Sustainability

Root 24 Farms’ mission is to grow the most wonderful organic blueberries while being a true steward of the planet. We farm organically only and utilize sustainable farming practices that few other blueberry growers employ. Our commitment to sustainability includes the packaging we use and the delicious, healthy and fun products we develop.

• Organic Certification: All of our land, fruit and products are certified organic, which is a regenerative approach to farming. Organic certification means we never use any GMOs or any of the 700 conventional agricultural chemicals banned by the USDA organic standards.
• Salmon Safe Certification: Our Moxee ranches are all Salmon Safe Certified and we’re in the process of certifying our Othello ranches. Salmon Safe certification means not only are our farming practices not contributing harmful chemicals to critical salmon habitat, but we are proactively improving biodiversity on our ranches. For example, we have dedicated sections of our ranches to biodiversity banks and native species. This has resulted in an increase in beneficial insects which aids in pest control on our crops.
• Irrigation: We use drip irrigation to ensure we are applying the precise amount of water the plant needs – no more and no less. We have a hydrologic engineer on the farm who has established a sophisticated system of diagnostic sensors that helps guide our irrigation program. And we use aerial photography of our ranches to identify any trouble spots and confirm ideal plant health.
• Fertility: Like irrigation, we meter application of organic fertilizer so each plant is getting the optimal amount of fertilizer as it grows.
• Energy Utilization: We plan our tractor runs and choose attachments expressly to minimize fuel consumption and our precision irrigation practices ensure that our pumps use less fuel than typical farming.
• Packaging: Fresh and bottled packaging is made from recycled plastic. Frozen, dried and powder products’ packaging is recyclable. And all carry How2Recycle information.
• Waste Reduction: To use as much of the plant as possible, we harvest the blueberry bush leaves in the fall to make antioxidant rich tea.
• Worker Treatment: All of our employees are hired locally at a competitive wage. All are eligible for medical coverage, paid time off, and our retirement program after completing 1500 hours of service.
• Community Support: We invest regularly in our local community, focused on education, health, and environmental conservation.