Duda Farm Fresh Foods, FL

 

Family owned for five generations: Duda

 

Jurisdiction over all core commodity suppliers

 

Contact: Jean Hamil, assistant to Amy Duda Kinder, Director of Food Safety and Consumer Affairs

 

Products:

Citrines, clementines, lemons, Meyer lemons, grapefruits, oranges, Western Specialty Fruit, lettuces. bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, cilantro, endive, escarole, cabbage, kale, parsley, radish, onions, sweet corn

 

250 acres organic. Constantly updating methods.

Organic supports the offsets of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers.

 

Food safety:

Traceability using bar code and lot number can trace back to seed.

Tested and developed RFID (radio frequency identification)

Developed "Product Traceability Initiative"

GAP, GMP LGMA

 

Green:

Use of fuel efficient tractors equipped with GPS systems to reduce time in fields

Reducing number of vehicles in fleet and horsepower

Corrugated packaging in line with Sustainable Forestry Initiative

100% recyclable and green packaging key to company goals

 

Pesticide use:

IPM – beneficial insects

Licensed "scouts" to determine applications of chemicals – only safest and least persistent pesticides used as needed

 

Fertilizer use:

GPS system used to pinpoint areas of fields requiring attention then automatically applies fertilizers and sprays as needed

96% less use of nitrogen fertilizer than conventional crops

Cover crops used

Crop rotation used – fallow and flood land

 

Sustainable:

Reduction of amount of water used – drip irrigation

Added organics to soil to consume carbon dioxide and offset carbon footprint

Reduction of Food Miles

Use of laser leveling

Regular soil testing by internal and external auditors, scheduled and unscheduled by PrimusLabs

 

Other auditors: CDFA, AIB International, Davis Fresh Technologies

HACCP plans are in place for applicable commodities such as sliced or cut vegetables and fruit

　

Fair Trade:

In compliance with all workers policies

Other state and federal certification:

Fully compliant with all applicable licenses and certifications

Dept. of Labor/OSHA

Fully compliant with inspections

 

Comments:

"Hydroponic Citrus Project" – goes beyond organic – combines best of science with "art of farming" and creates model of sustainability…a blueprint for future of tree and vine crops.

Overall company reduction of energy costs – tracking electrical use in offices and buildings; processing during off-peak hours