Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Vandervoet, Prescott - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
William "Bill" Sykes interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-24.
Interview with William "Bill" Sykes, a produce broker and owner of Sykes and Company in Rio Rico, Arizona. He discusses history of his firm; a typical day; dealing with the border and customs; the high degree of trust in industry; impact of weather; labor and labor shortages; and compares and contrasts US and Mexican safety and labor regulations.
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Sykes, Bill (William D.) - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Charles "Charlie" Thomas, Sr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-25.
Charlie Thomas of Thomas Produce in Tucson, Arizona, talks about his life in the fresh produce industry of both North Carolina and Arizona. He discusses his father's and family's involvement in produce industry; handling different vegetables; determining ripeness; changes in industry; the impact of Wal-Mart; growing areas in Mexico; Greco-Mexican connections in produce industry; winter produce and Florida; cash vs. credit; the local industry…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Thomas, Charlie (Charles, Sr.) - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Jim Cathey interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-26.
Interview with Jim Cathey, Sales and Sourcing Manager of Red Sun Farms in Tubac, Arizona. He talks about entering the industry; moving to Arizona; going into the greenhouse industry; McAllen's (TX) rise as a produce center, and Nogales' response; an average work day; the challenges of the industry; labor and labor shortages; the impact of technology on the trade; and etc.
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Cathey, Jim - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Walter Ram, Jr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-31.
Interview with Walter Ram, Jr., Vice-President for Food Safety of Giumarra Companies. He talks about regulations and practices; inspecting food; his desire for sustainable practices and credible food research; the "selling of fear"; and etc. For an interview with Walter Ram, Sr. see: acf2018028_03032
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Hartmann, Nic - Ram, Walter
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Terry Shannon, Sr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-31.
Interview with Terry Shannon, Sr., a customhouse broker for the fresh produce industry. The interview took place at Shannon Brokerage on Nelson Avenue in Nogales, Arizona, about 300 feet from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Shannon, Terry K. - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Guy King interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-09.
Interview with Guy King, retired inspector for Arizona Department of Agriculture. He discusses numerous topics, including his role at Arizona Department of Agriculture; starting out as an inspector; the process of inspection; changes in transportation and facilities; food safety; Mexican produce; work challenges; the USDA grading system; and what makes a good inspector.
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - King, Guy E. - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Jerry Wagner interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-14.
Interview with Jerry Wagner, retired Director of Sales at Farmer's Best. He discusses numerous topics, including his background in the produce industry; working at Farmer's Best; cucumber-planting in Sinaloa; expanding commodity lines; working with family and learning the trade; cooperation and networking; the social community of Nogales' produce workers; the rise of McAllen and the continued presence of Nogales; the challenges of weather; Canadian…
Contributor:
Wagner, Jerry - Hartmann, Nic - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Jaime Chamberlain interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-16.
Interview with Jaime Chamberlain, president of J-C Distributing and former president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. He speaks about a number of topics, including: produce firm and grower relationships; his family's relationships in the trade; "respecting the farm"; the allure of the lifestyle; changes in the industry, specifically the rise of professionalization; the role of politics in the industry; quality versus…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Chamberlain, Jaime - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Axel Holm interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-21.
Interview with Axel Holm, a local historian and son of Walter Holm, a major figure in the early years of the Nogales fresh produce industry. Among other topics, Mr. Holm speaks about his family's history; Roy and Titcomb, and the first produce crossings; the start of the railroad; William Raymond "Rame" Morley; Edward R. Harriman and the start of produce trains to Nogales; the…
Contributor:
Holm, Axel C. - Hartmann, Nic - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Chris Ciruli interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-23.
Interview with Chris Ciruli, Chief Operating Officer of Ciruli Brothers Produce in Rio Rico, Arizona. During the interview, he speaks about numerous topics, including his family's work migration cycle; growing up in the industry; multi-generational family collaborations; George Gotsis; working with the Chamberlain family; expanding to McAllen; his thoughts on Texas and California; labor in Mexico and the U.S.; Ciruli Brothers' mangoes and small…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Hartmann, Nic - Ciruli, Chris
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Brian Vandervoet interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-25.
