Growing for Future Generations
Conscientious Farming Practices
Food Safety
Reducing Carbon Emissions
Energy Conservation
Smart Packaging
Waste Management and Recycling
Sustaining our Human Capital
In the early 1900s, when Andrew Duda plowed his first Florida field, all he had was a pair
of plow mules, a sack of celery seed, and an enduring belief in the value of hard work
and a personal commitment to deliver the very best produce. Today, the Duda family’s
beliefs and commitment have not wavered from those of Andrew Duda and his three sons.
With 64,000 acres across 13 states owned or sustained by DUDA, our parent company,
Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ commitment and responsibility to producing the freshest quality
produce while reducing our environmental footprint continues to meet the stringent
expectations set out by our company’s founders.
This document intends to inform and educate about the practices that our company has adopted in order to grow our products with responsibility to the environment.
Duda Farm Fresh Foods is currently involved in programs to not only reduce the amount of water being used to irrigate our crops, but also to utilize better, more precise, and measured farming practices to help reduce the amount of nutrients being introduced into the soils during planting and growing stages. Duda Farm Fresh Foods, along with several other neighboring farms in the Everglades Agricultural Area of Florida, have collectively reduced water nutrient levels by an average of over 43% since 1996. In some of our citrus crops in California, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, along with our partner Citrines Operations, Inc., uses 96% less nitrogen fertilizer than conventional crops.
Land Utilization:By investing in Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology for the exact calculation of field sizes and
locations, inputs are optimized for all subsequent operations on a plot of land. Precision application of those inputs has also been
tested and developed on several farms where electronic sensors “read” the size of plants; and also detect the presence of gaps, in
order to adjust application rates to automatically meter the correct amounts of applied product (fertilizers and sprays, primarily)
for the job at hand. 
Duda Farm Fresh Foods has been using variable plant populations in many crops for several years. By using
genetic assets that thrive in very high plant populations, we
are able to reduce land use and all associated farm inputs,
which also increases yield and crop quality on the balance
of the acres. We fallow and flood the land, or plant cover
crops, or have a rotational cropping plan on 100% of our
land base to improve soil by suppressing diseases “naturally”
to reduce the use of chemical controls. By adding organic
matter to the soil (via cover crop), we consume carbon
dioxide and offset a portion of the carbon footprint. These
cover crops also mine the nutrients that have leached
below typical root zones and relocate them back into the
topsoil where they can be utilized by our vegetable crops
Laser Leveling:This technology has been in place since
the 1980’s and is a common land preparation practice on
farms of all sizes. Laser leveling has had a positive effect with respect to water distribution and water conservation, minimizing
environmental impacts from run-off and poor drainage, and has increased the uniformity and yields of most crops.
Water Conservation:Duda Farm Fresh Foods is dedicated to environmental responsibility in the area of water conservation
on our farms and in our processing facilities. We have expanded the use of drip irrigation nationwide on various crops thereby
lowering our water consumption by 30%. This precise delivery of water to the root zone has the additional benefit of reducing
other farm inputs, as nutrients can be calibrated to the size and growth habit of the plant at all stages of development. In addition,
we have installed moisture sensing technologies to help determine the proper timing of irrigations. In our Florida processing
facilities, Duda Farm Fresh Foods has reduced water usage by 50%. In California, a highly developed portion of our citrus crops
uses 76% less water than conventional field-grown crops and produce five times as much fruit per acre.
Agricultural Chemical: Duda Farm Fresh Foods was an early adopter of integrated pest management practices, which uses beneficial insects to naturally reduce plant pests. Since the 1950s, we have used professional, licensed “scouts “and “pest control advisors” to assist our farmers with the judicious application of agricultural chemicals.We are committed to applying only the chemicals needed at the precise time to avoid any unnecessary pesticide applications. We also use crop protection materials that target specific pests and avoid “broad spectrum” materials, thus maximizing the benefits of “beneficial insects” and reducing overall pesticide use. At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we utilize the safest and least persistent pesticides to reduce impacts on the environment.
