Ho ho ho! The holidays are here! For 130 years, Santa and Paula have been dashing through the orchards. With our One World of Citrus™, we can bring you simply the zest citrus throughout the year; but no time feels as lovely and a-peeling as this holiday season. The only thing sour on the ranch is our lemons, seedless lemons, Meyers, and pinks because you inspire us with your support and loyalty by keeping Limoneira citrus on your shopping list. So, from all of us here at the Limoneira Ranch, we wish you a healthy, happy, and joyful holiday season. Now, let’s unwrap our latest news!

Sustainability goes hand-in-hand with innovation, and Limoneira is proud to announce a new way it's leading the charge. A new partnership between Desert Control (DSRT) and Limoneira (Nasdaq: LMNR) looks to enable climate-smart and resilient agribusiness with optimal usage of water, fertilizers, and natural resources while optimizing yields and quality of citrus production in desert environments.

The initial scope of the project is to apply Liquid Natural Clay (LNC) for 2,000 citrus trees at the Limoneira ranch in Cadiz, San Bernadino, California, and for 2,000 citrus trees at the Limoneira ranch in Yuma, Arizona, combined covering approximately 40 acres of land.

“The only way forward in our changing climate is to work with our natural systems to produce the finest, freshest citrus fruits and avocados,” says Edgar Gutierrez, Vice President of Farming Operations at Limoneira Company. This partnership helps Limoneira meet these objectives creatively, and forging strategic partnerships like this is exciting for us all! Learn more here.

Limoneira is happy to announce the appointment of Stewart Lockwood to the position of Vice President of Field Operations!

As Vice President of Field Operations, Lockwood is directly responsible for the Harvesting and Grower Services departments and interacts closely with the packing, sales, and food safety departments to drive annual estimates, operations, sales, and financial goals that best align with the Limoneira company standards.

His ties to the business of citrus and avocado growing can be traced back to his childhood. Lockwood’s family had a ranch in Santa Paula where they grew lemons and Valencia oranges. They also had a small avocado grove that produced six different varieties.

He attended St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura, California, and studied business management at the University of Southern California (USC) and Cal State Northridge. 

In 1994, Lockwood moved to the San Joaquin Valley for his first packing house job with a small lemon shipper where he served as Shipping Supervisor and later Sales Coordinator. His next position was Salesperson for national produce grower and distributor DiMare Fresh, where in 2004, he was named General Manager of their Citrus Sales Office.

In 2010 Lockwood returned to Santa Paula to work for Limoneira, where over the next decade, he held the titles of Director of Lemon Packing, Director of Field Operations, and most recently, Senior Director of Grower Services and Field Operations. In addition to his role at Limoneira, Lockwood is the current President of the Valley Ag Federal Credit Union, a member of the California Avocado Inspection Committee, and Past Worthy President of the Porterville Eagles Lodge.

“Stewart Lockwood is a talented manager with deep knowledge of the citrus industry. He has a long list of accomplishments in our community and the industry, and Limoneira is proud to name him to the position of Vice President of Field Operations,” said Harold Edwards, Limoneira President and CEO. “We are confident that his ability, extensive knowledge, and leadership will help propel Limoneira forward as it continues to grow and expand.” Congrats Stewart!

Limoneira is excited to announce the launch of its newly redesigned investor relations website. The new site further highlights the Limoneira story and makes it easier for the investment community to learn and locate valuable information. We encourage you to explore the website here and hope you enjoy the new look.

Limoneira is committed to its strategy to monetize over $150 million of certain non-core assets as we streamline operations, expect to improve the consistency of earnings and increase EBITDA and dividend per share to maximize long-term shareholder value. We hope you enjoy the new look as much as we do! Check it out here.

Ever notice the wind machines sitting high above the Limoneira trees? If not, take a peek! These offer sustainable ways to ensure that the warmer air above the tree canopy is circulated with the colder air closer to the ground. This helps to protect the fruit from changing weather conditions and represents just another way that Limoneira continues to put the environment at the center of how it operates! Be sure to check out our Instagram page for more.

This Dried Orange Holiday Wreath is a must-try for the season! Megan Roosevelt, our beloved Limoneira spokesperson, puts a sunny spin on Christmas this year with Limoneira citrus! In this fun video, Megan decorates with oranges and adds an uplifting, energized twist to the traditional wreath. This easy, DIY holiday wreath is a beautiful way to pay tribute to the tradition of gifting an orange at Christmas and features dried oranges that give a pop of color and also add a beautiful scent to your home! Wherever you want to spruce things up, this wreath will work beautifully! Watch the video here.

CONGRATS to our Limoneira subscriber Lisa Adams from West Frankfort, Illinois. She proves that keeping lemons top of mind and in your inbox can bring a little extra TLC into your day. We appreciate you, Lisa, and wish you a Happy Holiday season!

In fact, we wish you ALL a Happy Holiday season, and we will see you in the New Year!

And don't forget - The ZEST IS YET TO COME!