Interview with Brian Vandervoet, a produce distributor with Vandervoet and Associates in Rio Rico, Arizona. He speaks about the beginning of Vandervoet and Associates and his family's agricultural background; starting out in Nogales; and the cycle of migration for produce brokers. He describes an average workday; the challenges of working in the produce industry; relationships and cooperation in the business; public concerns about Mexican…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Vandervoet, Brian - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Veronica Kraushaar interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-28.
Veronica Kraushaar, a marketing expert for the produce industry, discusses her personal experience of working in the Nogales produce community, as well as her experience of being a female professional in the produce industry.
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Kraushaar, Veronica - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Jose Sotelo interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-19.
Interview with Jose "Rego" Sotelo, warehouse manager for SunFed in Rio Rico, Arizona. Among other topics, Mr. Sotelo talks about his personal history; the types of produce he works with and supervising workers. He describes a typical workday and season; changes over the years in technology, volume of work and hours; McAllen as a produce hub; working with brokers and outsiders; amenities for drivers;…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Sotelo, Jose Rego - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Athanasio (Thano) Gatzionis and Nicholas (Nick) Gatzionis and Ramon (Ray) Valenzuela interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-21.
Interview with Nicholas (Nick) Gatzionis, Athanasio (Thano) Gatzionis, and Ramon (Ray) Valenzuela of CAB Produce in Nogales, Arizona. In this joint interview, the co-workers talk about the history of CAB Produce; their day-to-day duties; the Gatzionis family's roots in Greece and role of Greco-Mexicans in the produce industry. They discuss two production areas: Florida and Mexico; the "blue book"; Ray's relationship to family firm…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Hartmann, Nic - Valenzuela, Ray - Gatzionis, Thano - Gatzionis, Nicholas
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Hartmann, Nic - Ram, Walter
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Steve De La Rosa and Alberto (Beto) Ibarra and Jorge Valenzuela interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-28.
Interview with Jorge Valenzuela (dispatcher), Alberto (Beto) Ibarra (foreman), and Steve de la Rosa (quality control officer) of Ciruli Brothers Produce. In this joint interview, which took place in Spanish and English, the co-workers talk about how they began working in produce; what a typical day is like; how their work changes with the season; the challenges of food safety and adhering to regulations;…
Contributor:
De La Rosa, Steve - Valenzuela, Jorge - Ibarra, Beto - Occupational Folklife Project - Hartmann, Nic
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Bernie Piña interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-28.
Interview with Bernardo "Bernie" Piña, sales manager for Ciruli Brothers Produce. During the interview, he talks about being a 3rd-generation produce worker; working as a sales manager; dealing day-to-day with perishables; and his pride in providing healthy food. He discusses consumers' awareness; sustainability; food safety; the challenges of sales work; and the pace of the industry. He talks about being raised in Nogales around…
Contributor:
Hartmann, Nic - Piña, Bernie - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Rosie Cornelius interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-30.
Interview with Rosa "Rosie" Cornelius, sales manager for Bay Area Produce. She talks about her background in the industry and the scarcity of women in produce in the past. She recounts starting at Bay Area in the days of rail transport. She describes the long hours and the schedule of a sales manager, and talks about the necessity of having a good team; the…
Contributor:
Occupational Folklife Project - Cornelius, Rosie - Hartmann, Nic
Contributor:
Hartmann, Nic - Martin, James Michael - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2015
Audio Recording
Robert Bennen, Sr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-12-09.
Interview with Robert ("Robbie") Bennen, Sr., second-generation produce broker. He talks about his family's history; the development of vine-ripe tomatoes; building and then expanding a warehouse in Nogales; changes in the produce industry; challenges; the railway and trucking produce; the sense of community and trust within the industry; public perceptions of Mexican produce; and the lack of consumer awareness.
Contributor:
Hartmann, Nic - Bennen, Robert - Occupational Folklife Project
Date:2015-01-01
Audio Recording
Enrique ("Kiki") Arana and Alicia Bon Martin and Christopher Martin interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-12-15.
