PHOTO: CARTER ALLEN
Nan & Dick DIck Walden
PHOTO: AMY HASKELL
Green Valley Pecan Company
trees they planted are their children,” Nan said. “When we have bad weather, our employees volunteer to work overtime to harvest the pecans quickly when they get wet.” Not only do the employees benefit from the Green Valley Pecan Company, but so does the community of Sahuarita. The company’s Pecan Festival, held each November, always benefits a local nonprofit organization. “It also gives our employees a chance to show off a bit to their families and share with the community what they do,” said Nan. www.BizTucson.com
The Waldens donated land to the Sahuarita Unified School District when a new high school was needed and the district named the school Walden Grove High School. They were one of the first major donors to the district’s National Math and Science Initiative that quadrupled participation in Advanced Placement classes. “As a longtime and major landowner and employer in Sahuarita and Green Valley, we always try to make decisions based on what is good for our town and region,” Nan said. “We realize that we have a big im-
pact on the community, and we believe we have an obligation to give back,” Nan said. In addition to the schools, the Waldens also support other organizations – such as 4-H, the Audubon Society, the Sonoran Institute and the Nature Conservancy. “There are four legs of the stool in agricultural stewardship,” Dick said. “We must take care of our employees and community, our operations, our banking relationships, and our product for the benefit of the customer. If we do these well, everyone will benefit.”
Biz
Winter 2019
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