DELANO, CA — Castle Rock Vineyards, here, hosted an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, Sept. 23, to mark the completion of what is said to be one of the larger solar electric generating system installations for an agricultural facility in the nation.

Nissa Pierson, owner and managing director of Ger-Nis International in Brooklyn, NY, spent the week of Sept. 20 in Peru meeting with fair trade and organic producers. She told The Produce News that it's always nice to get to the source.

"We like to take the information we gain from the growers to share with our customers, which we’ll be doing at the PMA Fresh Summit in October," said Ms. Pierson. “This includes product information, of course, but it’s also about how growing these products helps growers to survive.”

It is not surprising that Zach Smith sees himself as a custodian of the land for future generations. As a member of the sixth generation to farm the same soil, the 26-year-old is appreciative of what has been handed down, both materially and philosophically.

When Katy Lesser bought Healthy Living Natural Foods Market in 1986, it was what the company refers to as a "baby," with only 1,200 square feet. On a good day of business, it saw about 25 customers.

Today, Ms. Lesser's son, Eli Lesser-Goldsmith, and her daughter, Nina Lesser- Goldsmith, are her partners in what has evolved into a highly successful operation that is located in South Burlington, VT.

Deardorff Family Farms in Oxnard, CA, has been focused on sustainable farming practices since the company's inception in 1937, according to Tom Deardorff II, president.

"It is something that has always been important to us as a family, something that we thought we had always been doing," he said.

As part of its ongoing sustainability and land stewardship efforts, Giumarra Vineyards Corp. has contracted for the installation of a photovoltaic solar and co-generation facility adjacent to its main packing facility in Bakersfield, CA. Giumarra has partnered with California-based HelioPower, an industry leading solar engineering company for the project. The firm has completed large- scale projects worldwide and its North American clients, include Safeway and The Scripps Institute of Oceanography.