WENATCHEE, WA - Further growing its commitment to sustainability, Stemilt Growers is doubling down on its social responsibility program, Responsible Choice®, by making its first investment in solar energy. At its new distribution center set to open this summer, the Fresh Cube, Stemilt has installed 100 solar panels.

“Solar panels are a great way to give back to the land that helps us grow our world famous fruit,” shared Marketing Director Roger Pepperl. “Preserving renewable resources is a natural progression of our Responsible Choice program, which has developed many sustainability and social responsibility ideas into initiatives since it first started back in 1989.”

According to a press release, Stemilt’s new solar panels are expected to generate enough kilowatt hours of energy to power 3.1 homes annually in Stemilt’s home base of Chelan County. Homes in Chelan County consume about 10,766 kilowatts of energy per year on average.

“As the Fresh Cube opens, Stemilt will become the largest solar energy producer in Chelan County. And as we continue with operations at the Fresh Cube, we have designed the panels in a way that we can expand in the future,” explained Pepperl.

He continued, “There isn’t a great deal of focus on solar in our state, especially when compared to places like California. Making this investment into solar was not about energy credits for us, rather, about preserving the natural resources that we need to grow high-quality fruit so that we can continue to do it for years to come,” said Pepperl.

Stemilt’s Responsible Choice program was started by late Founder Tom Mathison in 1989, based on his belief that “we’re just caretakers of the land for a short time, and it’s our job to leave it as good as we possibly can, or better if we can.” Mathison launched the program the same year he both transitioned a large number of acres to organic production and began implementing integrated pest management techniques in orchards to reduce pesticide use.

Now led by Tom’s grandson, West Mathison, Stemilt has continued to implement sustainable practices and social responsibility actions into its everyday work. Other examples of Responsible Choice actions include:

• Using LED and motion activated lighting to make energy use more efficient
• Helping the Wenatchee Valley community dispose of its green waste to make compost for Stemilt Farms
• Reducing carbon emissions by centralizing the company’s footprint

The company’s solar power investment comes just ahead of Earth Day on April 22, Pepperl notes, adding that, at Stemilt, every day is Earth Day when its long-time environmental stewardship is taken into account.

Stemilt Growers