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P r o d u c e S h o w D a i l y S a t u r d a y, O c t o b e r 2 4 , 2 0 1 5 8 EARTH FRIENDLY PRACTICES AT LIMONEIRA Limoneira has been practicing sustain- ability and stewardship throughout its 123-year history. The company's founders didn't refer to many of the prac- tices this way; they were simply con- cerned with the expensive inputs that go into agriculture. By controlling the use of these resources and by being more effi- cient, the company was reducing expens- es and treading more lightly on the land. Over the years, Limoneira's board and management have introduced a number of policies and procedures that are now known as sustainable. The water supply is rigorously inspected to prevent waste and run-off while promoting quality. Limoneira water ponds are the first of their kind; ecological wastewater treatment areas for agriculture. Utilizing gravity, the untreated water flows through a series of ponds which contain plant material to filter out impurities. The project reduces the need for ground water pumping and has a much smaller car- bon footprint. Four solar arrays pro- vide two megawatts of clean energy to run Limoneira's operations. Limoneira's organic mulch project diverts green waste from landfills and saves water, fertilizer and herbicides. Limoneira managers schedule produc- tion hours at non-peak energy times, plant more trees per acre and utilize old trees, pruning limbs and dry leaves for mulching to reduce herbicide and water usage. Limoneira maintains a complete integrated pest management (IPM) sys- tem to reduce the use of pesticides. Other preventative strategies are used to reduce inputs and establish a sustainable produc- tion system. Pest-resistant crops which are tolerant of existing soil site condi- tions are selected whenever possible. Diversity has also been a focus for the company, because maintenance of geo- graphic and crop diversity means that when one area or crop suffers, others potentially thrive. Crews are trained in proper harvesting procedures to limit fruit damage. Limoneira has a history of making production easier and safer for employ- ees, providing shaded break areas and making safety a top company priority. Limoneira provides vital benefits such as work force housing and funds for educa- tional and community programs and, with a recently developed project in place, is now the largest provider of work force housing in Ventura County. As a seven time "Family Friendly Award" recipient from Ventura County, Limoneira offers competitive pay with the highest medical and health benefits in the industry, along with competitive 401(k) plans. Many employees have been at Limoneira for more than 30 years. Limoneira's board and management believe that sustainability includes sup- porting the organizations that make our communities healthy. The company partners with scores of entities whose missions include educational enrichment, child develop- ment, job creation, economic develop- ment, public safety and tourism. The Limoneira team believes that education is vital to the future success of agriculture. The company is a sup- porter of local FFA programs, and it runs a comprehensive program that enables students to learn about nutri- tion, energy and food production. In addition, Limoneira offers agriculture educational tours to third-grade stu- dents on its lemon and avocado ranch in Santa Paula, California. The tours are an ongoing effort to provide unique, locally relevant agriculture education to Ventura County school children and help connect them to outdoor farming in their own backyard. For more information, visit booth #1947 or go to www.Limoneira.com. PROPER HANDLING, STORAGE MAXIMIZE SHELF LIFE By Sam Schlagetter, Director of Quality and Food Safety for Freshway Foods According to the United States Department of Agriculture, roughly 30- 40 percent of the U.S. food supply is wasted every year. There are many rea- sons why we throw away over 100 billion pounds of food annually, but one pre- ventable source of waste is caused by improper handling and storage of fresh- cut produce. Fresh-cut produce offers many money- and time-saving advantages to foodservice operators. Fresh-cut pro- duce is washed, peeled, cored, cut and ready to use, with no additional labor required to prepare it for use in food- service operations. Fresh-cut produce reduces safety issues and cutting injuries, and it saves storage space when compared to bulk produce. Yet for all of the advantages of fresh-cut produce, it is highly perishable, and must be handled properly in order to prevent food waste. Foodservice operators can maximize the shelf life of their fresh-cut produce purchases and reduce food waste by fol- lowing a few simple guidelines. Fresh-Cut Receiving Procedures Fresh-cut produce should be placed in proper refrigerated storage immediately upon delivery and held there continuous- ly until it is needed. Fully inspect all deliveries, checking the quality and con- dition of the