Organic Farming:Since the late 1980’s Duda Farm Fresh Foods has integrated many of the practices from this methodology into our conventional farming practices. This methodology is constantly changing and being updated. Starting with the production process utilizing “green chemistry” to protect crops from disease and pests, to the processing facilities in Florida and California, Duda Farm Fresh Foods produces 250 acres of organic products which supports the offset of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides.
“Hydroponic” Citrus Project:With our California citrus growing partner, Citrines Operations, Inc., the latest technology and best practices from around the world have been incorporated into a Clementine project in the Central Valley that is unique in design and cutting edge by any industry measure. This project goes beyond organic by incorporating the best available science with the best of “the art of farming.” A portion of the crop is certified organic, however, and is farmed in accordance with USDA organic standards. Citrines Operations’ low input/high output production design creates a model of environmental sustainability that could be a blueprint for future projects and practices on other crops, both tree and vine.
Duda Farm Fresh Foods and its core commodity suppliers continuously practice and implement comprehensive food safety programs in order to provide the freshest and safest produce on the market. Based on external benchmarking, Duda Farm Fresh Foods ranks in the very top tier of producers, growers, packers, processors, and shippers in audit performance across all of the relevant measures, including ranches, harvesting, and facilities.
3rd Party Auditing: Duda Farm Fresh Foods and its core commodity suppliers are regularly being inspected and graded by internal and outside auditing companies (on a scheduled and unscheduled basis). Despite the high standards in place, Duda Farm Fresh Foods management expects incremental progress in all areas.
Traceability:Our current tracebackprogram is one of the bestavailable for product tracking. Duda Farm Fresh Foods uses a barcode and lot number identification system that can trace product from the store all the way back to the seed. Duda Farm Fresh Foods is proud to be one of a few companies selected to test and help develop the procedures needed for produce to be traced using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology, and has recently participated in, and endorsed, the national “Produce Traceability Initiative” sponsored by various trade associations (Produce Marketing Association (PMA), Canadian Produce Marketing Association (CPMA), and United Fresh Produce Association (UFPA)).
At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we strive to make our contribution to conserving the quality of the air we breathe whenever possible. From our planting and production processes to harvesting practices on the farm, we take the reduction of carbon emissions very seriously. As improvements in technology continue to become available, Duda Farm Fresh Foods will further invest in the most environmentally friendly equipment..
Crop Planning: As previously mentioned, we plant cover crops or use a rotational cropping plan on 100% of our land base to improve the microbial diversity of organisms in the soil, and add organic matter which consumes carbon dioxide and offsets a portion of the carbon footprint. These cover crops also mine the nutrients that have leached below typical root zones and relocate them back into the topsoil where they can be utilized by our vegetable crops. Cover cropping also reduces erosion of the soil by weather events.
Food Miles:With sustainability as a primary goal of our company, we have made the reduction of food miles an important part of the way we do business as a multi-region, multi-state company. Over the years Duda Farm Fresh Foods has recognized and supported the need for “regionally correct” programs. These regional programs might be small in size during their seasons, but collectively they generate a huge impact.
Fuel Conservation: One major program that Duda Farm Fresh Foods has embraced is the use of new fuel-efficient tractors that have become available in recent years. Our fleet of John Deere tractors is being optimized by new and improved models,and we are seeing positive impacts in fuel consumption. Duda Farm Fresh Foods is also “resizing” its fleet at the same time, in order to make further fuel reductions. By reducing the horse-power requirements for specific operations, we are getting the same jobs done with less engine power and less fuel consumption. In addition, Duda Farm Fresh Foods uses GPS navigation on all land preparation tractors which reduces tractor hours on average by 10-15%, with auto steer capabilities eliminating unnecessary overlaps and extra time in the fields. This reduces overall fuel consumption and emissions into the environment. Our goal is to reduce the gallons of hydrocarbon fuel used to grow a crop by at least 10% over the next three years..
Duda Farm Fresh Foods is developing a reporting tool that will track electricity use by operation and time of day, so that specific demand patterns and costs can be analyzed. The goal is to “load shift” in order to reduce the demand on the local grid during peak hours, thereby lowering Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ demand for electrical energy, thus reducing greenhouse gasses.
