Chelan Fresh shares first sustainability and social responsibility report

Chelan Fresh has released its first “Joyfully Grown Commitment Report,” focusing on its efforts in sustainability and social responsibility.

The Chelan, Wash.-based fruit marketing company’s report is in three sections — Our Food, Our Planet and Our People — with 50 pages of information and photos explaining what goes into growing, harvesting and packing the varieties under the Joyfully Grown brand, according to a news release. The report is full of information, from composting to pollinator protection, carbon sequestration to controlled-atmosphere storage, women in agriculture to the Special Olympics and the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the release said.

Chelan Fresh said many of its growers are fourth- or fifth-generation farmers dedicated to producing delicious, consistent and high-quality fruit while caring for and tending the land. Sustainable, earth-friendly and innovative, these growers are constantly looking for ways to use science, technology and compassion to improve growing practices, increase sustainability and give back to the community and the world, according to the release.

Related: Fresh Del Monte notes sustainability gains in new report

“I find joy in farming the same land my great-grandfather started farming in 1912 and sharing those memories, the hard work and all that goes into it with my kids,” grower Eric Borton said in the release.

“Joyfully Grown, to me, encompasses being a good steward of the land, feeding people you will never meet a nutritious piece of fruit, and being able to sustain your family and your employees’ families for future generations,” grower Cass Gebbers said in the release.

For more information, visit www.joyfullygrown.com or the company’s booth (No. 2297) at the International Fresh Produce Association’s Global Produce & Floral Show, Oct. 19-21, in Anaheim, Calif.

About Chelan Fresh

Chelan Fresh is a fruit marketing company representing family growers who annually ship over 20 million boxes of premium apples, pears, cherries and several stone fruit varieties annually for domestic and international markets.

Fruit under the Joyfully Grown label includes apples, cherries and pears, while the Joyfully Grown Organic label includes apples and pears.

Related link: View the Joyfully Grown Commitment Report