SureHarvest in the News

Read the latest news coverage about SureHarvest and our partners:

From Seed to Fork

Pro*Act's Greener Fields Together progam was featured in the Spring issue of food&drink Magazine.   The program targets and measures "green farming activities including energy use, waste and water management, pesticide/herbicide use, packaging and transportation.  Farms partnering with Pro*Act demonstrate their commitment to sustainability in one or several of the activities which are then verified by SureHarvest using the 5Ps of Sustainability -- principles, processes, practices, performance and progress.

Data Validates California Almond Growers' Sustainable Practices

Increased participation in the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) is yielding statistically significant data that shows the almond industry is practicing sustainability in a range of production practices.  The program is based on growers completing self-assessment modules to report which practices they employ in their operation or specific orchard.  The five modules are: Pest Management, Irrigation Management, Nutrient management, Energy Efficiency and Air Quality. "This level of participation shows that CASP is clearly gaining traction within the almond-growing community," said Joe Browde with SureHarvest who is working with the almond industry develop and implement the sustainability program.

Growers this year are also able to complete modules online.  Those online modules contain an easy-to-use, autofill feature to assess multiple orchards/locations, and offer participants continuing education credits for PCAs and certified applicators.  A new round of workshops will start up throughout the stae in January. For article read here

Nitrates and Water in California

A report released in March about nitrate contamination of groundwater has triggered a process by California’s regional water quality control boards that will potentially affect farmers across the state. In this month's article Dr. Ohmart discusses the complex nature of groundwater nitrate contamination and what new regional regulations may entail.

The Benefits of Ecosystem Services for Growers

“More with less, save the rest.” The three key concepts set forth in this phrase have been at the center of many recent domestic and international conversations about the future of agriculture i.e. producing more food while using fewer resources. Another perspective on what “more with less, save the rest” means is that many farmers and ranchers are already producing more than food, including environmental and social benefits that are increasingly being referred to as “ecosystems services.”  Dlott serves on the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s (CDFA) Environmental Farming Act Science Advisory Panel.  The panel is now working to develop an ecosystem services evaluation framework that can be used to recognize environmental value, and identify and prioritize incentives to reward growers for producing multiple ecosystem services benefits.  “Though not as catchy as the opening line, I prefer the statement “Pay farmers for producing more ecosystem services with less and saving the rest”, Jeff Dlott.

Four Voices on the Future of Food Shopping

What key drivers will reshape food shopping in coming years? The experts on Brick Meets Click’s Food Segment team, provide four thought-provoking responses: Larry Kaagan says that science is changing our understanding of food. Martha Roberts is thinking about the impact of social trends. Krysten Hommel imagines creating feedback loops that use shoppers’ own data to add value. And SureHarvest's Jeff Dlott describes how his feedback loop is changing his shopping patterns. All belong to Food Foresight’s Blue Ribbon Panel, an organization that develops trends intelligence for the food and agriculture industries. Click here for Bill Bishop's BMC Blog to see a peek around the corner at what’s coming.

Measuring Sustainability

Since the early 1990s winegrowers and winemakers have been committed to moving along the sustainability continuum, from less sustainable to more sustainable.  For the most part, progress has been measured by implementing and tracking practices.  Once practices are implemented little follow up measurements are made to find out if these practices are having the benefits attributed to them.  In this month's article, Cliff discusses measuring performance rather than tracking practices as an approach to determine levels of sustainability and track progress.

SISC and SureHarvest awarded Conservation Innovation Grant

SISC and SureHarvest Awarded Funding from Conservation Innovation Grant Program of USDA

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack awarded SureHarvest and SISC a $761,820 Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) to help specialty crop owners measure their performance in sustainable practices.  The grant allows SISC to continue its work developing a way for companies to identify and track sustainable processes and materials in their supply chain and do in field pilot testing, said Jeff Dlott, founding president of SureHarvest.  

