grow in volume this year. It added significantly to its capacity through new construction.
“In December of last year, we completed 12 acres of high-tech tomato greenhouses in Imuris, Sonora, Mexico. This has significantly increased our tomato production volume for the year,” said Joanna Jaramillo, marketing manager at Wholesum Organic Produce. “Together, the new greenhouses will bring a projected 6.5 million additional pounds of organic tomatoes this year to meet growing consumer demand.”
Wholesum’s largest increases in volume will be in organic tomatoes on the vine and specialty snacking tomatoes. Snacking tomatoes across the board have been performing very well in the tomato category, both organic and conventional, according to Jaramillo.
The company will celebrate a major milestone on top of adding to its volume of tomatoes. In June, Wholesum will celebrate its 10-year anniversary of fair trade certification. The company wants to honor its employees and thank the valuable partners who have supported the fair trade journey.
“We truly believe that the impact we have seen at our farms can inspire others to begin their own journey into fair trade,” Jaramillo said.
In addition to the growth and milestone, the company will also continue optimizing its e-commerce presence. E-commerce has been an additional platform to promote fresh products, and its reach is rapidly expanding, according to Jaramillo.
“We believe e-commerce has brought companies like us so much closer to the consumer, creating avenues of direct communication that we didn’t have before,” Jaramillo said
As e-commerce has been another recent growth area for Wholesum, snacking items have become more sought after by consumers, also.
“We continue to see year-over-year growth of snacking varieties, such as cherry, grape and medley tomatoes,” Jaramillo said. “In 2021, people started going back to the office and social gatherings. Snacking tomatoes are convenient options for such things.”
With over 90 years of farming experience, Wholesum has been dedicated to creating a more noble food system that puts people and the planet first through responsible sourcing, equitable labor practices and environmental protection, according to Jaramillo.
Read more:
