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Annexation of East Area I
A press release distributed on February 12, 2013, communicated that East Area 1 was formally annexed into the city of Santa Paula. The annexation was the final required step to enable Limoneira to immediately proceed with East Area 1, a master planned community project. When completed, East Area 1 is expected to consist of 501 acres of commercial and residential properties, including 1,500 residential units, 210,000 square feet of commercial space, and 150,000 square feet of light industrial space. Also part of the planned community project is the East Gateway Project (also known as East Area 2), which is expected to consist of 350,000 square feet of new commercial property.
Also in February, the Santa Paula Planning Commission and the Santa Paula City Council approved a specific development plan and accompanying environmental impact report (EIR) for the East Gateway Project. This approval allowed for the annexation of East Area 1 into the City of Santa Paula. Annexation into Santa Paula was required in order to re-zone the land for residential, commercial, and light industrial development.
Harold Edwards, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We are very excited that the expected annexation has been recorded. Our team has been waiting for this day for nearly ten years when the project was first conceived, and with the final hurdle now behind us, we are able to proceed with executing our plans. We will begin tract mapping of the area for development, applying for infrastructure building permits, and expect to break ground on the project in 2014."
Edwards continued, "This marks the beginning of an exciting new phase of real estate development for Limoneira. We are looking forward to the opportunity to leverage our deep understanding of our community based on our long operating history in Santa Paula. As the project progresses, Limoneira is well positioned to benefit from the expected additional cash flow associated with the development." A number of home builders, land development partners, and equity partners have expressed an interest in East Area I. The housing market is gaining momentum and recent forecasts reflect strong pent up demand for new housing in Ventura County. |
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About East Area 1 and the East Gateway Project
 Santa Paula's East Area 1 project was conceived in 2004 by the Limoneira Company and the city of Santa Paula under the formation of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two parties. The MOU called for a series of community-wide charrettes used to develop a specific plan for the development of Limoneira's Teague McKevett Ranch, a 501-acre ranch contiguous to Santa Paula's eastern boundary. The Santa Paula Planning Commission and Santa Paula City Council unanimously approved the East Area 1 Specific Plan and accompanying EIR and Development Agreement. In addition to the aforementioned residential units, commercial property, and light-industrial property, the plan also proposed building new schools, parks, recreational fields/facilities, public-safety facilities, and a new community center to support a healthy and sustainable community.
In 2008 Santa Paula's East Area 1 Project successfully passed a city-wide S.O.A.R. (Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources) vote with Measure G receiving an 83% approval result at the city polls. This S.O.A.R. vote victory represents the first and only large-scale master-planned community project to obtain the approval of public voters since Ventura County's S.O.A.R. initiative was implemented in 1991, underscoring Limoneira's strong favor with its local community as well as the significant community-wide benefits provided by the East Area 1 project. From 2008 - 2010, the city of Santa Paula diligently worked with the city of Fillmore to establish a Greenbelt Ordinance for all of the agricultural and open-space property between Haun Creek (to the west near Santa Paula) and Sespe Creek (to the east near Fillmore). Following the establishment of this Greenbelt Ordinance, Santa Paula then submitted its application for annexation of the East Area 1 property into the city of Santa Paula to the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) in 2011. The East Area 1 project was approved by the LAFCO Commissioners in 2011, but annexation of the East Area 1 property into the city of Santa Paula was contingent upon the successful application for annexation of East Area 2 - a project that later was named Santa Paula's East Gateway Project.
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 South America And Trends That Portend Opportunity In The Region
South America consists of twelve sovereign states: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, the French Guiana and the Falkland Islands. Additionally, the ABC islands of the Netherlands, Trinidad, and Tobago are often considered part of South America.
South America has an area of 6,890,000 square miles, and a population in excess of 371 million people. Most of the population lives near the western or eastern coasts of the continent while the interior and the far south are sparsely populated. The geography of western South America is dominated by the Andes Mountains, and contrasts with the east host large river basins such as the Amazon, Paran� and Orinoco. Most of the continent lies in the tropics. The continent is culturally, ethnically and racially diverse hosting cultures and peoples originating in South America as well as Europe, Africa, and Asia. Given a history of colonialism most South Americans speaks Spanish or Portuguese, and societies and states are commonly modeled after Western traditions.
A Number Of Trends Are Driving Opportunities In Latin America
Business Insights, a respected consulting firm, specializes in analyzing the changing market landscape and the strategic implications of change, and for the past 15 years has worked with both blue chip and emerging companies, providing thought leadership and key data on fast-growth areas, evolving threats and opportunities, and winning strategies.
The company has identified a number of trends that are driving opportunities in Latin America. The company states that for much of the 20th century, Latin American economies showed little growth and weak demand, particularly when compared against other booming global markets. In recent years, however, changing economic policies, globalization, energy discoveries, and myriad other factors have given rise to budding economies boasting robust exports and wealthier middle classes. During the most recent global financial crisis, many Latin American markets weathered the economic storm better than other regions in the world. Brazil - one of the famed BRIC countries - has the sixth largest economy in the world, with a GDP of more than $2.2 trillion, but other Latin American countries are also showing growing demand and exports. The trends that have been identified on the continent include the following:
 | | Chamber of Deputies of Brazil |
Trend One: Political Stability
Political stability in Latin America is growing. Many people in the region live under an elected, civilian government, which encourages foreign investment and fosters economic growth. Colombia, Chile, and Peru enjoy relatively stable democracies favoring foreign capital and investment. In 2011, Standard & Poor's upgraded Argentina's credit rating to a "B" and classified the country as "stable." The economic powerhouse, Brazil, which also has a stable political environment, has one of the fastest growing markets in the world, poised to grow stronger with the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympic Games in 2016.
Not all Latin American countries have found the same levels of political stability. Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela can be unstable, with problems found in absent infrastructure and poor rule of the law. Yet, the overall trend for the region is one of increasing stability and opening markets. The kind of statist, populist solutions that probably cost Latin America decades of economic growth in the 20th century are viewed today largely with suspicion, even in the countries where they still hold sway.
In many places, things that once held business back, such as monetary instability, and shortages of even the most basic items, are becoming things of the past.
Trend Two: Economic Institutions Strengthening
Trade and investment regimes have been liberalized, foreign direct investment has increased, and new export markets have come on stream. The region now attracts around 7% of global foreign direct investment and accounts for 6% of global exports. These positive signs are evidence that the region's economic institutions are growing stronger.
Collaborative efforts, such as the Latin American Reserve Fund (FLAR), consisting of Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela, offers loans or loan guarantees, improves investment conditions in international reserves, and helps harmonize exchange rate, monetary, and financial policies of member countries. There has also been a growth in banking throughout Latin America, driven by a growing middle class, growth in deposits and credit, and greater banking efficiency.
Brazilian banks lead the pack, holding the top five spots on The Banker's list of best Latin American banks. Colombian and Peruvian capital markets are developing quickly and (relatively) mature markets, such as Chile, continue to have high growth rates. Yet persistent inflation in Brazil (which reached a seven-year high of 6.5% in 2011 but has eased in the first months of 2012) is limiting tax incentives and stimulus measures for industries struggling through the global economic downturn, leading economic officials to project only about 3% growth for the next few years.
Further, while Latin American and Caribbean banking systems are strengthening, the IMF emphasizes the importance of monitoring financial sector vulnerabilities and strengthening financial sector supervision to contain excessive leverage and avoid boom-bust credit cycles. An IMF report said capital controls can provide temporary relief to strong portfolio investment inflows into commodity-exporting countries.
 Trend Three: Growth of the Middle Class
Latin American countries hold rapidly growing middle classes, driven in part by the commodities boom in the last decade. With 56 million households joining the middle class over the last decade, totaling 51% of the major Latin American economies in 2011, up from 41% in 2001, consumers enjoy greater buying power and discretionary spending. This is creating a demand for goods and industries that rely on air cargo to move their products throughout the world.
