OUR GOALS

CARBON & EMISSIONS

Grow Carbon-Negative Tree Fruit

CMI Orchards is officially producing carbon-negative tree fruit. This is made possible by regenerative agriculture practices in our orchards and at The Soil Center®.

  • Carbon that is absorbed and stored in our soil through regenerative practices exceeds the emissions associated with growing fruit, making our fruit carbon-negative

  • Promotes regenerative agriculture practices

  • Generates Verra verified carbon credits

EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION

Launch a Consumer Brand

In October 2025, we launched a retail brand focused on marketing our carbon-negative and environmentally beneficial fruit.

  • Offer transparency (on our data and growing practices) to build a trusted brand

  • Clearly communicate the powerful role food plays in reducing carbon

  • Launched website: www.planetpositivefood.com

CARBON & EMISSIONS

Upcycle Orchard Wood Waste

CMI Orchards is committed to a zero-burn pledge, no longer burning removed wood from owner orchards, which is the standard industry practice. Instead, tree wood is chipped and used in 14 acres of worm farms where it is transformed into nutrient-rich worm castings used back in our orchards.

  • Reduces air pollution

  • Contributes to soil improvement

  • Sequesters carbon dioxide

EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION

Launch an Annual Report

Release an annual sustainability report beginning in 2025.

From soil innovations to carbon reduction achievements, our report is designed to be transparent, informative, and inspiring.

  • Highlight greenhouse gas inventory

  • Report on progress towards our sustainability goals

  • Discuss regenerative and sustainability practices taking root across our orchards

EDUCATION & COMMUNICATION

Educate Growers

Establish ongoing grower education beginning in 2026.

Our growers are at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to regularly sharing updates with our growers highlight the evolving science on:

  • soil sequestration

  • on-farm innovations

  • real world applications

  • financial implications

SOIL HEALTH

Establish nutrient testing benchmarks

Launch a micronutrient density benchmarking program beginning in 2026.

  • Phase One: Select a study site, develop treatment and harvest plans, identify third-party partners

  • Phase Two: Begin sampling fruit, continue treatment, and analyze data

SOIL HEALTH

Sell Soil Amendments

Offer premium soil products to growers throughout our region by 2026.

  • Help outside farmers and growers improve soil health in their crops and orchards

  • Supply custom regenerative products from The Soil Center® like compost, worm castings, and biochar, to improve soil health and boost plant growth

SOIL HEALTH

Increase Biodiversity

Establish a plan to increase soil biodiversity by 15% compared to conventionally farmed land by 2027.

Healthier soil means healthier trees and a healthier planet, benefiting our food systems from roots to fruits.

  • Phase One: Select a study site, develop treatment and soil sampling plans, identify third-party partners

  • Phase Two: Begin sampling soil, continue treatment, and analyze data

SOIL HEALTH

Use Natural Fertilizers

Meet 25% of our nitrogen needs from natural materials by 2028.

Through The Soil Center®, we are creating nutrient-rich compost, biochar, and worm castings to grow fruit with less carbon and more care.

  • Avoid commonly used synthetic fertilizers that produce greenhouse gases

  • Create nutrient-rich soil amendments that supply nitrogen to the soil

CARBON & EMISSIONS

Sell Insets

Sell carbon credits as supply chain insets to offset emissions associated with growing our fruit by 2028.

  • Regenerative practices pull carbon from the air and store it in the soil

  • By storing more carbon than we emit, fruit is carbon-negative

  • Verra-verified carbon credits generated through The Soil Center® project

  • Credits are insets when sold within the supply chain, promoting collaboration and helping partners to decarbonize

CARBON & EMISSIONS

Sequester Carbon

Sequester 2 million metric tons of CO2e by 2030.

  • Use regenerative practices in our orchards (compost, biochar, and worm castings application, and others)

  • Pull carbon from the atmosphere and store it in the ground (sequestration)

  • The climate equivalent of removing over 100,000 vehicles from the road each year

CARBON & EMISSIONS

Generate Credits

Generate 1 million verified carbon credits per year by 2030.

  • Regenerative practices pull carbon from the air and store it in the soil

  • Every metric ton sequestered (saved in the soil and not emitted into the atmosphere) = one carbon credit

  • Improve soil health with products from The Soil Center®, strengthen crops, and create a Planet Positive™ footprint

2025

Grow Carbon-Negative Tree Fruit

Launch Consumer Brand

Upcycle Orchard Wood Waste

Launch an Annual Report

2026

Educate Growers

Establish Nutrient Testing Benchmarks

Sell Soil Amendments

2027

Increase Biodiversity

2028

Use Natural Fertilizers

Sell Insets

2030

Sequester Carbon

Generate Credits