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THE ROOT THE ROOT

Welcome

Dear Friends and Partners,

Welcome to our annual newsletter. In our last communication, we talked about the 2023 season being on track to being another record year for Sunridge, and I am proud to report it was! I want to thank all of you for your continued business and allowing us to have record growth year over year for the last 5 years Your support means everything to the Stollers and the entire Sunridge family

We have been doing this for over 47 years and our goal is to keep going for generations to come We want to make sure we continue to keep your confidence in us as the best quality nursery in the industry This newsletter will keep you informed on how we are investing in our people and our facilities to ensure we remain on top

In this update the team will bring you up to speed on some of our latest projects, including our new callusing facility, new potting line, new budwood cutting machines, and new state-of-the-art fertigation system. And when it comes to our people, we are excited to introduce the very talented additions to our team. You will also hear about our investment in the sales team’s continued education as they spent valuable time in France looking for ways to better serve all our partners.

I want to conclude by putting the spotlight on our greatest attribute, which is our loyal team members The experience and loyalty of our team is no doubt what makes us better than everyone else in the industry I am very pleased to share with you our ever-growing list of team members who commemorating their time with the Sunridge family This is a testament to the camaraderie and dedication that our team embodies, and it fills me with pride to see how far we've come together

Rick Burnes, President

Contents / Sales Contact Info

Water sanitation and fertigation system

High capacity potting line

New callus room coming soon

French automated bud-cutters

New ARRA™ table grape varieties

First commercial cherry plantings

Wine sales team’s continued education

Meet our newest expertsClay Watson

Meet our newest expertsLinsi Guttierrez, Bryant Valdez

Employee celebratory milestones

Andrew Jones VP of Sales - Wine Grapes 805.234.4920 andrew@sridge.net

Dustin Hooper VP of Sales - Table Grapes 6613017399 dustin@sridgenet

Annie Steimle Regional Sales Manager CA North Coast 7079742642 annie@sridgenet

Dave Haggmark Regional Sales Manager CA Central Coast 805.391.0905 dave@sridge.net

Nicholas Podsakoff Regional Sales Manager CA Northern Interior 8083339394 nicholas@sridgenet

Sebastian Traviesa Regional Sales Manager Pacific Northwest, Eastern States, Baja CA 7079753646 sebastian@sridgenet

Industryleadinginnovation

The very first U.S. nursery to implement an in-house water sanitation and fertigation system.

In 2023, Sunridge Nurseries has partnered with Ritec (fertigation & irrigation technology) and Sobionics (water treatment technology), both from Spain, to install a state-of-the-art water sanitation and fertigation system for its more than 700,000 sq. feet of greenhouse space. This makes Sunridge the pioneer nursery in the US to use this technology, which has already been successfully implemented in the Spanish horticulture and floral industries The innovative HidroBlue equipment generates Pure Hypochlorous Acid (PHA) to sterilize irrigation water from unwanted and harmful bacterial, fungal or viral pathogens, as well as eliminating all algae and biofilm, while simultaneously increasing available oxygen to the root systems of Sunridge's potted vines. The system combined with crop-stage tailored fertigation blends results in improved rooting, vegetative growth and transplantability of its vines before they are shipped to their customers With a storage capacity of over 100,000 gallons, the fertigation system can simultaneously irrigate 18 greenhouse bays, or 900,000 vines This investment in the most advanced greenhouse horticultural technology continues to allow Sunridge to be industry leader in grapevine propagation and the successful fulfillment of its customers' orders.

Highcapacity pottingline

Now equipped to produce over 200,000 pots per day with the capability to fully customize our soil blend

In our ever-continuing effort to improve vine quality and increase production capacity, Sunridge has installed a custom-built highcapacity potting line for our unique and innovative greenvine soil blend. This new line, manufactured and installed by HortiEquip, allows us to produce over 200,000 pots per day with the capability to fully customize the mix of soil components, nutrients and beneficial amendments. After many years of testing and trials, Sunridge has perfected a blend of peat moss, coconut coir, wood fiber, fertilizers and beneficial microorganisms This mix, in conjunction with our new fertigation system, allows us to fine tune our greenvine cultural practices to ensure we are producing the highest quality vines in the industry.

Comingnextseason...

Our new callus facility will provide us with precise temperature and humidity control of over six million vines in callus at a time.

