nogales, az — “To me, sustainability is not just not using plastic or not creating waste. It’s a full-on endeavor,” said Jessie Gunn, marketing specialist for Wholesum Family Farms Inc.

Gunn took her position with Wholesum almost a year ago, because her personal philosophy on such matters matched those of the Crisantes family, owner of the firm. She said Wholesum is driven in all it does to work in a sustainable, socially responsible matter.

“It’s crazy how much we are putting toward our values and letting our values lead our business,” Gunn said.

Jessie Gunn, marketing specialist, in the Nogales board room of Wholesum Family Farms Inc.Wholesum focuses on using fewer resources that would otherwise be socially acceptable. Gumm noted there was a time in California “when no one saw it coming” that there would be such a water shortage. “Just knowing something is accessible doesn’t mean you just take it.”

Wholesum has a full-time sustainability director, Hannah La Luzerne.

Gunn said Wholesum’s corporate roots are 80 years old. “If we don’t keep our mind in sustainability, we won’t be around in another 80 years.”

One aspect of sustainability is “to figure out what to do with ugly fruit,” Gunn said, and distribute less-than-perfect product in an efficient, economical way. This challenge remains unresolved, she added.

Another detail for Wholesum is to use only specific inks on its shipping boxes. Some inks do not biodegrade in composting.

Wholesum is a Fair Trade grower on its Mexico farms. This brings requirements that are very protective of the environment, ranging from specifics on how to recycle to demanding tree planting to reduce soil erosion and planting native trees for a “green belt.”

When Wholesum built is now 18-acre glass greenhouse in Amado, AZ, it relocated all the native plants in the building’s footprint to regrow elsewhere. Wholesum is securing bids a “massive investment” in solar power facilities for this greenhouse.

Two years ago this hydroponic greenhouse used 11 gallons of water to produce one pound of tomatoes. Improved techniques have dropped consumption to three gallons per pound.

Gunn said that total water use in the building, including cart- and hand-washing, toilets and such, add up to five gallons per pound of tomatoes produced in Amado.

She noted that conventional irrigation uses between 25 and 30 gallons of water per pound produced.

Four Mexican growers closing connected with Wholesum have been “Fairtrade”-certified. One piece of work with “outside growers to trace every single bit of cardboard that goes in and out” toward minimizing waste, Gunn said.

This fall Wholesum is reducing plastic use with a move to a 100 percent recyclable fiber punnet with a film-seal lid. “There is a reduction of plastic use, but the package is still enclosed to ensure [the tomato package is] an organic ring at the register,” she said.