Lundberg Family Farms announced today that it has received a 2008 Green Power Leadership Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The annual award recognizes organizations that distinguish themselves through their purchase, leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the voluntary green power market.

 Lundberg Family Farms was one of onlytwo organizations nationwide to receive a Leadership Award for the on-site generation of green power.  With the recent installation of a solar array covering a full acre, Lundberg Family Farms now generates up to 15% of their power from solar energy, helping to power its headquarters office, rice storage and processing facilities. With their purchase of Renewable Energy Credits, the company offsets some 130% percent of its total electricity use, making them a net positive contributor to California's energy supply.  In the coming year, Lundberg Family Farms expects to offset 4.8 million kWh, which is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 600 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 500 average American homes annually.

 "Being an environmentally sensitive business doesn't end with growing organic rice; for us, it begins there," said Grant Lundberg, CEO of the family-owned company that bears his name. "Renewable energy is central to the concept of sustainable agriculture, and it's one of the ways we live our core value of operating responsibly."

 Lundberg Family Farms is a participant in the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use. The Partnership currently has hundreds of Partner organizations voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt-hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, and colleges and universities.
 
The EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS). The awards recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power sources.
 
Since 1937, the Lundberg family has been growing healthy, great tasting rice while respecting and sustaining the earth. Today, the third generation carries on the family heritage by using eco-positive farming methods that produce wholesome, healthful rice, rice cakes, rice chips and risottos while improving and protecting the environment for generations to come.