Biopesticides Come of Age

If you associate biopesticides with organic farming, it might surprise you to find out that more are used in conventional fields than in organic fields. They are a great fit in many pest-management programs.

Sustainability: Getting Down To Business

Leading food, retail and foodservice companies have reported cost savings in the areas of energy and waste management attributed to their sustainability efforts.  In our experience, there are opportunities for growers for increasing the efficiency of critical resources including energy, water, fertilizers and other necessary inputs.

Sustainable Growing's Third 'E'

Although labor is the most costly part of growing winegrapes, social equity, the "Third E" often gets the least amount of time devoted to it.  In this months column, Cliff shares his thoughts on creating a sustainable vision for your company and developing an effective human resources management program.

The most powerful grower in Napa

According to the Wall Street Journal's Lettie Teague who writes about wine in the Life and Culture section, Andy Beckstoffer is the most powerful grower in Napa. Andy farms some of the best Cabernet winegrapes and sells to small and large wineries alike. Since 2007, SureHarvest is proud to be the farming data software provider for Beckstoffer Vineyards.

Sustainability isn't new

The Almond Board of California CEO Richard Waycott notes that sustainability is being driven by mainstream food companies and retail chains. The Almond Board wants to prepare its members for meeting this marketplace demand through the California Almond Sustainability Program.  Almond growers participating the self-assessment program designed by SureHarvest for the Almond Board are finding that many of their growing practices are meeting sustainability goals. In this article, Dr. Dan Sonke of SureHarvest provides and example of the kinds of self-assessment questions being asked as it relates to water management.

Soquel software company sowing sustainability

Our local paper, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, profiled SureHarvest in it's Sunday Business section.

California IPM Innovators Honored

SureHarvest was one of six recipients of the California Department of Regulation's IPM Innovator awards, described here in this Growing Produce article.

Almond growers are taking the initiative on sustainability

Responding to questions from their buyers and pressure from regulators, the Almond Board of California is taking proactive steps to lead its growers to understanding and implementing sustainability strategies. This Ag Alert article provides an overview of the California Almond Sustainability Program and its progress to date.

Incorporating Strategy into Day-To-Day Business

Given the growing relevance of sustainability in the agricultural industry, the American Vegetable Grower magazine launched a new column called "Sustainable Ag" with SureHarvest CEO Jeff Dlott writing as the guest columnist. In his debut column, Jeff articulate the benefits of integrating sustainability as a business strategy to drive day-to-day operations.

SureHarvest spearheads sustainbility projects

Packer reporter Don Schrack interviews Dr. Cliff Ohmart, VP Professional Services, about SureHarvest work with to develop sustainability programs for more than a dozen California commodity groups with funding from the CDFA Specialty Crop Block Grants program.

Agriculture lecture speaks on sustainability

The next generation of agricultural leaders at Cal Poly got a lecture in sustainability from a pioneer, Dr. Cliff Ohmart, VP Professional Services for SureHarvest.

California farmers answer retailers' requests

Modesto Bee reporter John Holland features several growers who are responding to an increase in request from retailers for sustainability performance, including Chris Savage of E.J. Gallo Winery and Chair of the California Sustainability Wine Alliance; and Fresno County grower John Diener who farms according to the sustainability certification program of The Farm Alliance.

Valley farmers see future in sustainable agriculture

Farmers in the Central Valley are pursuing various strategies to respond to the growing demand for sustainability in the marketplace. This Fresno Bee article highlights efforts of The Food Alliance, The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, as well as the sustainability programs employed by trade associations including the Almond Board of California, the Lodi-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission and the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance. SureHarvest marketing manager Barbara Meister is quoted noting that the drive for sustainability is apparent in the boardrooms of many Fortune 500 companies.

Nut producers embrace goal of sustainability

The Packer highlights the work of the peanut, pistachio and hazelnut industries in their pursuit of sustainability strategies. SureHarvest recently completed a Needs Assessment for the Oregon Hazelnut Commission, providing the industry with direction for launching a sustainability program for their member growers. Their program will begin with the development of a self-assessment, benchmark measurement and continuous improvement initiatives in the areas of Pest Management and Soil Management.

