About Us
Rooted in fair trade, we set out to change the food system from the inside out.
Founded in 1997 by Michael Rozyne, a co-founder of Equal Exchange, Red Tomato was born from the idea of applying fair trade coffee principles to local agriculture. While local food had yet to grab consumer attention, it was clear that small and medium-sized growers were losing their ability to compete in an increasingly consolidated, global marketplace.
Our Evolution
1997
Red Tomato began by exploring what it would look like to apply concepts of fairness, transparency, and sustainability to produce sales from farms in the Northeastern U.S.
The Warehouse Years
We started with a conventional wholesale model, operating from Equal Exchange’s warehouse before moving to a larger facility in Canton, MA. While we were growing both our customer base and market opportunities for farmers, we evenutally recognized that our small-scale warehouse operation couldn’t compete with large-scale distributors.
2003
In a risky but strategic shift, we closed our warehouse, canceled our truck leases, and began focusing on managing logistics and marketing. This revised model positioned Red Tomato as a regional connector, broker, and marketer allowing us to deliver price-competitive local produce while focusing on bringing awareness and increased returns to midsize growers.
2005
We created our ecologically-based farming certification program in partnership with local farmers, scientific advisers, and the IPM Institute of North America. The first certified apples arrived on the market in August 2005, giving customers an easy way to identify fresh, locally grown fruit while rewarding environmentally responsible practices.
2013
Building on the success of our EcoApple program, the EcoPeach program began in 2011, with the first certified fruit arriving on store shelves in 2013. In addition to rewarding progressive growing methods, EcoPeach marketing has increased awareness of the production capacity and impeccable flavor of northeast peaches.
2021
We launched an innovative supply chain project to address food access and affordability, connecting Connecticut farmers directly with community food distributors in underserved communities in Bridgeport and Hartford.
View our annual reports to gain insight into our key milestones.
Meet the team — dedicated, hardworking and passionate about produce.
Learn about our projects that make a positive impact in our communities and beyond.