At Terranova Ranch, Cameron has pioneered the concept of on-farm water recharge in California. For the past 25 years, Terranova Ranch has been working to recharge its aquifer, the main source of the farm’s irrigation water. In 2011, Cameron landed on a novel solution. He worked with UC Davis researchers on an experiment in which flood water was applied to his farm fields as a means of capturing and storing excess water during the off-season, which would otherwise run out wasted to the ocean. The results were promising, and the following year Terranova Ranch began a collaboration with the Kings River Conservation District to build additional infrastructure required for the on-farm recharge project. While work is still underway, at full capacity, the project will be able to recharge up to 1,000 acre feet of floodwater per day, and will help the region meet its sustainable groundwater management goals.
California, where John D’Arrigo carries on the Andy Boy legacy. Driven by the core value of conserving energy and protecting natural resources, D’Arrigo Bros. of California consolidated and centralized its cooling and loading facility to minimize energy and fuel use. In designing its new facility, D’Arrigo Bros. of California considered the distance product traveled from the field to the facility, incorporated energy-efficient materials, equipment and lighting into the construction of the facility, and installed cutting- edge computer systems and other technology aimed at creating efficiencies in the product cooling process. D’Arrigo Bros. of California also powers its 152,000 sq. ft. cooling and loading facility—and ranch meters —with 5.5 megawatts of electricity generated from solar power. This solar farm, which includes 18,000 panels on 39 acres of land, meets 87 percent of the electrical needs of the facility.
Driven by the core value of conserving energy and protecting natural resources, D’Arrigo Bros. of California consolidated and centralized its cooling and loading facility to minimize energy and fuel use.
Perhaps our policymakers would have a different perspective if they were ever to spend time at Braga Ranch, the heritage of founder Sebastian Braga. Today, the third generation runs the Soledad-based family farm, headed by Rodney Braga. Braga Ranch operates by a simple motto: “Sustainable agriculture is the foundation of our operations.” With their sustainability program—which focuses on water, soil, energy and air—Braga Ranch aims to reduce waste and increase efficiency. Through practices such as drip irrigation, crop rotation, cover crops and conservation tillage, Braga Ranch conserves water and maintains air quality standards while nurturing the healthy soils that will provide for the farm for generations to come. Perhaps our policymakers would have a different perspective if they ever traveled up the road to the Salinas-based D’Arrigo Bros. of
In another demonstration of the company’s commitment to efficient resource use, D’Arrigo Bros. of California also participates in a comprehensive recycling program, with the goal recycling 100 percent of the recyclable materials used in the growing, packing and shipping of its products, which results in approximately 500 tons of cardboard and plastic being recycled each year. These stories are just a few of the countless ways Western Growers members farm with the natural world in focus, to steal a line from the Bowles Farming Company’s definition of sustainability. These are exactly the types of stories we all must be dedicated to sharing with the public and our policymakers. With these stories, our message is clear: It is not farming or the environment. It is farming and the environment. We must be committed to pursuing public policies that pave the way for both to thrive in perpetuity.
10 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com MARCH | APRIL 2020
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