Sustainability plays increasing role in foodservice

Dr. Jeff Dlott spoke at the Culinary Institute of America's conference in September.

Communicating Sustainability to the Consumer

Andrew Arnold reviewed recent consumer market research at the recent Sustainable Agricultural Partnerships to illustrate the potential opportunities for creating value supply chains for sustainability in the food and ag sector. Read more about the conference discussions on consumer trends in sustainability in The Triple Pundit article, Communicating Sustainability to the Consumer. 

California pears high on sustainability scale

SureHarvest Professional Services was commissioned by the California Pear Advisory Board and the Pear Pest Management Research Fund to survey the use of sustainability farming practices among California pear growers. SureHarvest surveyed 56 growers representing 71% of the industry and found a large majority employing integrated pest management practices, conservative applications of fertilizer and a high use of cover crops to conserve soil.

California pear growers get good marks for sustainability

SureHarvest Professional Services was commissioned by the California Pear Advisory Board and the Pear Pest Management Research Fund to conduct a survey of California pear growers from June - November 2009 to assess farming practices according to best management practices for sustainability performance. SureHarvest surveyed 56 growers representing 71% of the industry. The survey found a large majority employing integrated pest management practices, conservative applications of fertilizer and a high use of cover crops to conserve soil. The study also highlighted areas for improvement providing the industry with a benchmark to focus on continuous improvement.

Getting Strategic About Measuring Sustainability

Tim York of Markon and Dr. Jeff Dlott of SureHarvest discuss the strategic reasons for a standard measurement of sustainability performance for the fresh produce industry.

The Greening of San Joaquin

As green efforts become increasingly important in San Joaquin, programs such as the Lodi Rules, certified by Protected Harvest, are experiencing great progress.  Cliff Ohmart, of SureHarvest, talks about the development of a self-assessment workbook for sustainability in collaboration with the Almond Board of California.     

New agricultural initiative aims to move past greenwashing into measured sustainability

As everyone tests out new systems to measure sustainability its the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops that aims to draw the bottom-line for what can be considered sustainable practices.  Andrew Arnold, of SureHarvest, comments on the companies involved in the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops that are working towards that bottom line. 

Consumers Focus on Sustainability

Jeff Dlott, of SureHarvest, spoke at the United Fresh Produce Sustainability Conference in 2010 about emerging trends in sustainability.  As many major corporations are incorporating sustainability practices into their daily operations consumers will have more options than ever to connect with their favorite retailers.  Consumer loyatly is key and could carve out a niche market for companies practicing sustainability.  

A Sustainability MPG Rating

The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops will list metrics in 14 categories to measure sustainable performance throughout the specialty crop supply chain.  Organizers hope the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops will become a user-friendly industry standard that will save time and money for growers trying to meet demands of multiple buyers and sustainability auditors.  The organizers of the Stewardship Index are made up of members from many organizations that represent buyers, growers, and non-governmental organizations. 

You Shouldn't Have to Pay More for Eco-Friendly Produce

The Healthy Grown Wisconsin potato label has announced it will price its potatoes at the market price for Wisconsin potatoes instead of at the premium price for eco-friendly grown produce.  Protected Harvest certifies and audits all Healthy Grown growers, packers, and shippers to ensure the company adheres to strict environmental standards.  Healthy Grown has found sustainability to be economical and is passing these savings on to their customers.     

Sustainable Opportunity

Dr. Jeff Dlott, of SureHarvest, discusses businesses looking inward and finding cost saving opportunities through sustainability practices.  The Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops is working to develop a common set of sustainability metrics that businesses in the specialty crop supply chain can use to compare performance metrics against those of industry averages for ultimate efficiency.   

