A.V. Thomas Produce is in their 44th year of growing, packing, marketing and shipping California sweet potatoes and yams. But the interesting history of A.V. Thomas really began in 1920 when Antonio Vieira Tomas immigrated from the Azores Islands to the United States, and settled in Livingston, California.

California's Central San Joaquin Valley, long known for its prime growing conditions – a necessary and crucial element in the farming production of quality sweet potatoes and yams - became the backdrop for the formation of A.V. Thomas Produce. Founded in 1960, the company began on a small scale and operated out of building in downtown Livingston.

In 1972, Mr. Tomas was joined by his nephew, Manuel E. Vieira. Vieira, also from the Azores, had just completed a degree in Business Administration in Rio de Janeiro. Over the next few years he spent many hours listening and learning how to grow and market sweet potatoes.

Antonio Tomas retired in 1977 and Manuel Vieira was given the opportunity to purchase A.V. Thomas Produce. The business had expanded by 1988 to the point of outgrowing its existing quarters and a new, modern 80,000 sq.ft. packing facility was constructed to meet current and future growth requirements.

A lot has changed since those early days in 1960. For example, sweet potatoes were packed in wooden crates rather than in today's familiar corrugated cartons. Instead of washing sweet potatoes, as is the current practice, the soil was removed with brushes. While much has changed, the quest for outstanding sweet potatos has not! To have a super yam, you must start with quality seed. It must be stored at the right temperature and under the right conditions. The ability to produce quality crops, year after year, is based on attention to detail. It's the little things that make a successful crop, just as it was when Antonia Tomas was shipping yams and sweet potatoes in 1960.