This Earth Month, Rainier Fruit Company is showcasing its Regenerative Organic Certified® ranch to shine a light on what regenerative farming is and why the grower believes in this system. Gap Ranch is one of the world’s largest apple orchards certified by the Regenerative Organic Alliance and exemplifies how Rainier Fruit is staying ahead of the curve from the ground up.
Foundationally, regenerative farming is simple: It assures that agriculture benefits all stakeholders. This mission drives the non-profit Regenerative Organic Alliance, which created a certification promoting soil health and farmworker fairness. The Regenerative Organic Certified seal of approval demonstrates that a farm reaches dozens of standards ranging from water usage to worker empowerment.
Sustainability is everyday business at Rainier Fruit, where people and planet-friendly practices have long been utilized across the operation to provide quality fruit year-round for six years and counting. The company has thousands of farm acres certified by various organizations including USDA Organic, Equitable Food Initiative, and the Xerces Society of Invertebrate Conservation. To continue its commitment to growing things the right way, Rainier’s Gap Ranch earned Regenerative Organic Certified status in late 2023.
Gap Ranch demonstrates that this method is not only possible on a large scale, but also produces quality fruit. The orchards are farmed 100 percent regeneratively using practices including integrated pest management, worm-casting tea fertilizer, and green cover cropping. All of these systems embody regenerative agriculture’s basic principle—that we are not separate from nature, but rather willing participants in the ancient cycle of life.