Charting the Course for a Stable Processing Sector

SureHarvest’s Jeff Dlott attended the sold-out POTATO EXPO 2010 and tradeshow.  Attendees came from all over the world to learn about the most important issues facing the potato industry.

No Boring Wines

Michelle Machado of San Joaquin Lifestyles discusses the sustainable winegrowing practices maintained by the Ripkens Vineyards and Winery Inc. which are audited by Protected Harvest according to the Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing.  These sustainable winegrowing practices support biodiversity while allowing the growth of many varietals of grapes.

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Sustainability Hot Topic At Winegrower Meeting

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important from farms to governemnt legislation to consumers and it showed at the 2010 Wine and Grape Symposium.  Businesses are taking initiative and cutting costs with sustainability while finding ways to profit from it.  Jeff Dlott, of SureHarvest, said the winegrape industry has been a leader in the sustainability movement.   

Programs take shape by different methods

Different companies have used different strategies to convert to sustainability practices, from a specific group of employees focused on sustainability to incorporating sustainability as a company wide practice in which everyone is involved.  Andrew Arnold, of SureHarvest, urges that sustainability practices are most successful when driven by the top management of a company.        

Sustainable Business Practices Take Center Stage

Businesses of all sizes are beginning to look toward sustainability programs to reduce emissions, lower costs, and increase long-term profits.  Barbara Meister, of SureHarvest, named just a few of the smaller, west coast companies that are taking steps towards sustainability.  Just as food safety was once optional, in a few years sustainability will be just as much of a requirement from the government and the public.    

Company offers guidelines for starting sustainability plan

Andrew Arnold, of SureHarvest, offers a few recommendations for converting to sustainability from making the decision to convert to the actual process of converting.  

Getting Started

Pam Mitchell of Sureharvest speaks at the Washington State Horticultural Association about choosing the appropriate farming management information system.  The appropriate system for a farm depends on the data that each farm aims to collect and which features of a software program are the most important.   

Documenting sustainability: Software contributes to sustainable management

Peter Mitham of Good Fruit Grower discusses the value of farming management software for data-driven decision making to manage toward sustainability. With farming data collected and analyzed through the SureHarvest Farming MIS, growers can determine if their farming practices are having the intended results. Resource use can be optimized if growers can see correlations between inputs, weather and farming practices.

Sustainable Benchmark

Sureharvest farming MIS allows farmers to benchmark data resulting from sustainability practices. The benchmarks make it possible for farmers to compare themselves to competitors and to show real data to retailers demanding sustainability.    

Winning numbers. Almond industry begins to collect data to back sustainability claims.

Vicky Boyd, editor of The Grower magazine, reviews the Almond Sustainability Program launched by the Almond Board of California in collaboration with SureHarvest. Modeled after the Sustainable Winegrowing Program, the almond industry recognizes the growing demand for data among its buyers and the value of a grower-driven self-assessment tool to measure how growers are doing and identify opportunities for improvement.

Why Sustainability? Almond Board Newsletter

ABC's Sustainability Self-Assessment Program Discussed. The latest step in the Almond Board's industrywide sustainability initiative is a self-assessment program designed to inventory actual practices in the orchard. The program's first module-focused on irrigation and fertilizer management practices-is likely to provide a prototype for additional self-assessment modules down the road.

Sustainability an opportunity, speaker says

The Capital Press attended the Washington Horticultural Association's presentation by Dr. Cliff Ohmart on Trends in Sustainability: An opportunity or an imposition?

"I like the term sustainability, but I know a lot of growers do not," said Clifford Ohmart, vice president of professional services of Sureharvest and former sustainable wine growing director at the Lodi, Calif., Winegrape Commission.

"It's the three Es," he said. "It's economically viable, environmentally sound and socially equitable."

Sustainability discussed at Washington Horticultural Association Meeting

Food safety and sustainability were the major focus of the recent Washington Horticultural Association Meeting held in Wenatchee, WA. The Packer reports on presentations of Dr. Cliff Ohmart's overview of sustainability intiatives by Walmart, Sysco and others. This article also includes coverage of the presentation by Jonathan Kaplan of NRDC regarding the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, and food safety issues by Hank Giclas of Western Growers Association.