Interview with Alicia Bon Martin and Chris Martin, owners and operators of Wilson Produce, and Enrique "Kiki" Arana, Wilson Produce's sales manager. Their joint interview begins with Alicia talking about her family's history and how she got involved in growing herbs. Kiki Arana talks about his background and then they each describe their daily duties. They discuss the Florida-Arizona rivalry's cooperative roots; the palletizing…
Contributor:
Martin, Chris - Occupational Folklife Project - Martin, Alicia Bon - Hartmann, Nic - Arana, Enrique
Audio RecordingPrescott Vandervoet interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-19. Prescott Vandervoet discusses his work as a produce distributor in the Nogales, Arizona area. Also see interview with Brian Vandervoet afc2015028_03029.
Audio RecordingWilliam "Bill" Sykes interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-24. Interview with William "Bill" Sykes, a produce broker and owner of Sykes and Company in Rio Rico, Arizona. He discusses history of his firm; a typical day; dealing with the border and customs; the high degree of trust in industry; impact of weather; labor and labor shortages; and compares and contrasts US and Mexican safety and labor regulations.
Audio RecordingCharles "Charlie" Thomas, Sr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-25. Charlie Thomas of Thomas Produce in Tucson, Arizona, talks about his life in the fresh produce industry of both North Carolina and Arizona. He discusses his father's and family's involvement in produce industry; handling different vegetables; determining ripeness; changes in industry; the impact of Wal-Mart; growing areas in Mexico; Greco-Mexican connections in produce industry; winter produce and Florida; cash vs. credit; the local industry…
Audio RecordingJim Cathey interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-26. Interview with Jim Cathey, Sales and Sourcing Manager of Red Sun Farms in Tubac, Arizona. He talks about entering the industry; moving to Arizona; going into the greenhouse industry; McAllen's (TX) rise as a produce center, and Nogales' response; an average work day; the challenges of the industry; labor and labor shortages; the impact of technology on the trade; and etc.
Audio RecordingWalter Ram, Jr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-31. Interview with Walter Ram, Jr., Vice-President for Food Safety of Giumarra Companies. He talks about regulations and practices; inspecting food; his desire for sustainable practices and credible food research; the "selling of fear"; and etc. For an interview with Walter Ram, Sr. see: acf2018028_03032
Audio RecordingTerry Shannon, Sr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-08-31. Interview with Terry Shannon, Sr., a customhouse broker for the fresh produce industry. The interview took place at Shannon Brokerage on Nelson Avenue in Nogales, Arizona, about 300 feet from the U.S.-Mexico border.
Audio RecordingGuy King interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-09. Interview with Guy King, retired inspector for Arizona Department of Agriculture. He discusses numerous topics, including his role at Arizona Department of Agriculture; starting out as an inspector; the process of inspection; changes in transportation and facilities; food safety; Mexican produce; work challenges; the USDA grading system; and what makes a good inspector.
Audio RecordingJerry Wagner interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-14. Interview with Jerry Wagner, retired Director of Sales at Farmer's Best. He discusses numerous topics, including his background in the produce industry; working at Farmer's Best; cucumber-planting in Sinaloa; expanding commodity lines; working with family and learning the trade; cooperation and networking; the social community of Nogales' produce workers; the rise of McAllen and the continued presence of Nogales; the challenges of weather; Canadian…
Audio RecordingJaime Chamberlain interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-16. Interview with Jaime Chamberlain, president of J-C Distributing and former president of the Fresh Produce Association of the Americas. He speaks about a number of topics, including: produce firm and grower relationships; his family's relationships in the trade; "respecting the farm"; the allure of the lifestyle; changes in the industry, specifically the rise of professionalization; the role of politics in the industry; quality versus…
Audio RecordingAxel Holm interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-21. Interview with Axel Holm, a local historian and son of Walter Holm, a major figure in the early years of the Nogales fresh produce industry. Among other topics, Mr. Holm speaks about his family's history; Roy and Titcomb, and the first produce crossings; the start of the railroad; William Raymond "Rame" Morley; Edward R. Harriman and the start of produce trains to Nogales; the…
Audio RecordingChris Ciruli interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-23. Interview with Chris Ciruli, Chief Operating Officer of Ciruli Brothers Produce in Rio Rico, Arizona. During the interview, he speaks about numerous topics, including his family's work migration cycle; growing up in the industry; multi-generational family collaborations; George Gotsis; working with the Chamberlain family; expanding to McAllen; his thoughts on Texas and California; labor in Mexico and the U.S.; Ciruli Brothers' mangoes and small…
Audio RecordingBrian Vandervoet interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-25. Interview with Brian Vandervoet, a produce distributor with Vandervoet and Associates in Rio Rico, Arizona. He speaks about the beginning of Vandervoet and Associates and his family's agricultural background; starting out in Nogales; and the cycle of migration for produce brokers. He describes an average workday; the challenges of working in the produce industry; relationships and cooperation in the business; public concerns about Mexican…
Audio RecordingVeronica Kraushaar interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-09-28. Veronica Kraushaar, a marketing expert for the produce industry, discusses her personal experience of working in the Nogales produce community, as well as her experience of being a female professional in the produce industry.
