SANTA PAULA, Ca—The Limoneira Company, one of California’s oldest and most important agribusinesses, has won the inaugural Ventura County Board of Supervisors Climate Change Action Award for its leadership in the use of clean, renewable energy sources.

Last October the company installed a 5.5-acre solar energy system that generates a full megawatt of electricity, enough to power its lemon packing house and storage facilities, which together account for more than a third of the company’s total energy usage.

The award, which henceforth will be given annually, was decided by a select committee that evaluated nominations made by individuals, groups, and organizations throughout the county. Kathy Long, third district supervisor who was responsible for nominating Limoneira in the Agricultural Industry category, also pointed to Limoneira’s ongoing relationship with UCSB’s Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, as well as the company’s partnership with Agromin to convert Ventura County’s green waste into a highly effective organic mulch.

“Limoneira is an amazing innovator,” Long said. “It’s a model to our county, state, nation, and the world of how to reduce carbon emissions and do business in a sustainable fashion.”

Accepting the award on behalf of Limoneira was its chief executive, Harold Edwards. “We’re really very honored and gratified to receive this award, and in fact we hope we can win it again next year and the year after that. Our guiding principle is, and always has been, sustainability.”

For more information about Limoneira, visit www.limoneira.com.