Peak vs. Non-Peak Demand Periods and Costs: We have implemented a processing cycle time change in order to “load shift” our electrical needs off of the peak period of the southern California electrical grid. This kind of change - scheduling our harvesting and cooling practices to shift part or all of the related energy demand into non-peak hours - could result in major cost savings and major environmental impacts, through the reduction of energy generation.
Cooling Concepts: In our Oxnard, California, facility, Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ state-of-the-art design maximizes efficiencies in refrigeration and cooling environments. Our DANDY® Cooling facility uses high efficiency evaporation units, which work with sensors and electronic monitors to control fans, motor speeds and unit cycles to ensure the most efficient cooling possible.
Packaging is an area where Duda Farm Fresh Foods is in a constant state of change, innovation, and research and development (R&D). These activities will continue as long as Duda Farm Fresh Foods is producing quality products. Our R&D aims to continually discover and utilize packaging that maintains sustainable attributes, reduces transportation and handling costs throughout the supply chain, and protects the freshness, safety, and integrity of our natural products.
Our corrugated packaging is procured strictly from manufacturers that adhere to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative®. This program is a comprehensive system of principles, objectives, and performance measures that combines perpetual growing and harvesting of trees with the protection of wildlife, plants, soil, and water quality. Our corrugated cartons utilize 62% post consumer content and are 100% recyclable once utilized for use in other packaging products.
Green Packaging (PLA): Using completely biodegradable product containers or clamshells has been a passion of Duda Farm Fresh Foods. We have collaborated with companies from many nations including the USA, England, Israel, and Malaysia. So far, none of these products have been able to maintain the desired shelf life on Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ key products, or adapt the product to film applications that can be handled and sealed by machines in wet and cold environments. The experts predict that it will be two or three years before flexible films (as opposed to rigid containers) are successfully engineered for our applications. Another consideration in this evaluation was the international freight (and therefore fuel usage) required to bring some of these products to our packaging facilities.
Re-usable Pallet Pool:With a considerable amount of pallets ordered per year, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is able to make a significant impact on the environment by utilizing a re-usable pallet pool. Pooling, or the combining and sharing of assets in a common effort, is by definition an environmentally sustainable concept. This year alone, Duda Farm Fresh Foods will reduce solid waste, total energy used, and green house gas emissions significantly by using the pallet pooling system.
Staple Free Cartons: Duda Farm Fresh Foods has switched 100% of its domestic core commodity packaging to “staple free.” This greatly enhances food safety by eliminating foreign objects attached to shipping containers, as well as reducing the cost and complexity of disposal.
Fully Waxed Cartons: Duda Farm Fresh Foods is constantly challenging our packaging suppliers to eliminate and or redesign cartons that contain wax, yet will withstand the high moisture levels that fresh produce demands. In support of this effort, Duda Farm Fresh Foods is a founding member of a multi-industry packaging council whose sole purpose is to test alternative replacements for the wax carton. We have tested several alternatives but have yet to find one that would be a successful replacement for the wax-impregnated carton. We have had good results switching a few products over to a wax-free (dry) carton by changing the method of packing and pre-cooling these products.
White Cartons: We are systematically reviewing the use of white cartons, whether by Duda Farm Fresh Foods or its customers, and questioning the need/justification for a bleached paper liner, or the need for the application of multiple coats of titanium white ink-paste to a kraft carton. Our goal is to eliminate these packages wherever possible. Not only do these processes add cost, but the bleached paper liners are manufactured under environmentally hazardous conditions that could otherwise be avoided.
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): Duda Farm Fresh Foods has been in the forefront of this program combining our R&D with the University of Florida and several retail chains. Full reports regarding these pilot tests will be available in the near future for further analysis.