Part of the growth in the middle classes can be attributed to demographics - the working age population is now greater than the population of those not able to work, offering families increased income. Access to consumer credit is also fueling a new consumerism, driving demand for technology and myriad consumer products at levels never before seen in the region. The strengthening financial institutions support this. With Latin American banks focusing on products for the consumer market and lending strategies for the retail segment, emerging middle classes now show a greater demand for consumer goods - and the means to pay for it.
 Trend Four: Intra-regional Development
Since 1959, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has been the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. While the bank is owned by 48 states (including some European nations and the United States), only 26 countries are able to receive loans, all of which are in Latin America. Tariffs in the region have fallen from 40% in the 1980s to only 10% in 2008. Progress in trade facilitation measures has been slow, due in part to not enough funding opportunities and political deadlocks. Nevertheless, with a market of over 550 million people, most of whom speak two closely related languages and share a common cultural history, free-trade agreements through regional trade unions like MERCOSUR and CAFTA are making an impact.
One challenge in fostering intra-regional development is infrastructure spending, which lags behind other middle income countries, such as China. The absence of updated infrastructure hinders productivity and competitiveness of Latin American companies, which slows economic growth overall. A World Bank Economist on Latin America and the Caribbean infrastructure said the region "has now fallen behind for electricity, roads and fixed telephone lines, with only cellular telephony, and access to safe water and sanitation facilities performing comparatively well."
This, however, could change in coming years given the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA), first launched in 2000. The IIRSA, backed by the Corporaci�n Andina de Fomento, the River Plate Basin Financial Development Fund (Fonplata) and the IDB, is a plan to join Latin American economies via transportation, energy, and telecommunications infrastructure development. Integrating regional infrastructure will foster trade and more closely link Latin American countries.
Trend Five: Globalization and International Trade Policies
No longer mired in economic stagnation, Latin America has strengthened its connections with the global economy. Several countries also have free-trade agreements with the United States and the European Union, giving them more access to hundreds of millions of potential customers. Growth in China in particular is opening new markets. In 2009, China replaced the United States as Brazil's largest trading partner, and while a recent downgrade in China's expected growth has upset some markets in Latin America, the trend of greater interaction with international markets is boosting Latin American exports and its economies.
In October 2011, President Obama signed Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea. The Latin American agreements will stimulate economic growth in the region, as well as in the United States. The Colombia and Panama FTAs create a nearly uninterrupted free trade zone from Canada to Chile. From a cargo perspective, opening doors and facilitating trade in a wide variety of countries is a good thing - good for forwarders, carriers, and their operations. As an example, between 1985 and 2008, for countries with which the United States holds FTAs, trade grew on average 25.6 percent in the first three years after the FTA was signed.
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This Month's Tip:
Preserved Lemons
What you'll need: |
- 6-10 lemons (enough to pack a 1 quart jar)
Directions:
Scrub lemons thoroughly and scrape off any discolorations on the skin. Trim 1/4" from the stem end of each lemon. Quarter each lemon lengthwise, cutting through 3/4 the length of the fruit, leaving enough to hold the lemon intact. Fill the inside of each lemon with salt and pack lemons tightly into a sterilized quart jar, leaving as little space as possible. Pour any remaining salt over the packed lemons and squeeze lemon juice into the jar to cover lemons. Seal the jar tightly and store in a cool dry location. For the next 3 to 4 weeks, occasionally shake the jar to agitate the brine. Jar may be opened to further compress the lemons, if desired. After 3 weeks, check the consistency of the peels. Once they have become soft and pliable, the lemons are ready for use and may be refrigerated for 6 months to a year. Rinse any residual salt from the skin and discard seeds. Flesh may be either discarded or included for a more intense flavor. |
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Limoneira Unleashes The Natural Power Of Lemons In South America
Limoneira Company is continuing to tap into global social marketing opportunities, budding global entrepreneurialism, and the individual as brand phenomenon with the company's UNLEASH THE POWER OF LEMONS campaign. There is no shortage of creativity and energy in South America and we've linked with a number of local experts to highlight the many uses of lemons in recipes, beauty, health, cleaning, and lifestyle.
