chilechilehttp://www.vivatierra.com/chile2/2011-12-07T21:58:04ZSquarespaceComercial Greenvic S.A. - Chilehttp://www.vivatierra.com/chile2/comercial-greenvic-sa-chile.htmlViva Tierra2009-10-16T20:47:52Z2009-10-16T20:47:52ZGreenvic is composed of several medium size fruit growers who market their fruit collectively. The growers involved in Greenvic have orchards in several different fruit producing regions of central and southern Chile, giving the group as a whole a relatively long harvest season. The primary orchards of Palomar and Mira Rios are nestled at the foot of the Andes Mountains near the southern town of Parral, completely isolated from any conventional fruit production.

Pioneering Greenvic growers made the commitment to reduce chemical inputs in all their orchards with the goal of producing healthy fruit with the lowest possible levels of pesticide residues, well below government standards for "acceptable" levels. In 1998, with the support of CF Fresh, they entered a transition program with modest volumes of fruit. Over time, they have increased their volumes considerably and now much of the original acreage, including the large Placilla Orchard located near the town of San Fernando, is certified organic.

CF Fresh is proud to include Greenvic in our international family of organic growers. We commend them for their unwavering commitment to sustainable and organic agriculture throughout the difficult transition process. The production of high quality organic fruit is not an easy feat, but with dedication and perseverance the Greenvic growers have built a terrific, state-of-the-art organic program which with your support will continue to grow and prosper for many years to come.

]]>Agricola Santa Isabel - Chilehttp://www.vivatierra.com/chile2/agricola-santa-isabel-chile.htmlViva Tierra2009-10-16T20:47:32Z2009-10-16T20:47:32ZAgrícola Santa Isabel de Cato S.A. (ASICSA) enjoys a splendid isolated setting in Southern Chile with an exceptional growing climate and Mt. Chillán as a striking backdrop. With an exciting mix of apple varieties including Royal Gala, Braeburn, Granny Smith, and Fuji, it became one of the first apple orchards in the country to establish a successful organic program in 1997.

The farm's former owner, don Jaime Guilisasti Tagle, teamed up with CF Fresh in the early days to begin the transition to organic program. Under the technical leadership of CF Fresh's grower representative, Bill Denevan, a pear and apple grower from Santa Cruz, California, with over 35 years of experience in organic fruit production, the orchard produces excellent quality fruit year after year.

Today, Nicholas Simian (pictured, at left), an energetic Chilean-American agronomist, manages the day-to-day operations of the farm with the help of a committed team of workers. Many of them have lived in the area since they were born and certainly are passionate about the trees and the land… and soccer. On Sundays the ASICSA workers and their families join teams from other local orchards for exciting matches on the orchard's soccer field. It is under this healthy and community oriented working environment that our ASICSA organic apples are grown.

We thank the entire ASICSA team for their hard labor and commitment to producing tasty organic apples. It has been their courage and dedication that has enabled us to overcome the many challenges that come with growing organic apples in Southern Chile. We hope that this groundbreaking organic orchard continues on its path of growth and prosperity.

 

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