Nunes died Aug. 5 in Carmel Valley, California. His farming career stretched to more than 70 years.

Conventional and organic Foxy-branded produce is grown on more than 20,000 acres. Third and fourth generation Nunes family members run the company.

The Nunes Co. markets its vegetables and strawberries under the Foxy brand. Nunes’ farming career stretched to more than seven decades.

“Tom began his farming career over 70 years ago in the Salinas Valley and is known for his leadership and innovation in the produce industry,” family members said in a company news release.

In the early 1930s. Tom Nunes Sr. planted the family’s first seeds in California’s Salinas Valley. The Foxy brand was born when second-generation brothers Bob and Tom Nunes formed the Nunes Company in 1976.

Born into a farming family of Portuguese immigrants in Chualar, California, from a young age Nunes helped his father riding tractor and worked with him in the field. From those humble beginnings, Nunes started two successful grower-shippers and garnered produce industry awards and honors.

Despite the honors, Nunes would have said his greatest achievement and pleasure came from his family, including his three sons, daughter, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, according to a news release.

Nunes graduated from high school in 1946 and attended Stanford University, graduating with an economics degree. He married soon after graduation.

In 1955, after farming for several years with his father under the mantel of T. Nunes & Son, a friend, Bill “Chopper” Brown, suggested Nunes start a new company growing, harvesting, and shipping Iceberg lettuce. Nunes and each of five other partners invested $5,000 and grew 400 acres of Iceberg lettuce for their new company, Growers Exchange.

At Growers Exchange, Tom and his brother Bob Nunes began their life-long partnership, working six years together at Growers Exchange. In 1966, they left to form Nunes Bros. of California, an integrated grower-shipper of fresh vegetables.

The Salinas Valley Produce Industry recognized Tom’s leadership at Nunes Bros. by electing him to the Grower-Shipper Association of Central California’s board of directors, where was chairman 1967-1968.

After selling the brothers’ company to the United Fruit Co. (Chiquita), the two left the industry, but after no-compete contracts returned five years later to start The Nunes Company, in 1976.

Eventually the Company became an integrated grower-shipper which included shipping, cooling, growing, and harvesting operations.

“We had a great advantage of building a company and then selling it and getting to start over,” Tom once said. “It allowed us to look at what we did right and look at what we did wrong and build a better company.”

The company is run by the brothers’ sons, Tom (T4) in sales, David in growing and land base, Jimmy in farming, and Bob, Jr., Bob’s son, in cooling and harvesting. Tom M. Nunes (T5) is also involved. They have been instrumental in growing the company from a modest 1,200 acres to more than 20,000 acres in California, Arizona, and Nevada, according to the release.

The company’s Foxy brand has become recognized globally. Value-added operations, organic production and strawberries extended the reach of the brand in the ensuing years.

In 2018, Tom M. Nunes (T5), representing the third generation of the Nunes family, became president and carries on the traditions and culture created by Tom (T3) and maintained by his father, Tom (T4).

“One of the last things my grandfather said was ‘trust’ was the key to life,” Tom M. Nunes (T5) said in the release. “Grandpa lived that, and you can see it in the loyalty of employees returning to The Nunes Co. after the five-year hiatus, the growers’ willingness to accept a structure built on trust in the company, the many long-term employees, and the customers who trusted that the right high-quality product would be there every time. Our family lost our pillar, and the industry lost an important and influential leader.”

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The field day brought together growers, researchers and industry leaders to explore the latest advancements in sustainable strawberry farming.

Over the past 10 years, the Strawberry Center has grown from a focus on plant pathology to a multifaceted research hub, addressing key challenges in plant health, pest management and farm automation.

The Strawberry Center’s work has benefited California’s $3.4 billion strawberry industry, helping to ensure its sustainability for years to come.

Some innovations showcased at the event included non-chemical pest management solutions, automation tools for improving efficiency and research into controlling soilborne pathogens.

Rick Tomlinson, president for CSC, shared that the research conducted at the Strawberry Center has a vital role in equipping growers with the tools needed for a sustainable future.

Established in 2014, the Strawberry Center was designed to enhance the sustainability of California’s $3.4 billion strawberry industry through research and education.

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The event, to be held at 1864 Shyville Road, aims to provide both novice and experienced growers with insights into advanced production techniques.

Attendees will learn about orange rust-resistant cultivars, cover crops and beneficial microbes for tomatoes, long cane raspberry production systems, hardy fig cultivation, and grape production.

The event is supported by various agricultural grants and organizations, including Ohio Produce Growers & Marketers Association (OPGMA), the Ohio Vegetable & Small Fruit Research & Development Program (OVSFRDP), the Ohio Grape Industries Committee, and the USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture).

Registration is $25. For more information and to register, visit go.osu.edu/fieldnight or call 614-247-9680. For accommodation requests, contact Bradford Sherman at sherman.1473@osu.edu.

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With origins as a marketing cooperative for strawberries, Naturipe has since transformed into a vertically integrated company owned by four distinct growing organizations. Its extensive network of growers cultivates blueberries, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, cranberries and even avocados. 

Today, Naturipe is a large producer of organic blueberries, with year-round production sourced from prime growing regions in California, Florida, Georgia, Oregon, Washington, Peru, Chile and Mexico. 

Earth-first philosophy 

Being organic is one part of the company’s strong commitment to the environment and sustainability.  “Naturipe growers use many practices to minimize their environmental footprints,” said Janis McIntosh, director of marketing innovation and sustainability for Naturipe Farms. “From good soil management to state-of-the-art technology, if it makes sense, they will implement it.” 