Reduced Space Symbology (RSS-14) or (GS1 Data Bar): This technology could have a significant impact on the way retail chains do business. It would replace the antiquated system of generic price look up (PLU) and universal price (UPC) codes with reduced-size, scannable bar codes which will be product specific by supplier. As previously mentioned, Duda Farm Fresh Foods has recently participated in, and endorsed the national “Produce Traceability Initiative,” sponsored by various trade associations (PMA, CPMA, and UFPA), which has embraced this technology. In the future, a cashier would scan these codes at the counter, and remote offices would be able to track how many, what kind, and which supplier’s product was purchased at store level increasing accurate forecasts of consumer demands. With GS1 Data Bar technology on Duda Farm Fresh Foods bulk produce, retail chains will have the ability to more accurately order products according to demand and reduce product shrink. Thus, as orders become more balanced and in line with true consumer demand, transportation and fuel rates to ship the products are more efficiently managed, therefore lowering carbon dioxide emissions and conserving natural resources.
The team at Duda Farm Fresh Foods makes a concerted effort to recycle on an individual level from plastic water bottles to aluminum cans. On a larger scale, our company works to manage waste and recycle whenever possible.
Waste Management:From a whole stalk of celery there are many different uses. Approximately 40% of the stalk is packaged and marketed as DANDY Celery Sticks. An additional 15-20% is used for Duda Farm Fresh Foods diced products. The remainder is considered waste and is unusable for consumer packs. However, approximately 15-20% of the stalk is used for squeezing into celery juice. The balance is transported to animal farms and used as feed for different livestock.
Recycling:At Duda Farm Fresh Foods, we utilize Reusable Plastic Containers (RPC’s) in our harvesting operations for customers seeking a transition from waxed cartons. We use RPC’s 100% of the time for internal harvesting of all raw materials for fresh-cut operations. In addition to this, we utilize reusable, recyclable pallets for shipment of all domestic products. From an end user perspective, Duda Farm Fresh Foods packages all of our products in recyclable plastic, giving our customers the opportunity to recycle at home or in their place of business.
What started out as the pursuit of the American dream by Andrew Duda, a young Slovak immigrant, has become one the country’s most reputable family-owned and operated enterprises. Currently in its fifth generation of family ownership, Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ values its employee team -from the workers in the field to executive leadership.
Employee Retention:Employees of Duda Farm Fresh Foods are happy employees. The company’s mission to grow families, people and relationships is the keystone that keeps the turnover rate at Duda Farm Fresh Foods very low. We are proud to be owned by a company whose average length of service for full-time salaried employees is 15 years, and hourly full time employees at 9.3 years, for an overall average of 11.3 years.
Health & Safety: Health and safety for all employees is at the core of Duda Farm Fresh Foods. Safety gear and appropriate protective clothing are required to be worn, depending on the employee’s job function. We provide safe work environments for all of our employees and maintain low accident rates through continuous improvement of our safety procedures. In addition to financial incentives for education, there are programs paying costs towards smoking cessation, and weight reduction. In addition, the company offers at no charge an Employee Assistance Program helping them with personal issues.
Employee Training & Development:The Company’s Employee Training & Development Program supports every Duda Farm Fresh Foods location across the United States. Several leadership workshops with subjects such as providing feedback,behavioral insight, recognizing employee achievement and building facilitation skills are enhancing the way leaders develop their employees as well as themselves.
Appreciating Diversity: As our company continues to grow in every location, Duda Farm Fresh Foods has created more opportunities for employee development than ever before. In response to our ever-increasing diverse mix of families and workers, many communications vehicles are now translated into Spanish and delivered simultaneously with English versions of memos, employee newsletters, and more
Community Involvement: The Company’s priorities for charitable donations reflect those of its founders: organizations and institutions that provide meaningful services for our employees and our industry. One of Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ commitments to its employees is demonstrated through the support of organizations which provide quality child care and education, support services and improvements of the general welfare for children of migrant and other low-income rural families. Through a lowcost,long-term lease that Duda Farm Fresh Foods provides, one of the East Coast Migrant Head Start Project’s child development centers is located on our Belle Glade, Florida farm and offers free day care to our seasonal employee families. This facility is located adjacent to the on-property housing the company provides at nominal cost for their seasonal workers and their families. The company also supports the Redlands Christian Migrant Association and participates in their annual Christmas card fundraiser. The cards and stationary are created by children in RCMA child development centers, and earnings from the sale of the cards goes directly to RCMA for services and supplies at more than 70 centers in 20 Florida counties. Every $1 raised receives up to $16 matching funds.
© Copyright 2009 A. Duda & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved