SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — For nearly a century, one family's word has been the only guarantee behind every tomato that leaves their fields.
"When I sign a check, I'm putting my name on it," said Ricardo Crisantes, co-owner and chief commercial officer of Wholesum Family Farms. "And if my name is there, that is a promise."
That promise started in 1928, when Crisantes' grandfather, a Greek immigrant, arrived in Mexico and stumbled into the tomato business almost by accident.
"He met another Greek person that told him, tomatoes in the winter, it's a great business," Crisantes said. Before that, the family had actually tried their hand at a different crop first. "They were thinking about like chickpeas or garbanzo beans, and well, that didn't work out," Crisantes said. "They're like, well, that's a crazy idea of tomatoes from that other Greek guy."
The gamble paid off. Three generations later, the family is still growing tomatoes — Crisantes' father and uncles took over in the 1960s, and Crisantes and his brothers stepped in during the 1990s.
"From then on out we've been growing tomatoes," Crisantes said. "That was the first generation, they were kind of more in that 30s. My dad and his brothers came in the 60s, and me and my brothers, the third generation, we came in the 90s."
The way tomatoes are grown has changed dramatically since his grandfather's era. Crisantes said the farm now leans on modern greenhouse technology to control temperature, block pests and keep crops consistent — and the family is even exploring AI-powered cameras to catch pest problems earlier. But he said what hasn't changed are the values behind the operation.
"That's why we chose integrity to be one of our guiding lights," Crisantes said. "If you buy a tomato from Wholesum, it kind of has our name on it. It has our imprint, right? We are backing up that purchase. We are backing up that experience."
That philosophy is part of why the farm pursued fair trade certification, becoming the first farm in the United States to earn the distinction, back in 2012.
Fair trade certification means every box sold carries a premium — money that goes directly to farm workers, to be used on whatever issues matter most to them, not decided by ownership.
"That premium is not for the grower," Crisantes said. "That premium is for the farm workers, for them to decide how they are going to fulfill their needs that they define themselves."
One example: transportation. Many workers commute from nearby towns like Nogales, and gas prices add up fast. Using fair trade premium funds, workers organized to cover vans that shuttle employees to and from the farm each day. Crisantes said healthcare costs have been addressed the same way — the fair trade committee helps offset what workers pay out of pocket beyond what the company already provides.
Getting certified wasn't guaranteed to work. Crisantes said the farm approached Fairtrade USA directly and volunteered to be a test case. "We have a farm in Arizona," he said. "We'd love to be the first ones to do it."
Even after committing to the changes, there was a nervous stretch before the first fair trade tomato ever sold. "We haven't sold a single box yet because we're not certified yet," Crisantes said of that period. "So the day we got the certification, we're like, okay, sales team, we need to go produce it."
Today, Wholesum tomatoes are sold at Sprouts Farmers Market, Whole Foods, Fry's Food Stores, Walmart and Sam's Club.
As for what's next, Crisantes said the company plans to expand into more snacking-focused tomato products for shoppers looking for healthy, organic options. But the bigger milestone on his mind isn't a business one — it's generational.
"It's been good for three generations; there's no reason it can't be good for the fourth," Crisantes said. "It's not just good for the owners, it's good for the employees and the environment where we work."
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Kenny Darr is a reporter for KGUN 9. He joined the team in January 2023. Before arriving in Arizona he was an Anchor and Reporter at KADN in Lafayette, LA. Share your story ideas with Kenny by emailing kenny.darr@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