Buenos Aires
 Sophie Lloyd - Lifestyle
Buenos Aires is a shopper's paradise and has what can be an overwhelming selection of all that's fabulous. For the time pressed, Sophie Lloyd, founder of ShopHopBA can help. She is, after all, a well dressed shopping professional.
Sophie knows where the finds are and which neighborhoods, such as exclusive Palermo Soho, offer hidden gems. Previously a writer for the China Daily in Shanghai, where she lived for 5 years, she made her way to Buenos Aires and ShopHop BA was born from her passions as a stylist, writer, and shopper. Sophie was interested to learn about Limoneira's sustainably produced lemons and loved all of the images of lemons in vases, as unique table settings, and place card holders for cocktail parties. She loves the scent of fresh cut lemons!
Chile
 Paula Vald�s Avila - Beauty
Lauded as one of the finest hotels in the world, the 32-room Tierra Atacama Hotel and Spa is an oasis in the rugged Chilean outback. Hotel Manager, Paula Vald�s Avila says that the cultures of Aymara, Atacame�a, and Inca all left their mark on this region. The night skies and stars are beautiful and the weather is good all year, so their guests don't have to worry about when to visit. The Tierra Atacama's Uma Spa is located in a beautiful green oasis with sweet multi-colored gardens and majestic views of the volcano. Paula notes that the spa, under the direction of manager Liliana Elgueta, has become what many are calling one of the top spas in the world and offers a variety of alternative therapies and massages, facial treatments, rituals, and baths. Paula was delighted to learn about Limoneira's 120-year history and beautiful lemons produced with sensitivity towards the land and team members. She notes that lemons provide a number of benefits for the skin and also offer naturally fragrant aromatherapy properties.
Sao Paulo
 Edwardo Canal - Cleaning
In today's ultra-competitive marketplace, the one thing that powers companies forward is their commitment to customer satisfaction. That's what has been driving Jani-King's commercial cleaning for the last 40 years. Spotless is their standard, and it's been integral to the Company's success.
Edwardo Canal from Jani-king Brazil says that more of their customers are embracing sustainability and are increasingly aware of energy consumption and waste. To help contribute to this new way of thinking, Jani-King offers a green cleaning service that integrates environmentally safe products, made using only the most eco-friendly processes available.
Edwardo appreciates the fact that Limoneira has a long history of land stewardship and has been incorporating sustainable growing practices for their beautiful lemons for decades. He appreciates Limoneira lemon's natural cleaning properties.
 Marcia Cabrera and Rute Botini - Health
Meta Real or Real Goal in Portuguese is a Brazilian company that has been achieving lasting success for their members for the past 26 years. It was founded by Mary Eliza Zuccon. The focus of the company is to help its members lead a healthier lifestyle by maintaining their ideal weights for their body types. Marcia Cabrera and Rute Botini are nutritional advisors for Meta Real, and they have both gone through the Meta Program. Marcia and Rute understand the benefits of fruits and vegetables as part of a balanced diet. When they learned about Limoneira's sustainably produced lemons and the company's 120 year history, they were excited to try the many delicious and healthy lemon recipes on Limoneira's website.
Bogota
 Jorge and Mark Rausch - Recipes
The culinary scene in Colombia's capital city Bogota has been booming. New restaurants are popping up all over the city, and old establishments are gaining international recognition for their fare.
One such restaurant, which has been setting the standard in Bogota for 6 years, is Criterion, a modern French locale in the heart of the city. Criterion is fine dining on an informal level. It is tasteful and immaculately stylish. The Rausch Brothers, Jorge and Mark, are the visionaries behind this enterprise which is part of their culinary empire along with their restaurants Bistronomy, Marea by Rausch, and Rausch Panama.
Head Chef Jorge Rausch trained with Raymond Blanc himself, and the restaurant has consistently been showered with awards and recognitions from the industry's best since it opened. Jorge's brother Mark is the restaurant's pastry chef. The food is expertly and creatively prepared using only the finest ingredients. Jorge and Mark loved learning about Limoneira Ranch and their sustainably produced lemons. They were impressed with Limoneira's more-than-a-century of sustainable growing practices including their solar orchards and organic recycling partnership.
Lima
 Hans Hilburg Vivar - Recipes
Hans Hilburg Vivar is one of Lima's best known bartenders, and one of the first great pisco mixologists. His charming bar, El Pisquerito is off the beaten track and is favored by locals and expats living in Lima. It was born of his sincere and loyal passion for Pisco. Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored grape brandy produced in the winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Pisco was developed by Spanish settlers in the 16th century as an alternative to orujo, a pomace brandy that was being imported from Spain. Hans refers to cocktails with Pisco as the New Peruvian Mixology or the re-birth of Pisco. He has set the bar high for himself and his team at El Pisquerito to correctly teach his clients about Pisco through their cocktails. His goal is to give his customers the best.
Hans is a true Peruvian treasure; his skill reflects his passion for pisco mixology and for tradition. He was excited to learn about Limoneira Ranch and the company's 120-year-old history of sustainably produced lemons. He's looking forward to mixing up Limoneira Lemon Meyer pisco sours for El Pisquerito's customers.
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Behind The Scenes - Limoneira Annual Report Photo Shoots
 | | Nobu Malibu |
Limoneira's annual report for fiscal 2012 is on its way to Limoneira shareholders. Photo shoots took place in conjunction with some of Limoneira's Southern California based UNLEASH THE POWER OF LEMON opinion leaders. Fun was had by all.
Nobu Malibu: Stewart Lockwood (Director of Packing, Lemon Operations), John Carter (Director Global Sales), and Tomas Gonzalez (Manager Food Safety and Sustainability) enjoyed delicious lemon drop martinis at this culinary hot spot. Executive Chef Gregorio Stephenson uses Limoneira Meyer lemons in a variety of his delicious recipes.
The Black Eyed Peas, Los Angeles: Greg Hamm (Vice President, Controller), Eric Tovias (Director, Information Systems), and Ryan Nasalroad (Manager, Service Operations) were at this famous singing group's studio in Los Angeles with cleaning expert Mark Newman Kuzel, CEO of Maid in the USA. Mark's company has been providing cleaning services to the group for years and thinks Limoneira lemons are a great natural way to clean.
Yamaguchi's Salon, Four Seasons Westlake Village: Susan Jones-Ng (Director, International Business Development), and Rosie Castillo (Property Manager) enjoyed Yamaguchi's Limoneira Lemon pedicure - one of the salon's top sellers.
UCLA Medical Center: Don Delmatoff (Director, Compliance and Special Projects) and John Chamberlain (Director, Marketing) were at this nationally recognized health campus. Susan Dopart, Limoneira's L.A. UNLEASH nutrition expert has been working with the center for years and loves Limoneira lemons health benefits.  | | The Black Eyed Peas' Studio - Yamaguchi's Salon - UCLA Medical Center |
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 Maid in the U.S.A.
Maid in the U.S.A. is a local Los Angeles company that sends their own trusted, background-checked cleaning associates to clean business and homes and they are licensed, bonded and insured for their client's protection.
MITUSA is the premier boutique cleaning service in the Los Angeles cleaning industry, which is why they can guarantee your satisfaction.
They are beyond thrilled to announce their partnership with Limoneira as Mark Newman-Kuzel, CEO/President of Maid in the U.S.A., was chosen to serve Limoneira's Los Angeles Cleaning Industry Expert in our ongoing Unleash The Power of Lemons campaign.
