MORGAN HILL, CA - Sakata Seed America is doing its part to ‘Go Green’ and conserve water during the California drought. As we all know by now, the drought has taken a substantial toll on the entire state; however, both the agricultural and horticultural industries have been hit particularly hard.
In response to the drought, Sakata has made it a priority to focus on ways to reduce its water usage and boost long-term sustainability for the future. In 2014, Sakata completed two main projects to conserve water at the Morgan Hill office headquarters. First, 12,500 square feet of turf was removed and replaced with drought-tolerant plants and landscape coverage. The company has also reported it has removed the overhead sprinklers and replaced them with a low-volume drip system, creating an estimated water savings of 300,000 gallons of water annually. For the remaining turf, complete irrigation updates were implemented, and over 275 sprinkler nozzles were upgraded to a weather track system which reduces water when it’s not needed, resulting in an additional 50,000 gallons of water conserved annually.
Now for this year, Sakata has already begun its next phase of water reduction, already removing 16,088 additional square footage of turf from the front of the company’s headquarters. The turf has been replaced with a new, drought-resistance landscape and low-volume drip systems. Even further, Sakata’s internal committee, ‘GreenUp,’ which is solely dedicated to creating a greener work environment, has plans for facility upgrades include water-saving restroom updates such as touchless faucets.The committee is also distributing free shower buckets to all interested employees, according to a press release.
Sakata’s water conservation efforts have not gone unnoticed, the company says. In September 2014, Sakata was deemed the title of a ‘Water Saving Hero’ and presented a plaque by the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Known for its ‘Brown is the New Green’ campaign, the county has been encouraging water conservation by distributing free ‘Brown is the New Green’ lawn signs, shower buckets, moisture meters, shower timers, shower heads and hose nozzles for Santa Clara county residents.
“It’s part of our responsibility to the community and the industry to conserve water and lower our carbon footprint. We are proud of our efforts thus far, but are determined to take it further and become a role model for other companies,” says Tye Anderson, Senior Logistics & Operations Manager for Sakata.
Sakata’s GreenUp committee’s future plans stretch far beyond lessening water usage and focus on sustainability as a whole. Long-term goals include such workplace additions as bike racks and charging stations for electric cars.