On the farm, sustainability practices include water management, integrated pest management (IPM), composting, mulching and the use of drones and other innovative tools.

“In addition, over one-quarter of our production is now packed and cooled with renewable energy,” McIntosh said. “New installations in New Jersey, California and Chile partially contribute to Naturipe lowering its carbon emissions by 100,000 metric tons.”

Pollinator health is another area in which Naturipe’s growers are highly focused. In fact, over the last few years, the growers have installed more than 1,000 acres of habitats throughout North and South America.

“Our pruning, composting and chop-and-drop techniques increase soil microbial diversity and improve carbon storage and water retention,” McIntosh said. “Our diversified pollinator habitat programs support our pollinator- reliant crops and the local ecosystem.”

Regenerative agriculture

Several of Naturipe’s crops, including avocados, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, are no-till crops with live-root systems year-round.

“Cover crops are planted to add additional nutrients and organic matter, such as bacteria, fungi, and several other microorganisms, which are crucial to the health and fertility of the soil,” McIntosh said. 

The regenerative practices add to the longevity of the crops.

“For over one hundred years, our family farms have utilized state-of-the- art practices that have allowed them to farm the same land for generations, providing fresh delicious berries to the local markets,” McIntosh said. “Benefits of regenerative practices include soil health, increased pollinator population, reduced water use, composting and dependence on conventional energy.”

Tech talk

Over the decades, Naturipe has continued to add new technology to the farms to enhance water conservation and soil health, contributing to sustainability and resource efficiency. 

“Our growers use precise metered drip irrigation, tiling and mulch systems to reduce their water footprint,” McIntosh said. “Tunnels can be used to extend growing seasons and improve plant and soil quality. Also, we have stringent IPM protocols, including biological, cultural and mechanical controls such as pest vacuums and netting.”

For more than 40 years, all growers have used drip irrigation systems to deliver water and nutrients directly to the root zone, but this has only become more advanced.

“Today, we utilize laser-level technology to optimize the delivery of vital nutrients, creating a more homogenous, even crop,” McIntosh said. “In addition, drones deliver predatory mites based on pest pressure and satellite imagery. Camera technology with AI can enhance our field management, including worker movement minimization. And our grower partner has developed Smartberry, a digital data recording, reporting and visualization platform.”

Ensuring food safety

Naturipe has the protocols in place to ensure the highest standards of food safety across its supply chain. 

For instance, all of its farms are audited annually by a third-party certifying body to a GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) benchmarked standard. Additionally, they all either have Global GAP or Primus GFS food safety audits.

“All growers have food safety personnel on-site trained in the latest food safety regulations and procedures, the produce rule or preventive controls training,” McIntosh said. “They also have robust IPM and GAP, a good agricultural practices program that guides all daily practices and ensures the best and safest berries are produced and sold. All fields are inspected just before harvest to ensure no contamination has occurred.”

All data is recorded into the company’s SAP platform so it can trace back and forth any product shipped.

“This system quickly allows us to find any of our products in minutes,” McIntosh said. “We also use an asset-based carrier that tracks the temperature and location of our product in real time to ensure there is no break in the cold chain until it reaches our customers. All products and trucks prior to loading undergo quality checks and inspections.”

Reducing carbon footprint

Since 2020, Naturipe’s growers have made significant investments in solar energy as they continue to look for ways to reduce their carbon footprint.

“In 2023, our grower in Chile celebrated the installation of the largest floating solar plant in South America,” McIntosh said. “Also last year, our flagship cooler in Watsonville, California installed rooftop and solar parking canopies to power their operation. In 2024, we are celebrating the installation of six acres of solar panels in Delano, California, powering one of our largest blueberry operations.”

Social responsibility

Naturipe was among the first companies to sign onto the ethical charter developed by the PMA International Fresh Produce Association and United Fresh. The charter outlines social responsibility issues and standards to ensure farmworker safety and security.

The company is also active participants and on the advisory board for the Ethical Charter Implementation Program (ECIP), a farm-level assessment and training to ensure every farm worker is treated fairly and employee safety comes first.

“In addition, many of our farms have also had a third-party social responsibility audit to ensure worker safety and that every worker is treated with respect,” McIntosh said. “While some of our growers are Fair Trade certified, all our growers are active in the communities they grow in. They support local charities, provide much-needed health and dental services, and even build playgrounds and ball fields.”

Article written by Keith Loria, Contributing Writer

A graduate of the University of Miami, Keith Loria is an award- winning journalist who has been writing for almost 20 years. View his recent writing at keithloria.contently.com.

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The North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association (NARBA) and the North American Strawberry Growers Association (NASGA) plan to convene the 2025 annual meeting and North American Berry Conference at the Outrigger Kona Resort & Spa on the Island of Hawaii.

The conference will run from Feb. 3-6, 2025.

“We are thrilled to host our 2025 Annual Meeting with the North American Raspberry & Blackberry Association in Hawaii, a location that offers a stunning backdrop and rich agricultural knowledge,” James Powell, NASGA president, said in a news release. “The conference will be an excellent opportunity for networking, learning, and sharing ideas with growers, researchers, and stakeholders in the berry industry.”

The conference will feature sessions on the latest technological advances and future trends in berry growing. The schedule includes an opening reception on Feb. 3, general sessions for both strawberry and caneberry growers on Feb. 4, specialized tracks on Feb. 5 and an agricultural tour of the Island of Hawaii on Feb. 6.

Early hotel reservations are recommended and conference registration opens in July. For more details, visit raspberryblackberry.com.

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