2023 Faces: Leaders of the Citrus Nut Industry

Promote root growth and improve soil

Improve nutrient absorption efficiency and fertilizer utilization

Increase production and improve quality

Drought and heat resistant

Cold and waterlogging resistance

Acid and alkali resistance

Disease resistance

To absorb nutrients, crops rely on a set of specific active biological enzymes in plants to catalyze the transformation of nutrients, resulting in nutrient absorption. When occurring naturally, the scale of biological enzymes in plants are limited. This makes the amount of nutrient absorption by fruit trees significantly lower than what is needed to achieve high yields of quality fruit.

In addition to these products containing a variety of nutrients, high-quality seaweed is used to carry out multiple fermentations and continuous extraction of beneficial biological nutrients. This results in a large number of fermentation metabolites (including active biological enzymes) and organic matter. The addition of high-quality seaweed significantly improves nutrient absorption and overall yield of crops. It’s also shown to improve the stress resistance of crops, enhance the root system and flowering quality and produce higher fruit setting and growth rates. In the end this leads to increased yield, a more stable crop and a higher quality product.

Multicolor Sweet

Multicolor Crop

Multicolor Sweet gives your fruit yields a boost in the later stages of growth with a variety of nutrient elements (high potassium content) and many fermentation metabolites (including enzymes such as polysaccharase).

In addition, you can see it achieve:

Increased fruit sugar content

Increased fruit density

Improved peel color and texture

W e ' ve se en th e f rui t ripening period advance naturally and be more concentrated, prolonging the fresh-keeping period of the fruit on the tree and after harvest. It's also promoted a thinner peel for some thick-skinned fruits (such as navel oranges and other citrus), the increase of juice in the fruit, better fruit firmness, and storage and transportation resistance.

In collaboration with Citrus Mutual, JCS Marketing Inc. is branching out with a new annual publication to assist the citrus industry with additional communications and opportunities with industry experts. JCS Marketing Inc. also produces a bi-weekly podcast “My Ag Life in Citrus” and helped organize the annual Citrus Showcase Conference for the industry.

Our goal is to help promote products, services, and brands to a wider audience in the citrus industry. The hope is that this magazine can provide valuable information to industry members, such as updates on new products, technologies, and industry trends.

This publication can help your company stay up-to-date on the latest developments and make more informed business decisions about products and services to invest in.

This publication is a resource for networking among industry members. Companies can connect with each other, share ideas, and form partnerships that can benefit their business.

Overall, this California citrus magazine features companies who can be a valuable resource for the industry and your business by helping to promote innovation. Please turn to the thought leaders and companies in this guide first when you have needs. They have the experience you need to grow your business!

Don’t miss out on what’s happening in your industry…Want regular citrus and Ca Ag industry updates? Subscribe today to our podcast for news on the go.

Jason Scott

CEO of JCS Marketing, Inc.

The NEW generation of commercial citrus growers

MEET ZACHARY GREEN

I BELIEVE IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS:

WN CITRUS Great Roots. Great Fruits.

KEEP PUSHING | KEEP MOVING FORWARD

Aquarius

PLUS Enjoys long walks on the beach

ZACHARY GREEN

Owner and General Manager

WN Citrus | Bakersfield, CA

“I married the farmer’s daughter”

Walk about and talk about it!

Meet the next generation of WN Citrus. Perhaps you have seen Zac and WN Citrus on your social media feeds; however, do you know who he is and how he came to be the owner and General Manager of WN Citrus?

The son of a preacher man from Kansas, Zac is a graduate of Kansas State University. After graduation, he moved to Los Angeles and then to San Francisco. There he met and fell in love with the farmer’s daughter. In the fall of 2015, Zac and Jaclyn gave up their careers to join her family farming business and citrus nursery operation.

Through Zac’s ability to train and lead a diverse team, he has set and achieved new sales and quality goals, improved customer service and improved employee morale. Zac believes that maintaining a high quality product along with high standards of customer service can only lead to WN Citrus continued success. Zac believes that when our farmers are successful then WN will be successful.

Zac and the Johnston Family understand the struggles, the gambles and the success and failures that California Citrus farmers face daily because they are California Citrus farmers themselves. As such, they bring a different perspective to the citrus nursery business. Two things Zac has learned from his father-in-law, Dennis Johnston, treat people with respect and kindness, and always keep a shovel in the back of your truck.

