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have for building healthy orchards,” Michael elaborates.“ Orchard debris and fruit culls are processed into biochar and compost instead of being burned, part of CMI’ s zeroburn commitment to lock carbon in the ground and reduce emissions.”
“ The Soil Center honors the legacy of our ownership families while charting the path forward,” adds Bob.“ Together with Royal Family Farming, we’ re creating a model for how regenerative agriculture can scale; one that benefits growers, strengthens rural economies, and inspires consumers. Farming can leave the land better than we found it.”
The impact isn’ t just environmental. The Soil Center invests directly in local agriculture, creating jobs, giving growers access to regenerative tools that enhance yields and reduce costs, and providing retailers with access to measurable sustainability outcomes.
Stewards of the land
While The Soil Center is the cornerstone of CMI’ s regenerative vision, its principles extend across the company’ s operations.“ At CMI, sustainability is not a side project or a stand-alone department,” affirms Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing.“ It is woven into every part of our business. It guides how we manage energy in our packing facilities, how we approach transportation and logistics, and how we design packaging for consumers. We are investing in recyclable and compostable packaging options to help reduce waste, and we carefully choose print and packaging partners that are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and use significant amounts of post-consumer recycled materials as they bring sustainable ideas to the table.
“ Inside our warehouses, efficiency upgrades are lowering energy use, while in the orchards we are reducing inputs,
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