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10 Tips for Going Green this Earth Day

April 22nd marks the 32nd annual Earth Day in the United States. The idea for Earth Day came from Gaylord Nelson, a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin, who saw a national teach-in on the environment as a way to get environmental protection on the national political agenda. Today, Earth Day is celebrated in more than 175 countries each year and continues to be centered on environmental issues. As a large producer of fresh fruit, Stemilt strongly believes it's our job to protect the land and its natural resources. In fact, our sustainability and social responsibility program, Responsible Choice, has been in place since 1989. We are proud to be a leader in organic and sustainable agriculture, and invite you to read more about our Responsible Choice efforts in recognition of this special day. To help you celebrate Earth Day, we've gone ahead and put together 10 tips for going green. Use these today and every day!

Go Organic: On Earth Day, make it a point to buy organic produce (including Stemilt apples and pears). Farming organically goes hand-in-hand with sustainability.
Start a Compost Pile: Composting your green waste is a great way to reduce the amount of trash sent to landfills, as well as create a natural fertilizer for your plants.
Use those Reusable Bags: Skip the paper and the plastic at your grocery store and bring along those reusable bags. If you don't have any, Earth Day is a great time to stock up!
Turn off the Lights: Enjoy natural light during the day and turn off the lights when you leave a room. These little things to conserve energy add up over time!
Ignore the Print Button: On Earth Day (and whenever possible), try to reduce the amount of emails and other documents you print at work. Only printing when necessary can save a lot of paper!
Recycle: If you don't have recycling in place at home or at work, Earth Day is a great time to get started. You'll be amazed at the trash you reduce by recycling!
Green your Workspace: Bring a potted plant to work. Not only will it brighten up your space, but it also reduces indoor air pollution. Spider plants, jade plants, and the peace lily are good low-maintenance options.
Wash Cloths in Cold Water: Almost 90% of the energy used to wash clothes is used to heat the water. Save money and energy with this tip!
Exercise Outdoors: Give the exercise machine a break and take your workout routine outdoors for a day.
Plant Something: Whether it's a potted plant or a full-size tree, Earth Day is a great time to plant something at your home.

All About Organics

Are you going organic in celebration of Earth Day on April 22nd? Many people buy organic during this annual celebration in order to take advantage of in-store sales and in an effort to be “greener.” Organic farming goes hand-in-hand with sustainable agriculture, and has been part of Stemilt’s culture since 1989. We thought we would take time to answer common questions about what it means for fruit to be organic, as well as what to look for when selecting organic fruit at the store. How does an orchard achieve organic certification? As you can imagine, organic farming is a big commitment for a farmers. In order to achieve organic certification, an orchard must be farmed organically for three consecutive seasons. This is known as the "transitional" phase. The farmer only uses natural fertilizers (such as manure, compost, and rock minerals) to maintain soil fertility, while beneficial insects like ladybugs help keep pest populations at bay. Only natural materials can be used on trees and all of these have bay. Only natural materials can be used on trees and all of these have materials. Weeds are controlled by cover crops, mulching, and mechanical methods rather than herbicides. Once the three-year period is over, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) or its state agency inspect the orchard in order to issue an organic certificate. The fruit can then be packed and marketed as organic for that year. A farmer must renew his/her organic certificate annually. How is organic integrity maintained while packing the fruit? Just like the farming side, packing organic fruit is a little different than the process for packing conventionally-grown fruit. The USDA or like state agency issues organic certificates annually for each facility that will pack organic fruit in order to ensure organic standards are met. The type of equipment used in organic fruit packing is the same as conventional, however all equipment (brushes, belts, etc.) must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before any organic packing can begin. Organic fruit is packed in master cartons clearly labeled as organic in order to prevent any co-mingling during transportation to the store. What should I look for when buying organic fruit? Always look on the PLU (Price Look Up) sticker on the fruit and make sure the number starts with a leading 9, followed by four digits. Most organic fruit will be clearly labeled as organic too! When selecting organic apples and pears, look for fruit that is firm to the touch with minimal blemishes on the skin. “Blush” and “freckles” on the exterior are common in some varieties and should not be looked at as defects. For organic cherries, look for shiny fruit with green stems that are still attached. A green stem denotes freshness. Finally, organic peaches, nectarines, and apricots should be full colored with moderate firmness and no bruises.

How-To Can Peaches

Peaches are in-season now at Stemilt, which means there is no better time than now to can this delicious fruit so that you can enjoy it during the winter months. The following is a step-by-step guide for canning peaches at home:

Select ripe Artisan Organics peaches from your store, and decide what you'd like to pack the fruit in. Sugar syrup, water, apple juice, or white grape juice are all possibilities when it comes to canning peaches.
Remove skins from peaches with a small paring knife or by dipping the fruit in boiling water for up to a minute to loosen the skin. Then, transfer to cold water and slip off the skin.
Cut peaches in half, remove the pits, and slice into quarters.
Squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the fruit to prevent browning/discoloration.
Cold pack fruit into sanitized jars. To do this, pack raw fruit into jars and then cover with boiling hot sugar syrup, juice, or water. (Medium sugar syrup is a mixture of 3 cups of sugar and 4 cups of water). Leave 1/2 inch of space between the top of the peaches and the lid.
Run a table knife gently between the peaches and jar to release any air bubbles. Add more syrup if desired.
Wipe the rim of the jar and threads with a clean, damp cloth. Tighten the lid and screw band firmly on the jar. Do not over tighten.
Place jars on a rack of hot water bath canner (large cooking pot with a tight fitting lid and rack to keep jars from touching each other). The rack allows boiling water to flow around the jars for an even processing of the peaches. Bring water to a rolling boil.
Boil steadily for the time recommended for the peaches being processed (48 pounds of peaches yields 18-24 quarts, which should be cooked for 30 minutes). Once the time is up, remove jars immediately and place on a rack away from both heat and cool air.
After the jars have cooled for 24 hours, check the seal by pressing down on the center of the lid. It should be con-caved and not move when pressed.

And just like that, you can enjoy peaches during the winter months. This is one of many methods for canning peaches. If you do it differently, we'd love to hear your method in the comments section. Happy Canning! Source: http://www.canning-food-recipes.com/canningrecipes.htm

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