“Our purpose to enable more and better fresh food for the world is reflected in the fact that we are protecting more than 9 million tons of citrus every year globally. Still, according to FAO, 45% of total fruit and vegetable is never consumed. DECCO has a clear commitment to produce constant innovation of smarter and safer solutions to minimize the waste of the produce at the heart of the food system.”

Francisco Jose Rodriguez Nogueron, President

“As part of the UPL OpenAg vision, Decco has positioned us to be the global postharvest leader, especially in areas where citrus is produced. With a focus on reducing food waste, there are no borders to where we find solutions. As a result of the rapidly changing trends and needs in today’s markets to protect crops after harvest, Decco has moved toward organizational agility. We have enabled our network of people to focus on rapid learning and fast decisions to quickly reconfigure strategy, processes, and technology to meet customer needs. Our transformation is reflected in our new, bright, vibrant logo. Most of all, Decco US remains intent on having meaningful connections with our employees, customers, suppliers, and industry personnel, all focused on the same goal. “

A citrus grower can lose up to 25 % of fresh production. The leading cause of fruit spoilage is peel injuries and impact bruising as they encourage pathogen growth, respiration, significant water loss and ethylene production. Second to that are physiological changes that lead to quality loss.

Today, thanks to DECCO postharvest solutions, our products such as coatings for dehydration, fungicides to control decay, and sanitizers to ensure optimal fruit quality allow our customers to get more fruit to the consumer, resulting in less loss throughout the supply chain. More than 15 million tons of fruit & vegetables are protected by DECCO, every year.

Our products, technology and top-notch service has made DECCO one of the trusted companies in the citrus industry.

Travis Seymore General Manager, North America

Our biggest asset as a company is our people. We have many long-term industry experts on our team, and many can boast over 30 years of experience in citrus and postharvest applications. This has allowed DECCO to build long lasting collaborative relationships with our customers. Our valued existing customers, and those looking for a new partner to provide the best solutions for their operations, can trust that we will keep a watchful and experienced eye on their business to minimize loss and maximize utilization of their valuable investment.

Our customers’ success is our success. We care deeply about our customers as we never stop to innovate, adjust, and examine how we can continue to improve the service and products we provide.

We work together alongside our customers to monitor the fluctuations we face in all areas of the business. Sharing of information, collaboration and long-term relationships continue to secure DECCO’s place as a postharvest leader in the citrus industry.

2023 Citrus Showcase Boasts

Growing Audience, Improved Experience for Citrus Industry

The 2023 Citrus Showcase, put on by California Citrus Mutual in collaboration with with JCS Marketing, Inc., producer of MyAgLife, was nothing short of a success with attendees and exhibitors. The Showcase, held in Visalia, Calif. on March 9, boasted its largest attendance to date, offering the over 1000 registered growers, consultants and industry professionals an expanded agenda that included more educational and networking opportunities than ever before.

“We’ve heard a lot of positive feedback that this was the best show yet,” said Casey Creamer, president/CEO at California Citrus Mutual. In total, the Showcase saw an abundance of approved CEU credits, research updates, an industry luncheon, panel discussions, a trade show and an industry mixer.

Starting at 7:00am was registration and an hour of trade show time in the exhibitor hall, where attendees poured in for coffee and early networking with over 120 companies and organizations offering solutions to the citrus industry. At 8:00am, attendees had the opportunity to choose between the State of the Citrus Market panel or key integrated pest management (IPM) talks in the CEU room, which offered a total of 4.0 DPR, 5.0 CCA and 0.5 CDFA INMP credits on the day. Industry leaders on the State of the Citrus Market panel included Al Bates, president at Sun Pacific Shippers; Tracy Jones, COO at Booth Ranches; Jim Phillips, president at Sunkist Growers; and Zak Laffite, president at Wonderful Citrus. Morning IPM talks were given by University of California researchers and included topics on thrips, California Red Scale, Phytophthora, ants and more.

Noon brought the sold-out industry luncheon, which featured keynote speaker Gregg Doud, former Chief Agricultural Negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative. Doud spoke to citrus industry members on the current geopolitical landscape as it relates to ag trade, the war in Ukraine, global economics and the future of trade policy. Those that did not attend the industry luncheon had the opportunity to support local FFA members through a burrito fundraiser.

