Sustainability

Wyman's and Sustainability Sustainability rests on the principle that the needs of the present must be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Wyman’s core belief is that Economic Profitability, Environmental Health and Social & Economic Equity are mutually compatible and imperative. Success at this, we believe, will be a process of continuous improvement in our stewardship of natural and human resources.

Stewarding Natural Resources means maintaining or enhancing for the long term the vital resources of soil, water and air. This vision extends beyond agriculture to include our processing plants, and our distribution and sales systems.

Stewarding Human Resources means protecting consumer health and safety now and in the future, assisting the needs of rural communities, maintaining/improving the welfare of our employees and assisting the success of the small farms that sell to Wyman’s.

Facts & Initiatives:

Chilean farmers who joined Sustainability program.

During 2009 Wyman's recycled 332,000 lbs of cardboard. In addition Wyman's uses boxes with recycled content wherever possible. Recycled content in some boxes amounts to 65% of finished board weight.
During 2008 Wyman’s sponsored three hazardous waste recycling events in Chile. In its first three years over 13,000 containers were returned from farms to the recycling center in Santiago.
Beginning in 2006 Wyman’s launched a five year initiative to train and compensate small Chilean raspberry farmers in sustainable farming practices. At a June 2009 banquet Wyman’s presented 60 small Chilean farmers with cash awards of $250-500 for complying with Wyman’s Sustainability farm program.
Sustainability Handbook
Wyman’s is a member of the Sustainable Food Lab, an international coalition of business, government and NGO’s dedicated to defining and solving the challenges of sustainability. To learn more visit www.sustainablefoodlab.org.
Wyman’s wild blueberry fields, called “barrens”, have demanded sustainable practices due to their thin sandy arid character. As a root system they are not tilled thus reducing serious erosion concerns. The fields are mowed in the fall and the woody carbon material is returned to the ground.
The wild blueberry industry has been successfully practicing Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for over 20 years, successfully reducing chemical use by 67%.
During August 2009 Wyman’s composted nearly all of its processing line shrink (2.0 million pounds of leaves, green & crushed berries etc). This composted material will be re-spread in the fall to the blueberry fields to assist in erosion control and to promote blueberry vine growth to bare spots.
Wyman’s irrigation system is supplied mostly through a network of storage impoundments, which capture water when it is in surplus. This reduces demand on rivers and the aquifer during drought periods.
During the processing season over 90% of the water used to clean the berries is reprocessed saving millions of gallons per day.
"No Bees, No Berries" testified Wyman's at the June 2008 Congressional hearing in support of increased USDA funding to help beekeepers solve Colony Collapse Disorder (CDC), the mysterious loss of honeybees that threatens many of our nation’s crops.
In March 2009 Wyman's provided a $50,000 grant to Penn State University to assist its research into CDC.
In October 2009, Wyman's PEI was awarded North American Pollinator Advocate by non-profit Pollinator Partnership for collaborative research on improving the native pollinator habitat.
Wyman’s Canada is a principal sponsor of the restoration of the Fullerton Marsh on Prince Edward Island. Fullerton Marsh is an environmentally important 33 acre freshwater wetland. Wyman’s has partnered with Ducks Unlimited Canada to fund the replacement of a 30 year old water control structure to protect the area as a nesting, brood rearing and staging area for waterfowl.
In January 2010 Wyman’s was proud to attain a score of 97.5% on a sustainable practices audit by SYSCO and the IPM Institute.
In our community for 2010 Wyman's continues to support the Women’s Health Resource Library, a new and innovative library in Milbridge, Maine serving all of Washington County with educational resources for women’s health issues. Wyman's also sponsors the Sunrise County Economic Council, Maine Sea Coast Mission and other critical organizations in our rural community.
Wyman's migrant compound provides free housing for workers and family. Wyman's provides free propane gas and free space to two Hispanic cantinas that provide low cost native meals. The harvest season ends with the Wyman's Cup soccer tourney between teams of USA, Honduras and Mexico players.