Agriculture

Agriculturally Sustainable and Organic Farming

For more than 20 years, we have operated an agricultural development at our Cadiz Valley property. The underlying groundwater, fertile soil, warm desert temperatures, and low occurrence of indigenous pests provide ideal conditions for the production of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, including citrus, grapes, melons, peppers, and squash.

Permanent crops currently in production include 160 acres of vineyards currently grown to certified-organic dried-on-the-vine raisins and 370 acres of lemons. These crops are farmed using sustainable agricultural practices, including organic farming. Seasonal vegetable crops on the property are grown organically and plantings can include vegetables such as squash, asparagus, and beans. We have entered into a joint venture to grow an additional 500 acres of lemons on organic-certified land, 110 acres of which have been planted as of April 2011.

At our Cadiz Valley property, a total of 9,600 acres have been zoned for agricultural development. Our infrastructure includes seven interconnecting wells with an annual production capacity of 13,000 acre-feet of water. Our agricultural operations use water-saving and fuel-efficient practices, including drip irrigation. We also have housing and kitchen facilities that support up to 300 workers.