Sustainability ranks high among citrus growers' priorities

Tom Burfield of The Packer reviews the strategies of several citrus growers in their pursuit of sustainability. SunWest Fruit Co., has chosen to certify its growing practices through Protected Harvest and market its citrus under the Zeal brand.

Sustainability pilot looks to add participants

Tom Karst, national editor of The Packer reviews the progress of the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops with Dr. Jeff Dlott of SureHarvest. With funding from the USDA Conservation Innovation Grant of $630,000, the metrics will soon be pilot tested to see what works and what doesn't. The USDA grant is supplemented with In-kind support from participating companies including Markon Cooperative, Salinas, Calif.; SunWest Fruit Inc., Parlier, Calif.; National Potato Council, Washington, D.C.; Driscoll's, Watsonville, Calif.; Stemilt Growers Inc., Wenatchee, Wash.; Wada Farms Marketing Group, Idaho Falls, Ida.; Del Cabo Inc., Santa Cruz, Calif.; and Sodexo Inc, Gaithersburg, Md.

Specialty crop grant benefits almonds

The California Almond Board was awarded 3 Specialty Crop Grants from the California Department of Food and Agriculture. SureHarvest will be collaborating with the Almond Board to develop an integrated water and nutrient resource management program to help growers increase water and nutrient resource use efficiency. The project will include developing a self-assessment and benchmarking tool, decision-making tools and industry outreach and education.

SureHarvest receives USDA grant funding

The Packer reports on SureHarvest's award of $630,000 from the USDA Conservation Innovation Grant program to fund the pilot testing of the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops.

SureHarvest introduces map tool

The Packer's Bob Luder reports on SureHarvest latest product offering - Farming InSight, a GIS-map based decision support tool for growers and farm managers.

Walmart plans index to encourage suppliers to embrace sustainability

SureHarvest Barbara Meister comments on Walmart's proposed sustainability index.

Winning sustainability efforts depend on the 4 P's

Dr. Jeff Dlott outlines a strategy for achieving sustainability by focusing on Principles, Practices, Processes and Performance as key to business innovation.

Companies work toward sustainable practices

Ashley Bentley of The Packer reviews recent efforts by retailers and grower-shippers to meet new demands for sustainability, as well as the efforts of the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops. She references a presentation by Jeff Dlott of the scope of sustainability initiatives in the agri-food supply chain.

Zeal for the environment nets EPA award for FreshSense

Protected Harvest partner FreshSense Wins EPA Recognition

Fresh Talk with Dr. Jeff Dlott

SureHarvest President engages in FreshTalk with Tom Karst of The Packer.

The Greening of Retail

Protected Harvest certification program for fresh produce is cited as one of many suggestions for retailers pursuing a sustainability strategy for their customers.

Sustainability: Difficult Economy Could Be Boon for Progress

Editor Tim Linden of Western Grower & Shipper magazine asked Dr. Jeff Dlott if now is the right time to pursue sustainability strategies in a down economy. Read the full article to find out why Jeff thinks sustainability and profitability go "hand in hand."

DPR honors efforts to reduce pesticides

FreshSense, a citrus and stonefruit packing company based in Parlier, California, was honored as an IPM Innovator by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. FreshSense produces citrus and stonefruit using sustainable agricultural practices certified by Protected Harvest.

The Rise of Sustainability

Dr. Dan Sonke reviews the reasons behind mainstream interest in sustainability

SureHarvest acquires ScanControl, plans to offer services to more growers

Bob Luder of The Packer reports on what the SureHarvest acquisition of ScanControl will mean for growers in the fresh produce industry.

