Sustainability is a tenet the agriculture industry has lived by for generations because we know it is critical to our survival.  

We practice regular crop rotation, in an effort to keep insect and disease infestations to a minimum, and to avoid stripping the soil of important nutrients. To further enrich the soil, nutrients are added, as appropriate, and any trim or excess product that is not harvested, is tilled back into the soil for added organic matter. Most of our farmland is flat, so erosion is not a major issue, but our tillage methods are designed to improve the ability of soil to absorb and retain water and minimize erosion and loss of topsoil. We grow cover crops in many fields for added soil tilth and organic matter, and also along adjacent dirt roads for erosion control and dust abatement. We plant beneficial plants and flowers along our field borders to naturally ward off pests and provide a habitat for beneficial bugs, which then prey on detrimental pests. Grasses are planted along ditch banks for erosion control and to filter the irrigation runoff before re-entering irrigation channels. Our goal is to work toward a large scale regenerative agricultural model.

Irrigation is necessary for any farming operation, but we don’t irrigate needlessly. Our daily irrigation decisions are based on current temperatures, wind and crop needs. We utilize drip irrigation whenever possible, which greatly minimizes water usage. We also wash and pack our produce in the fields, so the water goes back into the soil, rather than into the sewer system.

We have increased our use of recyclable cartons by 30% over the last several years and are committed to continuing our progress on this front. We also ship the majority of our brussels sprouts using RPCs, which are reusable plastic containers that our customers send back to us to be washed, sanitized and reused. This has eliminated the use of tens of thousands of cardboard cartons.

The Hitchcock Farms family has lived and farmed in California’s Salinas Valley for four generations. As a respected and responsible corporate citizen, we are committed to our employees and our community. All employees and field crews are paid a living wage and we provide safe and sanitary working conditions. We see continuity in the field crews from year-to-year, which attests to that fact. We are also a dedicated supporter of our local food banks and donate excess product on a regular basis.