CMI Orchards shares regenerative agriculture advancements

April 4, 2025 Wenatchee, WA – CMI Orchards BB #:134183 and Royal Family Farming’s joint venture, The Soil Center (TSC), is at the forefront of redefining agricultural sustainability.

Breaking ground later this spring, TSC was established to repurpose agricultural byproducts—from orchards, row crops, dairy, and beef operations—into carbon-rich soil amendments supporting healthy, robust crop production, and reducing the need for synthetic soil additives.

Through innovative practices such as vermicomposting and biochar production, TSC is upcycling organic waste into valuable agriculture products such as garden soil blends, compost, worm castings and biochar. Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing at CMI Orchards shared that the company has made a zero-burn commitment for removed tree wood, opting to process and upcycle this wood in the world’s largest worm farm at Royal Family Farming in Royal City, WA.

“Liquid cow waste is filtered through chipped orchard wood and converted by worms into nutrient-rich compost, closing the loop in our operations,” she shared.

Beginning this year, TSC will process over 100,000 tons of dairy manure, chicken manure, culled fruit, and woody waste on an annual basis. Its three biochar reactors will transform more than 20,000 tons of woody biomass into biochar annually, sequestering an estimated 25,000 tons of carbon dioxide equivalent into the soil for generations to come. Biochar enhances soil structure, water retention and nutrient availability, while also reducing gas emissions from the soil.

“The Soil Center will support a full circle carbon economy leading to essentially zero organic waste for all our owners. We plan to break ground on the Soil Center and have a full estimate on carbon credits in just a couple weeks,” said Michael Hebdon, VP of Regenerative Agriculture at Royal Family Farming and General Manager of The Soil Center.

TSC is also pursuing Direct Environmental Benefits (DEB) status through Washington’s Cap and Invest program, aiming to qualify its carbon credits for verified environmental impact.

The carbon rich soil amendments created at The Soil Center will first be supplied to the CMI grower network, and eventually the larger agricultural community.  

Packed Rooms and Big Ideas: CMI and Royal Family Farming Spotlight Scalable Regenerative Solutions

CMI Orchards and Royal Family Farming (RFF) proudly served as Gold Sponsors of the North America Regenerative Agriculture Summit, held March 25–27, 2025, in Chicago. The companies, who are also partners in The Soil Center (TSC), showcased their industry leadership and commitment to sustainability in agriculture with a goal to raise the bar for the industry, aiding other produce companies in their own efforts to build regenerative programs.

CMI Orchards’ Vice President of Marketing, Rochelle Bohm, and RFF President, Austin Allred, led two fully booked roundtables focused on the implementation of regenerative practices on a commercial scale. The sessions addressed key topics including consumer-driven demand for regenerative products and the development of profitable, sustainable farming models.

Welcoming New Sustainability Manager: Rose Vejvoda

In further support of its regenerative agriculture goals, CMI Orchards is pleased to announce the addition of Rose Vejvoda as Sustainability Manager. Vejvoda brings a master’s degree in Climate Science and Solutions, along with certification in Greenhouse Gas Accounting and a strong background in sustainability programming and reporting through higher education.

Vejvoda will work closely with RFF and CMI’s partners to integrate regenerative agriculture into the company’s broader sustainability strategy. Her role includes leading customer sustainability reporting, managing greenhouse gas inventories, and identifying innovative ways to reduce emissions across the value chain—all while supporting grower success and helping retail partners meet their environmental goals.

“I’m incredibly excited to contribute to a company that is already at the forefront of regenerative agriculture and sustainability. Our continued goal is to regenerate the health of our planet while bringing meaningful value to our growers and retail partners,” said Vejvoda.

Long-Term Vision

Bob Mast, President of CMI, shared the company’s vision for sustainability initiatives.

“At CMI Orchards, our vision is to be the very best stewards of the planet in our industry—not because it’s marketable or financially beneficial, but because it’s the right thing to do,” Mast said. “Our commitment to regenerative agriculture is rooted in our responsibility to care for the land and animals that sustain us, ensuring a healthier planet for generations to come.”

About CMI Orchards

CMI Orchards is one of Washington State’s largest growers, shippers and packers of premium quality apples, pears, cherries, apricots and organics. Based in Wenatchee, WA, CMI Orchards delivers outstanding fruit across the U.S.A. and exports to over 60 countries worldwide. For more information on The Soil Center, visit https://www.cmiorchards.com/the-soil-center-home