After lunch, attendees were once again given the choice to head back to the CEU room for more seminars or listen in on the Citrus Water Panel. The panel included multiple perspectives on water use in the citrus industry from Jason Phillips, CEO at Friant Water Authority; Jon Parker, general manager at Kern Water Bank; Joe Del Bosque, farmer and former California Water Com-

The 2023 Citrus Showcase boasted its largest attendance to date, offering the over 1000 registered growers, consultants and industry professionals an expanded agenda that included more educational and networking opportunities than ever before.

mission member; and Tim Quinn, former executive director at ACWA and Metropolitan Water District deputy general manager. Afternoon CEU seminars included nutrition and organic citrus information. The Showcase concluded with an industry mixer event that provided additional networking opportunities.

“The educational opportunities were informative and high-caliber, and the tradeshow floor was the place to be for networking within the citrus industry,” Creamer said. “We were excited to bring back our first full show since the COVID-19 shutdowns and are even more excited about making next year’s show even better.”

“It was a real honor to be part of this growing legacy conference held by the citrus industry,” said Jason Scott, JCS Marketing, Inc. CEO. “This year’s growth shows the continued interest and support from the ag community for citrus. If you were not present, you missed out on a great event! Plan to attend next year and be part of this amazing celebration of ag leadership.”

Proven Plant Growth Regulator Plant Nutrition Technology

TheFACES OF TREESOURCE

What started in 1999 as a way to acquire trees for replants after the freeze of 1998 by Griffith Farms has trans-

formed into one of the largest citrus nurseries in the world Facilities have changed over the years from simple hoop houses and ball and burlap grown in ground to what they have now: the capacity to grow over 900,000 Super Trees and 2 million citrus liners per year in 25 greenhouses

TreeSource is a zero waste company This means that 95% of the waste generated throughout the production process is recycled, reused, or reincorporated back in to the system. TreeSource prides itself in the ability to cut waste and not contribute to landfills. Almost everything grown at TreeSource originates at TreeSource They make their own Seed, Seedlings, and Budwood

800-992-2304

State of the art greenhouses were developed by Roger Smith, Senior VP Nursery and Genetics, after collecting ideas from all over the world TreeSource has 100% USDA/CDFA certified insect resistant structures meeting strict Asian Citrus Psyllid quarantine guidelines TreeSource was purchased in 2015 by AC Foods, an Agricultural firm dedicated to sustainable & regenerative agriculture

TreeSource Citrus Nursery

On the top side of the road 2 million Citrus Liners and Rooted Cuttings are produced On the bottom side of the road 900k Super Trees are grown

Citrus Liner Supervisor Team

Raul Arreola & Erasto Vega Calderon Supervisors who have been with TreeSource since the beginning

Rosa Deniz Inspecting a Citrus Liner

Left to Right: Yasarely Munoz, Carlos Martinez, Ramona Gomez, Rosa Deniz

Starting in 2021, Joshua Thompson took over as general manager at TreeSource, bringing 25 years of horticulture experience along with him Joshua is a ISA Board Certified Master Arborist who possesses an agriculture production nursery background as well as a large scale horticultural nursery background, making him a perfect fit to lead our team One thing everyone can agree on: Joshua knows trees

Citrus Liners are sold to other wholesale nurseries and retail outlets as shifting stock These wholesale nurseries will transplant TreeSource Citrus Liners and grow them out to a desired size and maturity level.

Heidi Cervantes leads the sales office team This team has 100 years of combined experience Lloyd Cassidy is the Horticultural Sales representative servicing the Nursery Industry and also helps with commercial grower sales Yesenia Ramirez is the administrative support for the Nursery Josh Blackwell handles all of the shipping of the products. Debbie Marten is the accounting specialist

Whatever your Citrus needs, you can turn to TreeSource. They are growing strong and offer the same quality products and services as they have over the last 20+ years Give the office a call at 800-992-2304 with any questions or availability inquiries.

www.citrustreesource.com

TreeSource Office & Sales Team Left to right: Debbie Marten, Joshua Thompson, Yesenia Ramirez, Lloyd Cassidy, Heidi Cervantes, & Josh Blackwell