fresh-cut produce. Store fresh-cut produce between 34-40 degrees Fahrenheit in the coldest part of the cool- er, typically in the back of the cooler on the lower shelves. First-In/First-Out Inventory Management Maintain accurate inventory records and rotate inventory after each delivery. Check use-by or expiration dates on fresh-cut produce pack- aging to ensure you are using the oldest produce first. Always store fresh-cut produce in its original bag or tray and master carton. Store ethylene-producing items, such as apples and tomatoes, away from ethyl- ene-sensitive items, such as broccoli and lettuce. Maintain the Cold Chain Fresh-cut produce should be stored at proper temperatures (34-40 degrees Fahrenheit) on a food-safe rack system. Never overload racks, as this can prevent air circulation and proper cooling. Fresh- cut produce should never come into direct contact with walls and should be stored at least six inches off of the floor. Check the temperature of your receiving, storage and prep areas regu- larly, as temperatures can fluctuate based on weather conditions. After opening bags or trays of fresh-cut produce, make every effort to use the product within 10-12 hours to ensure freshness and pre- vent waste. Remove air and reseal in the original bag or overwrap the original tray after opening fresh-cut produce, and return to the master carton. Fresh-cut produce should never be stored uncov- ered. With proper handling and storage, fresh-cut produce enables foodservice operators to serve fresh, delicious pro- duce, while saving time and money. By following these simple guidelines, food- service operators can maximize the bene- fits of fresh-cut produce, and avoid con- tributing to the problem of food waste. For more information, visit booth #676 or go to www.freshwayfoods.com. SEAONUS: CARGO IN MOTION For more than 30 years, Seaonus has offered stevedoring and warehousing services with a peerless combination of experienced personnel and leading edge technology. All services are backed by the strength of domestic stevedoring, ter- minal services, on-dock refrigerated and dry warehousing, as well as off-port cold storage. Seaonus stands ready to manage the full spectrum of operations required to get shipments to or from anywhere in the world. Seaonus keeps your cargo in motion. Multi-Temperature On and Off-Port Facility Features Seaonus operates an inland cold storage facility in Jacksonville, Florida, that pro- vides 8,200,000 cubic feet of racked, refrigerated and frozen storage. From order picking to freight consolidation, blast freezing to cross-dock services, Seaonus is uniquely equipped to meet the needs of import/export business and offers ready access to distribution by truck, rail, or ship. Seaonus also has on-dock refrigerat- ed cold storage facilities in Jacksonville, Florida, and Mobile, Alabama. Both manage a huge inventory of perishable food products and other commodities. The facility ships products to Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, West Africa, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Caribbean islands. This location is also strategically positioned to handle perish- able imports from Australia, New Zealand and Central and South America. Services include shrink wrapping, blocking and bracing, HHG handling capabilities, blast freezing, order picking, consolidation services and experience. Seaonus also has a warehouse manage- ment system designed for automated shipping and receiving, recording and report- ing package and size information, distribu- tion, and various com- modities. Warehouse services include USDA import/export services, fumigation and flexible shipping and receiving hours. The com- pany's warehouse facilities are approved by the FDA. Seaonus uses a real-time Internet-based cargo tracking system, and all facilities have rail capabilities. Seaonus has extensive experience in the handling both temperature-sensitive and ambient cargoes on ocean-going ves- sels in Jacksonville, Florida; Mobile, Alabama; and New Orleans, Louisiana. Seaonus employees are trained in standard marine industry practices, as well as customized training based on cargo-handling needs. The workforce is comprised of port-qualified crane opera- tors, qualified forklift operators, and cer- tified managers and supervi- sors. Services include recoup- ing freight consolidation and cross docking. All locations own their own equipment, including container handlers, forklifts up to 50,000 pounds and a wide assortment of trucks, vans and mobile equipment. Seaonus has experience in the loading and unloading of temperature-sensitive and dry cargo. Seaonus uses an up-to- date real-time terminal operating system that tracks arrivals, departures, customer activity and commodity by vessel. The company also has certified scales for weighing cargo and direct railroad access to both the terminal and ship-side berthing area. For more information, call 904.786.8038, email info@seaonus.com, visit www.seaonus.com or stop by booth #1425.