We are excited to announce that we have broken ground on the new callus facility Despite a few delays provided by mother nature this year and the heavy rains (which we are happy to accept in light of the alternative), we expect to have the new facility fully up and running for the 2025 season. As discussed in previous newsletters, the new callus room will provide us with precise temperature and humidity control of over six million vines in callus at a time This allows for a better establishment of the newly formed graft unions and root development The new facility will have six-inch insulated metal paneling to protect against any outside temperature swings, and four fully sealed off chambers inside the larger structure to allow each week of grafting to acclimatize in its own room. This facility, located directly east of our grafting room, ensures the grafted vines can immediately enter callus after grafting in a well-controlled environment. In addition, once they are ready to exit callus, there will be a fifth room on the south end of the structure where the planting preparation and waxing will occur, as well as staging prior to potting in the greenhouse or planting in the field We are excited to see this new facility being constructed and the benefits it will bring to our production practices

Qualityand Consistency

Learn about our new French automated bud-cutters

Another investment that Sunridge has made improving both efficiencies and vine quality is the automated bud-cutters from the French nursery machine manufacturer: BM Emballage Now in their second full year of operation, these bud-cutters use high speed cameras to identify each bud on scion cuttings harvested from the field for optimal cutting into individual buds The operator can pre-select the distance above and below each bud to be cut, with the machine then adjusting the feed through the double-bladed knives that will then cut each bud to the optimal size to be used for grafting. These machines not only standardize the buds used, sorting out ones not suitable, but also can increase the efficiency that one person can process cuttings fivefold These have been proven quit effective, and each grafting line has its own bud-cutter that provides 90-100% of the buds needed

Based on our successful collaboration with BM Emballage, Sunridge is in the early stages of testing out an automated grafting machine as well, so look to future newsletters to see how we continue to improve, innovate and enhance our production processes

Now offering new ARRA™ table grape varieties

Sunridge is proud to announce our new partnership with Grapa®, a global family business that specializes in breeding and licensing premium table grape varieties worldwide, under the ARRA™ and Early Sweet™ brands The ARRA™ Varieties are successfully grown and licensed globally, in over 30 countries across 6 continents, under various weather conditions The ARRA™ program boasts many unique advantages, notably featuring the earliest white, red, and black trio in the world. Additionally, the varieties demonstrate an impressive tolerance to rain, and an ability to thrive in diverse climates, including extreme heat Known for their short production cycles, prompting early harvests and economic efficiency, these advantages lead to reduced labor costs as well as a decreased need for irrigation and pesticides These characteristics make the varieties more environmentally sustainable and grower-friendly, all while achieving high yields and a long shelf life

VARIETIES

ARRA Early Sweet™

ARRA Honey Pop™

ARRA Fire Kiss™

ARRA Mystic Charm™

ARRA Passion Fire™

ARRA Sugar Drop™

ARRA Fire Crunch™

ARRA Yum!bo™

ARRA Sunny Pop™

ARRA Sweeties™

ARRA Cherry Crush™

ARRA Mystic Dream™

As early as ARRA™

First commercial cherry plantings delivered

Starrh Family, GP

Last winter Sunridge also delivered to Starrh Family, GP. Pictured here is Brad Kroeker, who manages the family business farming operations along with his father, Jay Kroeker

Tecuya Tree & Vine

Last Spring Sunridge delivered its first commercial planting to Tecuya Tree & Vine Dennis Frick pictured with Antonia Sanchez, Bloom Fresh Global Cherry Licensing Manager for the US

Wine sales team continues education of latest viticulture updates in France

Our dedicated sales team consistently invests in their ongoing education to expand their knowledge of the newest varieties and clones available and cutting-edge advancements in viticulture, allowing us to provide our winegrowers with unparalleled service.

The Sunridge sales team had the honor of being invited to France last summer to tour for a week with the ENTAV and IFV team As Sunridge was the first California nursery to partner with ENTAV and support bringing classic French clonal material into the FPS program, this trip was extra special

The tour began in the Loire Valley with a visit to the Montreuil Bellay mother blocks and test plots for IFV. These test blocks act as a library for over 100 unique Chenin Blanc selections taken from historic vineyards throughout the area These blocks are also the home for new varieties like Voltis and Floreal that are both powdery mildew resistant and geared towards a potential future of global warming.

Sebastian and Guillaume Careil of Viaud Nursery

Annie and Sebastian in Voltis mother block at Montreuil Bellay

Domaine de Rocheville - Chenin Blanc winery and vineyard in Parnay, Loire Valley

vineyard tour in Champagne with Géraldine Uriel, Comité Champagne

Following the mother blocks, the team toured two nurseries, Viaud and Gibault It was interesting to see the variation of rootstocks preferred in the area along with some similar interest from French growers in taller vines compared to the traditional size vines.