Stake a claim in new sustainability standards

Greg Johnson, Editor of ThePacker.com, reviews both the Leonardo Academy and the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops initiatives to set standards for sustainability. Jeff Dlott, president and chief executive officer of SureHarvest, a sustainability consulting and information systems company based in Soquel, Calif., and a co-founder of the Stewardship Index for Specialty Crops, said "We have a blank slate now," he said, referring to the original draft by the Leonardo Academy. The purpose of the Stewardship Index is to develop a standard set of performance metrics for assessing sustainability based on outcomes, not practices.

California Stonefruit company wins IPM award

Protected Harvest Partner FreshSense, based in Parlier, CA, was recognized as an IPM Innovator by the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. FreshSense, a company formed by Fowler Packing Co., SunWest Fruit Co., and Ballantine Produce Co. produces Zeal and Treehouse Kids branded stonefruit under the Protected Harvest certification program, managed by SureHarvest. Read the full article in American/Western Fruit Grower magazine.

First Green Wine Summit delves into sustainable business practices

SureHarvest CEO Jeff Dlott discussed Walmart's sustainability index and its implications for winegrape growers at the first-ever Green Wine Summit.

Western Growers discusses sustainability topics

SureHarvest CEO Jeff Dlott participated in a panel discussion at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Western Growers, presenting the Sustainable Winegrowing Program as a model program for sustainability.

The 2008 Sustainability Report: First Steps

Laura Drotleff asked Jeff to give advice to growers on the best way to move toward a sustainable model.

Defining Sustainability

SureHarvest CEO Jeff Dlott comments on the efforts by ANSI to develop sustainability standards and advocates defining metrics for measuring performance, instead of practice-based standards.

Innovative outreach increases adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices in Lodi region

Abstract: The widespread adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices depends not only on rigorous science, but also on its effective delivery to growers. The Lodi Winegrape Commission (LWC) created a unique self-assessment workbook and implementation program for increasing the adoption of sustainable winegrowing practices. This project was based on results from published research projects — many generated by UC scientists — and on-farm demonstration projects carried out by LWC growers and vineyard consultants. Data from two grower surveys shows that the program led to the increased adoption of specific sustainable winegrowing practices in the Lodi region. It has also served as a model for programs in other wine regions, including in California and New York.

Green Wine Without Greenwashing?

Cliff Ohmart, Research Director for Lod-Woodbridge Winegrape Commission
Cliff has collaborated with Jeff Dlott since the 1990s and is credited with inspiring SureHarvest with his early use of barcode technology for field pest scouting and database system to track pest management farming practices.

Pundit's Mailbag - Sustainability Needs To Be Embraced By Industry

FreshSense CEO, Blair Richardson, a partner in the Protected Harvest certification program, wrote this response to the May 2 article by Jeff Dlott.

Sustainability Expert Provides Insights To A Similar Industry

An interview with CEO Jeff Dlott, exploring the history and role of SureHarvest in developing the Sustainable Winegrowing Program for the California wine industry.

Industry Must Focus on Sustainability

SureHarvest CEO Jeff Dlott and Tim Markon, of Markon Cooperative, a leading foodservice distributor in Salinas, CA, argue for an industry-wide focus to create measureable and verifiable performance-based metrics for sustainability in the fresh produce sector.

Technology with Traction: Six Innovations that Can Lighten Your Load

Thomas Ulrich reviews technology innovations for vineyards, including SureHarvest software for in-field data collection and record-keeping.

Organizing, Recording and Managing Just Got Easier

Megan Pierce interviews two customers, Robert Pirie of Colligere Farm Management and Mike Wolf of Michael Wolf Vineyard Services about their experiences with SureHarvest for vineyard management.

Vineyard Management Software

Mark Greenspan reviews 11 different software programs and services for vineyard management, including SureHarvest. See pgs. 4, 7 and 8 to see how SureHarvest compares to our competitors.

Sustainable Growing Goes High-Tech

Matt Villano interviewed Jeff Dlott for the history of SureHarvest and the software application for the Sustainable Winegrowing Program.