Audio RecordingJose Sotelo interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-19. Interview with Jose "Rego" Sotelo, warehouse manager for SunFed in Rio Rico, Arizona. Among other topics, Mr. Sotelo talks about his personal history; the types of produce he works with and supervising workers. He describes a typical workday and season; changes over the years in technology, volume of work and hours; McAllen as a produce hub; working with brokers and outsiders; amenities for drivers;…
Audio RecordingAthanasio (Thano) Gatzionis and Nicholas (Nick) Gatzionis and Ramon (Ray) Valenzuela interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-21. Interview with Nicholas (Nick) Gatzionis, Athanasio (Thano) Gatzionis, and Ramon (Ray) Valenzuela of CAB Produce in Nogales, Arizona. In this joint interview, the co-workers talk about the history of CAB Produce; their day-to-day duties; the Gatzionis family's roots in Greece and role of Greco-Mexicans in the produce industry. They discuss two production areas: Florida and Mexico; the "blue book"; Ray's relationship to family firm…
Audio RecordingWalter Ram, Sr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-26. Interview with Walter Ram, Sr., former owner of a produce transportation company in Nogales, Arizona. For an interview with his son, Walter Ram, Jr. see: afc2018028_03022
Audio RecordingSteve De La Rosa and Alberto (Beto) Ibarra and Jorge Valenzuela interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-28. Interview with Jorge Valenzuela (dispatcher), Alberto (Beto) Ibarra (foreman), and Steve de la Rosa (quality control officer) of Ciruli Brothers Produce. In this joint interview, which took place in Spanish and English, the co-workers talk about how they began working in produce; what a typical day is like; how their work changes with the season; the challenges of food safety and adhering to regulations;…
Audio RecordingBernie Piña interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-28. Interview with Bernardo "Bernie" Piña, sales manager for Ciruli Brothers Produce. During the interview, he talks about being a 3rd-generation produce worker; working as a sales manager; dealing day-to-day with perishables; and his pride in providing healthy food. He discusses consumers' awareness; sustainability; food safety; the challenges of sales work; and the pace of the industry. He talks about being raised in Nogales around…
Audio RecordingRosie Cornelius interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-10-30. Interview with Rosa "Rosie" Cornelius, sales manager for Bay Area Produce. She talks about her background in the industry and the scarcity of women in produce in the past. She recounts starting at Bay Area in the days of rail transport. She describes the long hours and the schedule of a sales manager, and talks about the necessity of having a good team; the…
Audio RecordingJames Martin interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-11-23. Catalog Record - Electronic Resource Available Interview with James Martin, Director of Sustainability at Wilson Produce in Nogales, Arizona.
Audio RecordingRobert Bennen, Sr. interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-12-09. Interview with Robert ("Robbie") Bennen, Sr., second-generation produce broker. He talks about his family's history; the development of vine-ripe tomatoes; building and then expanding a warehouse in Nogales; changes in the produce industry; challenges; the railway and trucking produce; the sense of community and trust within the industry; public perceptions of Mexican produce; and the lack of consumer awareness.
Audio RecordingEnrique ("Kiki") Arana and Alicia Bon Martin and Christopher Martin interview conducted by Nic Hartmann, 2015-12-15. Interview with Alicia Bon Martin and Chris Martin, owners and operators of Wilson Produce, and Enrique "Kiki" Arana, Wilson Produce's sales manager. Their joint interview begins with Alicia talking about her family's history and how she got involved in growing herbs. Kiki Arana talks about his background and then they each describe their daily duties. They discuss the Florida-Arizona rivalry's cooperative roots; the palletizing…