Eco-friendly carrot wash a big cash saver

(Wire Services) – At a time when many businesses earmark unnecessary expenditures for cutbacks, market leader and innovator Bolthouse Farms identified a way to curtail spending, enhance environmental sustainability, and save more than 317,000 gallons of fuel.

Recently, Bolthouse Farms installed eco-friendly carrot wash stations at their Westmoreland, California farm which sheds unnecessary weight from soil on carrots prior to being transported to the main Bolthouse Farms facility in Bakersfield, Calif. and keeps more than 55,000 tons of soil in its native geography of existing carrot fields.

“We continue to build state-of-the-art carrot wash stations at the carrots’ point of origin because we want to further our company’s vision in sustainability and cost-effectiveness,” explained Chuck Seitz, director of grower relations, Bolthouse Farms. “Certainly there was a cost associated with such an endeavor, but it was a logical change to streamline procedure – one that Bolthouse Farms will reap the benefits of and will sustain its carrot farming operations well into the future.”

Prior to the change in procedure, unwashed carrots were pulled from the ground covered with dirt, thus weighing more as a result, and shipped 700 miles from the field to the Bolthouse Farms facility to be washed and processed. This old operational practice removed nutrient-rich topsoil from the carrots’ native farmland, resulting in an unnecessary heavier load of carrots and requiring extra fuel to ship. Additionally, the process produced excess soil from washing the carrots, which was collected and hauled to an offsite location. A washout station offers a positive, cost-effective business solution that can be quickly implemented due to the nimble nature of the company.

Carrot washout stations are one example of the broad corporate sustainability efforts underway at Bolthouse Farms. Other ongoing initiatives include using recycled packaging for all product lines and constructing and operating the largest solar panel farming operation in the United States, which reduces emissions and fossil fuel use while maximizing farmland use.

To learn more about the sustainability and corporate social responsibility efforts of Bolthouse Farms, visit www.bolthouse.com.

About Bolthouse Farms
Established in 1915, Bolthouse Farms is a fourth-generation farm located in California’s fertile San Joaquin Valley. Known for quality and innovation, Bolthouse Farms is a market share leader in carrot growing and processing. In addition to growing and harvesting premium fresh fruits and vegetables, Bolthouse Farms produces a popular brand of super-premium refrigerated juices and smoothies. Bolthouse diversified its offerings in recent years by launching a line of all natural, premium refrigerated yogurt dressings and extra virgin olive oil vinaigrettes. To learn about the entire line of current Bolthouse Farms products, visit www.bolthouse.com.