When consumers reach for a tomato grown by a member of California Tomato Farmers, they enjoy a tomato of the highest quality, grown under the strictest food safety standards and harvested by workers who enjoy a safe and positive work environment.

About Us

California Tomato Farmers is a cooperative owned by farmers who are committed to a new standard for how we grow tomatoes. All members are family-owned farming businesses who produce the highest quality field grown tomatoes in California. The members of California Tomato Farmers produce nearly 8 out of every 10 fresh tomatoes grown in California. This is more than enough to fill the needs of every retail and foodservice outlet in North America during our growing season.

While it is not unusual for farmers of "like minds" to come together to form a cooperative, this is the first time farmers have joined together based on quality, as well as a commitment to food safety and social responsibility. We owe this to our customers, our consumers, our communities and the people who work so hard for us. That is why our members have agreed to abide by mandatory standards for quality, food safety and worker conditions. We call these new guidelines "The Fresh Standard."

 

What is The Fresh Standard?

The Fresh Standard, simply put, is this – When consumers reach for a tomato grown by a California Tomato Farmers member they are selecting a tomato of the highest quality, grown under the strictest food safety standards and harvested by workers who enjoy a safe and positive work environment.

In short, the farming practices of California Tomato Farmers exceed those of other tomato producers. Each member must adhere to standards governing a number of areas including quality, food safety, worker conditions and environmental stewardship. It is the goal of California Tomato Farmers that compliance with agreed upon standards in each area will be verified through government audits and that all standards are considered an integral part of the organization's operational policy.

Members of California Tomato Farmers have organized under a cooperative structure so that standards for quality, food safety, environmental stewardship and fair treatment of workers can be mandated. Members want our efforts in each arena to be transparent and verifiable.

Toward this end, California Tomato Farmers has formed an advisory panel to help guide our efforts in developing standards in each area. This advisory panel includes government officials, academia, retailers and foodservice operators, environmentalists, community activists and consumer advocates.

An important goal of California Tomato Farmers is to provide a clear choice for consumers and the buying trade when it comes to purchasing fresh market tomatoes. When buyers purchase tomatoes from any California Tomato Farmers member they can be assured the tomatoes are produced in accordance with the highest standards for quality, freshness, safety and working conditions.