The ENTAV IFV teams walked the Sunridge group through a tasting of several of the new varieties As Voltis is one variety that Sunridge can now offer its customers, this was exciting to sample

Following the Loire Valley visit, the team moved north to Champagne. The tour through Champagne began with a visit to the Comité Champagne headquarters in Épernay This organization is the governing body for the region and maintains the regulations for producers and growers The team finished up with tours of Champagne houses, Canard Duchêne, Ruinart, and H Goutorbe

The Sunridge team was honored to be invited on this trip and took home an increased knowledge of new varieties and the incredible research ENTAV and IFV work tirelessly on, to promote health of the industry and the land

Viaud Nursery

tasting of new varieties with IFV ie Voltis, Floreal, Grolleau Noir

Research mother block for Comité Champagne

tasting in Comité Champagne of Voltis and Floreal as Champagne varieties

our newest experts MEET

We are thrilled to announce the newest members of our skilled and seasoned team. Each individual brings a wealth of expertise, enriching our collective knowledge and further enhancing our capabilities. Each of their unique backgrounds will undoubtedly contribute to our continued success and innovation.

ClayWatson Vice President of Accounting and Finance

“Ilookforwardto contributingtoan alreadygreat culture.”

Role

Clay joined Sunridge in May of 2023 He is responsible for overseeing the financial operations of the organization, providing technical and operational leadership across accounting functions, while providing strategic financial guidance and efficiency. In addition, Clay is also responsible for leading and guiding the Information Technology and Human Resource functions at the nursery.

He earned his BA in Accounting from Utah Valley University and his MBA in Finance from the University of Utah at David Eccles School of Business Clay is a member of Adjunct Faculty at California State University Bakersfield where he teaches courses in Agribusiness Management and Ag Accounting His professional background includes over 15 years of experience in Accounting & Finance with the last 7 years in an executive leadership role

When asked about his experience so far, Clay stated, “Sunridge is a remarkable company The love that the employees have for the nursery, especially those that have been here for multiple decades, is truly inspiring I look forward to contributing to an already great culture”

Clay grew up in rural West Bakersfield and attended Shafter High School Outside of work, he spends most of his time being ‘Dad Uber’, shuttling all four of his children to different activities, sports practices and games throughout the year.

LinsiGutierrez Horticulturist

“Icouldn’thave askedforaneasier transitioninjoining theteamhere.”

Linsi was hired as Horticulturist for Sunridge Nurseries in November of 2023 Her primary focus is to oversee the plant health, growth, consistency and quality of our vines with a wide range of responsibilities from plant nutrition to pest and disease monitoring

Linsi graduated from Cal State Bakersfield and earned her master’s degree in Traditional Biology with an emphasis on Plant Pathology. Both as a grad student, and undergrad, she gained much experience in working with numerous agriculturally important plant pathogens in a lab setting. Linsi is a licensed Agricultural Pest Control Advisor which has allowed her for the better part of the last decade to gain quite a bit of experience working with grapevine diseases and pests in the field

When asked about her experience with the company so far, Linsi said “I couldn’t have asked for an easier transition in joining the team here

The onboarding process was very smooth, and everyone has been so welcoming and supportive All of my initial stress and anxiety melted away almost immediately and was replaced by excitement for my future at Sunridge”

Linsi grew up in the country just south of Arvin She is proud graduate of Arvin High School (Go Bears!) Outside of work, between raising six children, school, and work she doesn’t have much time for hobbies, but something she does enjoy is listening to history or true crime podcasts

BryantValdez Staff Accountant

“Itisajoytowork atSunridge.Ican sincerelysayit’sthe bestplaceI’ve workedatsofar.”

Bryant was hired as Staff Accountant in December of 2022 He works alongside the accounting team to ensure accurate and timely financials are presented to management

He earned his BA in Philosophy and BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from our local Cal State He has a wide range of experience in different sectors including forensic accounting, aviation, taxes, and now agriculture

When asked about his experience at the company so far, Bryant said, “It is a joy to work at Sunridge. I can sincerely say it’s the best place I’ve worked at so far. I enjoy working with my co-workers, the culture is incredible, and the work-life balance is amazing. Sunridge takes care of their employees; the many employees with 30 plus years of commitment to Sunridge is evidence of that”

Bryant grew up in Bakersfield and attended Golden Valley High School Outside of work, he enjoys studying theology and spending time with family and friends