Left to Right: Raul Arreola, Vincent Aguirre, Yadira Diaz, Erasto Vega Calderon, Ty Lentz

Budwood Supervisor Erasto checking the tenderness of the growth to determine when to cut the budwood

Large Pot Supervisor Team

All About Custom Ag Formulators

For more than 25 years, Custom Ag Formulators (CAF) has been serving the agricultural community with advanced product technology and unbeatable service. By a continuous R and D commitment, CAF has developed both micronutrient and NPK lines of products with enhanced uptake and translocation levels that lead the industry. Supported by testing through universities and independent consultants, our products continue to prove uptake levels and performance that directly reflect on greater quality and yields for our customers.

Service has become synonymous with our name. Our manufacturing plants in Fresno, CA, Adel, GA, and Queensland, Australia, have been able to supply worldwide demand. Using automation and multiple quality controls, CAF has built the reputation for meeting the needs of our customers consistently and with

the highest standards of packaging within the agricultural industry.

Combining these facets with the abil ity to custom formulate and private label for our customer base, became the final piece of the CAF mission. We have been able to formulate liquid and dry product offerings meeting specific needs and label requirements for a multitude of our customers. This has enabled them to enter their markets with an identity and product offering that is truly unique to their business model.

At CAF, we continue to grow and ex pand with the support of our custom ers and growers like you. We never forget that we are partners to the grower in building and supporting a crop that will attain the highest ROI with each season. We will continue to be your home for the answer to your agricultural needs.

CHALLENGE is derived from KTPP (potassium-tri-poly phosphate) combined with organic acids and sequester- ing agents to increase the uptake of both the P and the K components. KTPP is an extremely high grade of a phos- phate that is in a chain of three ortho phosphates combined with a potassium to produce the entire chain of potassium tri-poly phosphate. Due to its nature, the K works with the phosphate to convert it into a more readily available form of P for plant uptake while aiding in the uptake component.

LIGNOSULFONIC ACIDS & HUMIC ACIDS: These two components help to further increase the uptake of CHALLENGE. They have a “metering” effect which help the plant to better absorb the applied materials while reducing the damaging effect of many post emergent chemicals. They also help increase the soil health while reducing salt incursion.

What is CITRUS X-TRA? 3% Mn, 3% Zn, 2% Fe, 3.6% S combined with our ETS system.

Manganese, Zinc, and Iron are all critical for develop- ment of your citrus crop. CITRUS X-TRA is built to help this need by supplying all three micronutrients in one formulation.

CITRUS X-TRA uses the sulfated form of the nutrients for quick uptake and combined them with our ETS (En- hanced Translocation System) to quickly move into and throughout your citrus trees to where it is needed.

S o r t i n g p r e m i u m f r u i t s f o r t h e w o r l d

S h a r e s u p e r a c h i e v e m e n t w i t h t h e w o r l d

S o r t i n g s o l u t i o n of c i t r u s

H i g h a c c u ra c y

H i g h - s p e e d s o r t i n g t o i n c r e a s e p r o d u c t i o n

N o n - d e s t r u c t i v e t e s t i n g o f b r i x

M u l t i - s p e c i fi c a t i o n g ra d e d i v i s i o n

Improve Nutrient Availability with Live Earth Products

Family Owned and Operated. For over 30 years, Live Earth Products, Inc. has helped farmers address their soil fertility issues by improving nutrient use ef ciency through the power of humates. Family-owned and operated, Live Earth mines and manufactures humic and fulvic acid-based products that help nourish your soil by helping retain vital nutrients, extending fertilizer life, and reducing nutrient loss.

Locally Produced. Deep in the mountains of Utah is a rich mineral deposit called humic shale, formed from an ancient semi-tropical forest. Fully decomposed, this mineral deposit is rich in stable organic acids and trace minerals that help improve soil health and support healthy crop growth. This rich mineral deposit is the source material for our humic and fulvic extracts.

Industry Experts. Live Earth Products specializes in low-ash extracts that can be us in drip irrigation in addition to soil and foliar application. Live Earth’s team of experts, led by CCA, Russell Taylor, are here to address your citrus crop requirements for increased yield. We are pioneers in the humic industry with decades of experience with soil problems like high salts and compaction.

