The team at Rainier Fruit Company works day in and day out to achieve full-circle sustainability across its operations. From innovative programs that promote soil health at its orchards to its ability to harness the environment as both a tool and partner, this is one supplier that has long been committed to doing what’s right. Treating every day like it’s Earth Day, the grower’s approach to sustainability is all in the fine details. Read on to see how Rainier Fruit achieves this mission while remaining a force of nature.
A key component of growing fruit is taking care of the soil the trees are planted in. One way Rainier Fruit Company achieves this is through its soil amendment program, which utilizes culled apples and clippings from the orchards to create a nutritious soil compound known as humus. This helps keep the supplier’s soil strong and healthy without the addition of harsh compounds.
Without the little bugs buzzing around its trees in the springtime, Rainier Fruit wouldn’t have any fruit to speak of. Because they are so important to growing crops, Rainier employs numerous techniques to protect these precious invertebrates—including Integrated Pest Management practices, bolstering plant health to reduce the need for crop applications, and actively researching new ways to control pests that prioritize pollinator health. The company even teamed up with Bee Better Certified® to certify 150 acres of pollinator habitat and put the final seal of approval on its plantings.
Rainier Fruit has made an interesting and creative contribution toward helping the environment in recent years. With efficiency in mind, the company developed a mile-saving bus route schedule for all of its trucks to follow, while still guaranteeing the product gets where it needs to go. This intercompany bus route schedule cuts Rainier Fruit’s carbon emissions in half while taking the strain off the environment by pulling extra trucks off of the road.
