Issue: 170

April 2024

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In this issue

All About April!

Limoneira's Latest

Earth Day

Limoneira Is All About Water

Limoneira's Lean Mean Innovative Machine

Limoneira's Long-treasured Wisdom

Produce Alliance Highlights Melina Leija

Bagging a Better Limoneira Future

Labels of Limoneira Past

Winner of the Month

All About April!

April is here, and that means spring is in full swing! This month, we're celebrating Earth Day, trying some delicious citrusy recipes, and featuring sustainability at the Ranch. Read all about it!


Limoneira's Latest

Limoneira will be traveling down to the Lone Star State to participate in this year's Viva Fresh Expo! From April 11-13, we'll be at the Marriot Marquis in Houston, Texas.


Viva Fresh began in 2015 as a small regional tradeshow to highlight the importance of the Lower Rio Grande Valley in the industry, and now it's one of the most important trade shows in the industry. Thank you to the Texas International Produce Association for hosting this wonderful event!


We love being a part of Viva Fresh. Swing by booth #109 and check out our Catching the Citrus Wave™ campaign! It features fun in the sun loving characters and the very best citrus! We can't wait to see you there!


Earth Day

Every day is Earth Day at Limoneira! Limoneira has only achieved our wonderful 131-year legacy by being responsible stewards of the little piece of earth we call the Ranch. From the moment a seed hits the earth, Limoneira strives to make our process as environmentally conscious as possible. We closely monitor the quality of our soil, the amount of water and fertilizer we put into it, our energy input, the packaging of our citrus, and the recycling of our green waste - all to ensure we produce the very best citrus the earth has to offer! We will continue our responsible stewardship so that we will be able to continue our legacy for many, many more years to come! 


Recipe of the Month

Nothing smells as delicious as some freshly baked bread with a Limoneira Twist! Try a little something different with this Limoneira Meyer Lemon Foccacia! You will need:


🍋 1 cup warm water

🍋 1 teaspoon active dry yeast

🍋 1 teaspoon kosher salt

🍋1 tablespoon granulated sugar

🍋¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided, plus more for greasing

🍋 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour

🍋1 large Limoneira® Meyer lemon or 2 smaller ones, very thinly sliced

🍋 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

🍋2 tablespoons coarse sugar, such as sugar in the raw (or granulated sugar may be substituted)

🍋 2 teaspoons flaky or coarse sea salt such as Maldon or Sel Gris


1. Add water and yeast to a medium bowl, then let sit for one minute so the yeast can bloom.

2. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and the flour. Mix with a large spoon just to blend, then cover and let rest for 5 minutes so the dough can hydrate. Mix for another minute or two until the dough comes together and feels smooth. Rub a large bowl with olive oil, then use a spatula to transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover and rest for 10 minutes.

3. Lightly oil your hands, then grab one end of the dough and gently pull to stretch it out, then fold the dough in half. Repeat with the other three sides, then flip the dough over. Let rest 10 minutes, then repeat this same process 3 more times, allowing 10 minutes rest in between each time.

4. After the last fold, cover the bowl and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 - 1 ½ hours. Alternatively, you can refrigerate for up to two days.

5. If refrigerating the dough, be sure to take it out about 2 hours before you want to bake. Let it come to room temperature for about an hour before proceeding to the next step.

6. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, then rub generously with olive oil. Place the dough on the sheet pan and gently pat out into a rectangle. Cover the dough and let it relax for about 10 minutes, then use lightly oiled fingertips to press the dough out to cover the pan as best you can. If the dough is very resistant, simply cover and let rest for another 5-10 minutes, then come back and try again.

7. Once the dough is stretched out, gently dimple the top with your fingertips to create little crevices. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the temperature of your dough and kitchen.

8. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F. When the dough has puffed up, scatter the lemon slices and rosemary over the top, then drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup olive oil, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons coarse sugar and 2 teaspoons coarse salt.

9. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 450 degrees and cook for another 10 minutes or until the focaccia is golden brown. Some parts might look charred while other parts look a bit underdone - this is exactly what you want.

10. Let cool for about 5 minutes, then cut into pieces and serve while still warm.


Thank you to @coleycooks for this TASTI recipe!


Limoneira's Lean Mean Innovative Machine

We love innovation here at the Ranch, and using Bluewhite's autonomous tractors in our orchards is just one innovative solution we've implemented to meet the demand of today's agriculture industry. By integrating these cutting-edge technologies, Limoneira is significantly boosting efficiency in our operations, allowing for precisely timed applications for maximum effectiveness.


Limoneira's Long-treasured Wisdom

One of the easiest ways to protect our citrus trees is to use even bigger trees! Although one of the oldest methods in the book, few things can match windbreak trees. Windbreak trees provide a shield for the orchards, protecting them from the impact of strong wind, which decreases broken branches, damaged fruit, and minimizes stress on the trees. Furthermore, they increase moisture retention, enable microclimate control, and help in pest and disease management.


Bagging a Better Limoneira Future

Limoneira's citrus can be found around the country and even around the world. However, more attention needs to be given to the unique processes that allow Limoneira to sort and grade only the highest quality lemons for our customers. One of the easiest ways of ensuring sustainability is decreasing food waste and making sure that the only lemons leaving the Ranch are ones that can meet our high standards.



Produce Alliance Highlights Melina Leija

Our very own Melina Leija, National Food Service Sales Director, was featured by Produce Alliance in honor of Women's History Month!


Melina shares that her most satisfying leadership role is being a mom because there is nothing more satisfying than seeing all five of her children become more successful than her. She balances her work and her personal life by planning things like work-related travel around her family schedule. She is also fortunate enough to have the support of her mom to step in when she needs her.


Melina's advice to young female leaders is to listen and build relationships with your customers, your vendors, and people in different aspects of the companies you're working with. Don't be afraid to look outside your box and gain that knowledge and experience!


Melina's idea of success in produce is having great customers and long-term partnerships that benefit everyone. She is most proud of being part of a great team at Limoneira with like-minded goals of being the best!


Labels of Limoneira Past

The Limoneira brand has looked a little different through the ages—after all, everything looks good with a lemon!


Our labels have featured a majestic elephant representing the Sincerity Brand going back to 1986. It has become synonymous with a commitment to excellence in the fruit industry, leaving an elephant-sized impression on consumers who have come to expect nothing less than the highest standards of quality and flavor in every piece of citrus.


Our Golden Bowl label has been in use for 112 years! It was originally owned by the Teague-McKevvet Association. Limoneira has been proudly using the label since it merged with the Teague-McKevvet Company and the McKevvet Corporation in 1995.

 

Our Compass Brand label was originally used on January 1, 1915. It perfectly exemplifies how Limoneira has been a guiding compass in the citrus industry for over 130 years!

 

We love looking back at all the icons that have represented Limoneira over the years!


Winner of the Month

And the winner this month is… Cindy Logan from Blackfoot, Idaho! Congratulations, Cindy, and thank you for keeping up with all things Limoneira! Check out next month's newsletter to find out if you are our next winner!


And don't forget - The ZEST IS YET TO COME!
See you again next month!