• Live Earth Products Humate Soil Conditioner

Our Humate Soil Conditioner is an organic soil amendment that provides humic acids and minerals. Humate is used to help increase organic matter concentration in the soil and combat salt issues. Our Humate Soil Conditioner is 100% Humic Shale which is naturally pH 3.0. It also contains iron and sulfur, along with other other trace minerals. This product is a CDFA OIM and can be used in organic agriculture.

• Liquid 6 (Humic Acid, 6% HPTA Approved Method)

Liquid 6 is liquid humic acid designed for crop use. It blends well with most liquid fertilizers and is ideal for improving nutrient uptake, increasing organic matter, and reducing nutrient tie-up in the soil. Liquid 6 can be blended with UAN-32 to help reduce nutrient loss. This product is a CDFA OIM and can be used in organic agriculture.

The leading vertically integrated citrus company, offering a full citrus portfolio

Over 7,500 team members passionately support our leading citrus operations across California, Texas, New Jersey, Florida, and Mexico.

With over 74,000 owned & managed acres, we control the entire farming process from planting to picking, from tree to table.

We offer a diversified product portfolio including mandarins, oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, & specialties.

We operate some of the world's leading citrus nurseries and packing facilites, processing 1 billion pounds of citrus annually.

Wonderful Citrus has best-in-class marketing prowess and a national sales team providing category management expertise and dedicated customer service to our partners.

Wonderful’s nationwide merchandising team provides in-store merchandising services, utilizing exclusive citrus displays that attract shoppers.

Give Your Plant What It Wants! When It wants It!

There is no silver bullet when it comes to farming. Farmers now more than ever have to make sure they are getting the most out of every input. Creating a plan to give your crop exactly what it wants, when it needs it to create the highest return is what we help Farmers throughout the state do everyday. Don't settle for what has always been done. Let's combine the best practices of the past with the technology of today.

AHA Technology

Unleash the power of Alpha Hydroxy Acids! We are now able to hold more nutrients in the soil, provide abundant food for your microbial flora and etch minerals from the soil profile all at the same time. Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) are revolutionizing the way nutrients are applied, using less product and getting significantly better results. Now is the time to start taking advantage of these proven technologies.

Axiom is driven by helping Farmers grow more abundantly on their land for decades to come. Now more than ever, farmers need an advocate for them, guiding them on what fertilizers are ideal and when to use them. With current prices, every penny matters, and the days of “just add more” are long in the rearview. Axiom has developed an entire line of fertility products specifically for California growers and is the only retailer with AHA Technology in every product, improving your field's chemical, biological, and structural health with every application. The possibilities are endless when you work with nature and the systems already in place. Axiom walks side by side with growers helping them determine the best plan for every situation, giving them the benefit of an independent consultant with the backing of a full-service retailer. Taking soil, tissue, and water testing into account ensures every application is as efficient as possible.

Using today's most advanced technology with the best practices of the past, Axiom creates enormous value for every grower they work with.

Jeff is the Founder of Axiom Ag. This company was born from a vision of modernising the entirety of California agriculture into a system that is profitable for the Farmer and better for the land we have been given stewardship over. Axiom is the practical application of that vision.

www.AxiomAg.com

Jeff Merritt

Jeffery Merritt

For over three decades, Polymer Ag has been the thought leader in foliar polymer solutions for agriculture. Over the years, Polymer Ag has worked closely with farm advisors and managers at California State University, Fresno, the University of California, Davis and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the testing of Anti-Stress. In addition, many independent growers and PCAs conducted their own field tests to determine the value of Anti-Stress formulations in their production protocols. Field tests conducted in all of these venues on a wide variety of crops and plants proved that Anti-Stress 550 was successful in reducing damage to plants and crops during periods of frost and freeze, heat stress, drying winds, drought and transplanting.

Polymer Ag, LLC is the world leader in polymers for use on growing plants during periods of climate-related stress. Anti-Stress products are sold throughout the world and are instrumental in helping farmers, nurseries, landscapers, horticulturists and gardeners across the globe increase production and plant health, while reducing water use.

Call us at (800) 678-7377 or visit our website to learn how to integrate our winning solutions into your farming practices: www.polymerag.com