About
In 1985, Monte Vista Farming Company entered the almond handling business. At that time Jim Crecelius saw a better, more secure way to handle the almonds that growers were going to deliver to his processing facility. His vision was for growers to participate in the marketing of their crop while maintaining crop ownership until the sale was complete. This system provided the safety that growers lacked when pooling their crops with other handlers. This system, now known as the Grower Select Marketing System provides growers with an added degree of safety and confidence for the value of their annual farming effort and is the original grower-controlled almond marketing system.
Packaged and marketed under the California Royale Brand®, almonds that are grown by the Monte Vista Farming Company and its independent growers are proudly sold in more than 20 countries worldwide. The success of the brand is a credit to the growers and the management of the company, and the vision of its founder, Mr. Crecelius, supported by a staff of talented individuals dedicated to the maintenance of the highest quality standards and work ethic and mentions that “Our business model is still sustaining us today. We have not deviated from our model, which is now embraced by not only our customers but also our growers.”
Our Team
Our team is a dedicated group of problem solvers with more than 300 members and an average employee tenure of over 10 years. Why? Because we take pride in our work. We place honesty and quality above all else. We’ll work with you to create the best product possible. No detail is too small — just ask.
Our business is built on personal and prompt communication. Logistics are our specialty and our team seamlessly navigates booking confirmations and bill of lading proofs. We’re dedicated to accurate reporting and documentation, and our exportation team can help you overcome almost any hurdle.
Truth. Transparency. Trust. That’s what we stand for.
Finding Truth in Transparency
We’re passionate advocates for open communication and we conduct ourselves with integrity every day. Our transparent processes facilitate truthful efficiency, from the field to packing to logistics.
Transparency in the Field
Our growers have progressive mindsets and care about doing the right thing for the environment and our customers, plain and simple. This means running operations that are socially responsible, sustainable, and technologically advanced. All of our growers adhere to Good Agricultural Practices, and a growing number of them are becoming Global G.A.P. Certified. We’re proud to partner with growers who believe in “doing things right because it’s the right thing to do.”
Transparency in the Plant
Our aim is to create value for our customers by sharing as much information as necessary by openly sharing detailed quality and food safety information. This also means that we understand that bad news must be shared as well. At Monte Vista, when a potential issue occurs, our policy is to get in front of it and work with our customers to create solutions.
Almond Processing That is Safe, Accurate and Straightforward
We set our quality control specifications to meet our customer expectations, going above and beyond the U.S.D.A grades. We take sustainability in the plant seriously by repurposing hulls and rocks. We recycle plant materials such as plastic bin liners, plastic stockpile tarps, and unused packaging supplies are recycled. We eliminate paper waste by communicating quickly and efficiently with our growers and customers via email and use our custom-tracking dashboard to send returns and market updates.