The heat is on! Summer is around the corner and with that comes grilling, vacations, and being outdoors. So, we thought we’d share some ways to have fun in the sun – with recipes, tips, and a variety of ways to celebrate this time of year! Plus a very special announcement to "Catch the Citrus Wave" and win fabulous prizes on Limoneira’s Instagram every week! So grab a beach blanket and read on! 

John Carter, Vice President of Sales, has said that all citrus has done well as the foodservice sector has rebounded from the COVID-19 impact. Great news and that trend is expected to continue. Along with that will be the exciting new summer campaign: "Catch the Citrus Wave!"

“Always looking to capture the impulse sale at retail we are introducing our new 'Catch the Citrus Wave' packaging for lemons, navels, and mandarins,” says Carter. “Michal Gurrola, Marketing Coordinator, Susan Jones-Ng, Director of International Business Development, and Michael Gonzales, Marketing Manager, all worked together to create the wave for our new summer packaging!”

Each bag of lemons, oranges, and mandarins will highlight the variety with their corresponding loveable citrus characters. Plus, an easy to scan QR code that will take the shopper directly to the "Catch the Citrus Wave" landing page which is full of delightful recipes, games, coloring activities, and sustainable farming initiatives.

The company looks forward to the new campaign playing out with retail partners and with consumers. Not only is this campaign expected to be buzz-worthy and engaging for consumers and retail partners alike, but Limoneira is also anticipating more business to boom – not only from the promotion but also from foodservice overall, especially following the recent trends.

Time to ride the wave of Limoneira citrus and WIN! This summer we’re celebrating LIMONEIRA citrus in stores near you and via our social media platforms! Not only can you enjoy the refreshing, zesty, and healthy oranges, mandarins, lemons, and more this summer, but every week you can WIN fabulous beach-themed SWAG on our Limoneira Instagram page! Make sure you’re following us and participating in our WIN on WEDNESDAYS promotions. You’ll find our "Catch the Citrus Wave" bags at select grocery stores so be on the lookout! And get ready, because Limoneira’s surfin’ it up this summer! 

Water is such a precious resource, and Limoneira is continuing to champion water conservation through its environmentally sound wastewater facility. Mark Palamountain, Chief Financial Officer, talks to Living Local about this innovative facility and how it becomes TITLE 22 certified water. This water is used for landscape irrigation and more on the ranch, saving almost 160-acre feet per year on precious water. And that’s a lot of water saved for the Earth!

Limoneira has been doing this since 2014 when it came up with this innovative way to service and supply water efficiently and sustainably onsite. Vegetation roots remove the toxins, which clean the water naturally versus using chemicals. This system also doesn’t require many pumps like many do, and the one pump it does operates by gravity! These systems are processing water – 150,000 gallons a day! Instead of using chemicals, Limoneira uses Mother Nature to naturally clean its water with the final touch being the UV light rays, which kill bacteria as the final step in creating the clean water. This water filtration system helps Limoneira operate efficiently, cost-effectively, and helps the environment in a huge way! We just love the way Limoneira operates!

Need a special floral centerpiece for a luncheon, or bridal shower? Or even your wedding perhaps? Look no further! Megan Roosevelt aka The Healthy Grocery Girl and our beloved spokesperson gives us the scoop – the citrus scoop that is! Check out how easy and yet how special these floral bouquets are when put right in the center of a large orange! Yes, that’s right – in the center of an orange! These florals are sure to brighten up and energize your table with just the right touch of beauty – and scents! Check out this DIY video here.

Limoneira continues to strive being an eco-friendly company. Our first sustainability report was published in 2020. This 2020 report demonstrated Limoneira’s commitment to long-term environmental best practices and set the baseline for future growth and transparency. This year, we are working with two students, Sarah-Anne Rohlfing and Meghna Rao, who are pursuing their Master’s Degrees from the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Over the summer, Sarah and Meghna will be quantifying the sustainable practices that are the foundation of Limoneira’s Environmental Pillars: Renewable Energy; Water Use Efficiency, and Soil Restorative Practices. Welcome, Sarah and Meghna!

With company-owned solar fields, a 750-kWh tesla battery, and solar panel roof installations Limoneira is fighting climate change daily by reducing greenhouse gas emissions with renewable energy initiatives. Ongoing upgrades on irrigation installations are reducing water use throughout our orchards. Drip irrigation and soil moisture probes are being used in conjunction to home in watering times and volume to better estimate the watering needs of our trees in varying areas with different climates, tree age, soils, and varietals.

The company is running multiple test trials to better understand the potential benefits of using algae as a natural fertilizer, mulching pruned branches between tree rows, planting cover crops, and encouraging pollinator success with native flower combinations.

We at Limoneira are proud to have a team of passionate, environmentally conscious farmers working to create a continued legacy of sustainability. We’re very excited to see the outputs of Limoneira’s agricultural best practices using data-driven evidence as we develop our 2022 Sustainability Report!

Our Grower Partners are just as important to Limoneira’s ongoing success as each of our valuable customers in the marketplace, and we are committed to maximizing their success. With this in mind, we have just put together a stellar team to help these partners in all their growing endeavors. This is part of our best-in-class approach to serving our Grower Partners and to help them to reach their goals and achieve success together!

Welcome our new team:

Perfect for Father’s Day or any day you want to make just a little more special, you’ll love these Grilled Lemon Chicken Street Tacos & Pink Lemon Strawberry Margaritas!

Aaron Roosevelt, husband to our Limoneira spokesperson shares with us this delicious, healthy, and flavorful recipe featuring zesty Limoneira lemons, peppers, and chicken. It is the easy, zesty, and healthy dish to grill up and serve any summer day – or for the father in your family on this Father’s Day!

Plus, what better way to celebrate any special day than creating a delicious Pink Lemon Strawberry Margarita – whether you prefer it as a mocktail or cocktail. The Pink Lemon juice – from Limoneira of course – is the real star of this show, and with just the right amount of agave syrup, tequila or soda water, and a skewer of frozen strawberries, it’s sublime sipping at its finest! In no time, you’ll have a festive celebration in a salt-rimmed glass! See more about this here. Cheers!

Anyone interested in farming and fresh food understands that food safety is paramount to any practice and an integral part of the conversation. Limoneira was proud to host an event to help educate all of those interested in these Good Agricultural Practices / Good Harvesting Practices because it is essential that high standards and protocols are well-understood and always adhered to. Plus, for those in this field (no pun intended), this is mandatory education in order to stay abreast of all of the new discoveries and new regulations, if any, to be in the highest standards of ag production.

Tomas Gonzalez, Director of Global Food Safety & Compliance, hosted 50 plus attendees from growers, ranch workers, harvest contractors, and facilities, representing lemon, avocado, and leafy green commodities. The common goal was food safety, and it was an exciting day to share passions and knowledge on how to provide safe food to consumers globally. This was part of the VCFSA, a non-profit and advocate for food safety professionals everywhere. As their slogan reads, “Food Safety has no competition!”

We know that lemons are the perfect fruit to complement so many of your foods and boost your health and wellness, but they’re also the not-so-secret power ingredient behind keeping your home safe and clean in a healthy, natural way! Here are five ways to use Limoneira lemons to the max!

Cleanliness never smelled so good! Infuse vinegar with citrus peel & herbs⁠. Then, mix with water for an all-purpose cleaner⁠. Mmmm.

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You’ll be tempted to Instagram these because they’re so pretty! Freeze citrus peel, rosemary & white vinegar⁠ to make garbage disposal cleaner cubes⁠. Easy peezy!

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That roasted chicken still sticking to the pan? Not anymore! Clean it with salt & a used citrus half⁠. Voila!

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Shiny and smelling fabulous! Just put olive oil, lemon juice, white vinegar & essential oil⁠ together and watch that dingy wood come back to life!

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Use this in laundry to brighten whites!⁠ Filtered water, lemon juice & a tad of hydrogen peroxide⁠. Oooh, so bright!

Given that summer is upon us and it’s beach season, we thought it would be fun to check out the most unique beaches in the world! Which one is your favorite?

Perhaps it is the one that’s PINK, located in Harbour Island of the Bahamas. The Pink Sand Beach has been widely recognized as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The pale pink pigment originates from the foraminifera, a coral insect that lives in the reefs. When their lives come to an end, they wash up onto shore, creating a rosy hue in the sand.

Or you might like the Black Sand Beach of Vik - Iceland. Called Reynishverfi, this beach is famous because of its black sand and basalt sea stack. So strikingly beautiful!

Or does a dash of green sand suit you better? Then you’ll love Papakolea Beach, which is another colorful spot on the big island of Hawaii. The green crystals, or olivines, that produce the unique green pigment originate from the cinder cone of the Mauna Loa volcano. Visitors do need to hike to this spot, but the breathtaking colors and warm Hawaiian waters make it worth it!

Check out all of these colorful and unique beaches yourself here. Happy Summer!

Guess who is our latest winner? Well, it’s Valerie Roussel from Gramercy, Louisiana! We love our Southern friends, y’all, and we are so excited to be celebrating you, Valerie! We so hope you’ll keep subscribing to our Limoneira newsletters as we just love to share our news and tips with you! See you soon now, ya hear?!

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