Wholesum Launches Dolci Belles—Organic Sweet Italian Peppers

As a trusted grower of organic tomatoes, snacking tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and squash, Wholesum Family Farms, a third-generation family farming operation, combines responsible growing practices with innovation to bring the most flavorful organic produce varieties to market. 

“We believe that consumers should have access to fresh and flavorful produce that is grown the right way,” said Ricardo Crisantes, chief commercial officer of the Nogales, Arizona-based company. “That is why 100 percent of the product we grow and distribute is organic. It also means that we dedicate our time, effort, and resources into organic production, research, and development.”

Ricardo Crisantes, Chief Commercial Officer, Wholesum Family Farms

Wholesum is interested in elevating consumer experiences through flavor, quality, and new usage opportunities as it looks beyond staple varieties to invigorate its organic categories.

“We believe that consumers should have access to fresh and flavorful produce that is grown the right way. That is why 100 percent of the product we grow and distribute is organic. It also means that we dedicate our time, effort, and resources into organic production, research, and development.” - Ricardo Crisantes

For instance, in the tomato category, the company's Flavor Lineup is a favorite. It is a lively assortment of organic snacking tomatoes featuring four distinct packs ranging from classic red cherry tomatoes on the vine to a multicolor medley.

Wholesum organic tomatoes

“We also recently added a greenhouse-grown assortment of organic heirlooms,” Crisantes said. “Heirloom tomatoes are a wonderful treat that are sought after for their vibrant colors, unique textures, and succulent flavor. By bringing them to our state-of-the-art greenhouses in Arizona, we can ensure greater consistency in product quality and flavor year-round.”

The latest addition to Wholesum’s product catalog are its beautifully sweet Dolci Belles—organic sweet Italian peppers.

Wholesum Dolci Belles

“Our sweet Italian peppers are here to reinvigorate the organic pepper category, a category that has remained relatively unchanged for many years,” said Joanna Jaramillo, marketing manager for the company. “They bring an elevated experience as well as new usage opportunities for organic consumers due to their flavor and versatility, appealing to audience segments like culinary enthusiasts, adventure seekers, as well as premium and brand shoppers.”

Joanna Jaramillo, Marketing Manager, Wholesum Family Farms

Italian sweet peppers are characterized by their distinctive long, conical shape, crisp texture, and surprisingly sweet flavor. Their sweetness is measured by Brix value. Where traditional peppers have a Brix range between 5 and 7, Italian sweet peppers range from 8 to 9.5, delivering differentiated sweetness.

“These peppers have firm but thin walls with few seeds that concentrate at the top rather than down the center of the pepper, making them convenient and ideal for stuffing, roasting, sautés and enjoying raw on salads and veggie trays,” Jaramillo said. “With current trends in produce pointing towards a growing preference for flavor, convenience, and an overall better experience, not having an upgrade option available in the pepper category is a miss.”

“Heirloom tomatoes are a wonderful treat that are sought after for their vibrant colors, unique textures, and succulent flavor. By bringing them to our state-of-the-art greenhouses in Arizona, we can ensure greater consistency in product quality and flavor year-round.” - Ricardo Crisantes

Dolci Belles are available in three-count bags, a mix of red and yellow peppers. The bag bears an eye-catching design with messaging about flavor expectations and the line “sweet no heat” to differentiate this offering from spicy pepper varieties. The Dolci Belles are all organic and Fair Trade Certified. 

Organic seeds

In 2022, Wholesum took on the endeavor to grow organic seeds at its farms.

“Organic seed production is a fundamental part of the integrity of organics and the organic supply chain, from the grower to the retailer to the consumer,” Jaramillo said. “Organic seeds are specifically bred and better adapted for organic production systems, leading to a better organic product. However, when compared to the vast availability of non-organically produced seeds, both choices and quality of organic seeds are limited.”

Organic seeds

To keep up with the fast-growing organic sector, Wholesum is partnering with seed companies to make them more available in North America. To achieve this, it has built in-house capabilities to produce organic seeds.

“Organic seed production is a fundamental part of the integrity of organics and the organic supply chain, from the grower to the retailer to the consumer. Organic seeds are specifically bred and better adapted for organic production systems, leading to a better organic product.” - Joanna Jaramillo

“Seed production is a highly meticulous task requiring specialized labor to complete a full seed production cycle, from sowing the initial ‘parent’ seed to the extraction of the new seed,” Jaramillo said. “All is done under highly controlled conditions to deliver a seed that thrives in organic production systems.”

While Wholesum's seed production is currently at a small scale, devoting time, knowledge, resources, and infrastructure to this task is one way that the company feels it is contributing to a better future for organic farmers, the development of its workforce, and—at a larger scale—the organic movement.

With a history that dates back to the late 1920s when founder and family pioneer, Miguel Crisantes Gatzionis migrated from Greece to Mexico and planted the first tomato seed on a small plot of land in Culiacan, Sinaloa, the family-run company has evolved into a greater endeavor, with each generation contributing something of significance to Wholesum’s evolution.

“One of Wholesum’s core values is that of being problem solvers, which is deeply ingrained in our history as organic growers,” Crisantes said. “Growing the organic fresh produce category for us had to do with perfecting our production processes, being consistent and reliable year-round suppliers of organic produce for our partners, and being advocates of the organic movement.”

While Wholesum's seed production is currently at a small scale, devoting time, knowledge, resources, and infrastructure to this task is one way that the company feels it is contributing to a better future for organic farmers, the development of its workforce, and—at a larger scale—the organic movement.

This year, the company is focusing greatly on depth, intensifying its expertise in the categories it works with, strengthening customer relationships, and heightening its social and environmental commitments.

“With a focus on organizational design, we recently restructured our commercial team in a way that plays on our team members’ strengths in how we cater to customer needs and relationships,” Crisantes said. “We are also deepening our knowledge of our categories across market segments by acquiring and analyzing market data.”

Another new initiative at the company has been the launch of its revamped website at www.wh.farm. 

“With a fresh new look, the site reflects the brand’s growth in the organic produce space while embracing its stand-out elements—purpose, produce, and people,” Jaramillo said. “Overall, we see it as a space where we can inspire connection with our audiences, and we invite all to take a look.”