Tony’s Story

Antonio “Tony” Campos was born in the Northern Basque region of Spain, three miles from the French border. He spent his early years growing up in a very small village located in the Pyrenees mountains. It was a modest farming community with large families, strong values, and rich culture, but Tony’s ambition soon led him to explore other opportunities beyond its borders. At age eleven, Tony moved to Pamplona to live with his eldest sister and work at his aunt’s restaurant. At 15 Tony began to hear stories about America, and what seemed to be, its endless opportunities for a better life. He decided then that he would go to this country and try his own luck. He applied for a visa and by 17 Tony was in the United States herding sheep. His older brothers, Esteban and Fermin, followed shortly thereafter.

Four years after Tony’s arrival in 1959 the brothers decided to try their hand at farming. Together, in 1960, they moved to Caruthers, California and in 1971 they started growing almonds. By 1981 the first Campos Brothers Farms Almond Huller was built. With the promise of premium quality processing as the family’s highest priority, the Campos Brothers acquired their first customers. Tony still calls the ranch he settled on back in 1960 home.  And together, along with his children, they are still delivering on the same promise they made many years ago.

As the trees rest, we work to prepare them for the upcoming crop year. Winter pruning eliminates non-producing branches and shapes trees to take full advantage of sunlight and water. Small details make a big difference in almond quality and consistency.