They have a special gift for their customers in April. When one of their clients books a cleaning in April, they'll receive Limoneira lemons and a recipe for a homemade lemon-based cleanser. (See coupon below)
Contact them today at: 323-662-MAID (6243)
www.maidintheusa.biz
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Preserving the Harvest: When Life Gives You Lemons, Pickle 'Em
 Ah, lemons. Pretty to look at and incredibly versatile, my kitchen is rarely without them. Juiced, sliced or zested, the zing lemon brings to any dish has been appreciated for centuries. Of course, like so much of the produce that comes my way, it was only a matter of time before it found its way into the pickling brine.
Lest pickling lemons seem like an innovation, the practice of preserving lemons by brining is a longtime staple in Indian and Moroccan cuisine, and is an anchor of many traditional recipes, most notably used in tagines. The minced rind of preserved lemons can be used in almost as many ways as the lemon itself. The unusual sweet and salty citrus of preserved lemon can be used to brighten soups, stews, sauces, stir-frys, salads, or in marinades for fish, chicken or beef.
Meyer lemons lend themselves well to the process due to their thin skin and sweetness, but any fresh lemon will stand up to salty brine. Lemons with a particularly thick skin may be blanched before brining to remove some of the bitterness in the pith, but it isn't required. Once you've tried your hand at preserving lemons, consider experimenting with the addition of bay leaves, peppercorns, or coriander seeds to add complexity to this special ingredient.
To find out how to pickle your own lemons check out our tip of the month above on the right-side column.
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Arielle Breen Shines On With Lemons As An Option In The "No-'Poo Do"
 Arielle Breen, in a recent article from Central Michigan Life shared that she is a proud no-'poo do-er. After a lot of reading and thinking about how people kept their hair clean before our common, chemical-laden shampoo was invented, she came across the no-'poo movement, which helped her learn shampoos often have chemicals that many people do not approve of, such as MIT and sulfates. Many say MIT might interfere with our young neurons.
She has a lot of options; some days she will clean her hair with lemons, baking soda, or natural shampoo bar soaps. If she needs a conditioner, a little bit of apple cider vinegar goes a long way, but there are also conditioner bars that use only natural ingredients.
She and others, did go through a period called the "breaking-in period," where the natural oils in the scalp have to adjust to the less stringent strip-cleaning, leading to not-cool hair days. For most people, it seems to only be a few weeks. She suggests just wearing a hat or something because your hair has to adjust to all those years of stripping and over-conditioning.
Arielle thinks that if you are looking for a way to help your hair, water supply, and your wallet, this might be the 'do for you.
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Save the Date - Upcoming Events
6th Annual Citrus Classic Balloon Festival - Friday, July 26th and Saturday, July 27th
Beautiful Air Balloons, food, music and a variety of attractions at this not to be missed exciting festival. Wine Tastings, Live Music, Sunset Wine Dinner Evening Balloon glows and hot air balloon rides (weather permitting).For more information, please visit www.citrusclassicballoons.com.
Currents Of Change Event On April 28th At Limoneira
The Social Justice Fund's biggest annual fundraiser, Currents of Change, takes place April 28th, 2013, at Limoneira Ranch. This year's general format includes a speaker, silent and live auctions, Plated Events food, entertainment, and a chance to mingle with "like-minded" people as well as some of their grant recipients.
The SJF is the largest donor-led funder and educator of social justice programs in Ventura County. For more information, please visit www.socialjusticefundvc.org
Moonlight At The Ranch VII: "Disco Fever!"
Burn Baby Burn!-Saturday, September 21st
Historic Limoneira Ranch will be decorated in all things Disco: Appetizers, no-host bars, Tastings from Ventura County's Finest Restaurants, Dancing Under the Stars to Men on the Moon. For more information, please visit www.moonlightattheranch.com |
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Limoneira Winner's Block
This month our lucky winner is Jennifer Villamere,Toronto Canada. As our monthly winner, Jennifer has won a Limoneira Orchard Fresh or Lifestlyes Gift.
Congratulations Jennifer!!!
For your chance to win, make sure you're on our mailing list to be entered into our monthly drawing. To join click here or visit our website at www.Limoneira.com
Be sure to check out our other contests and drawings for additional changes to win prizes.
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