CMI Orchards Adds Northwest Seaport Alliance Environmental Stewardship Award to Growing List of Sustainability Honors
October 14, 2026 | 2 min to read
Wenatchee, WA — CMI Orchards was honored with the Environmental Stewardship Award at the North Star Awards hosted by The Northwest Seaport Alliance on October 7, recognizing the company’s leadership in regenerative agriculture and environmental sustainability.
The North Star Awards celebrate outstanding companies utilizing the Seattle-Tacoma gateway. Among 29 nominations across seven categories, CMI was selected for its sustainability initiatives.
“This award is a tribute to our growers, who are dedicated to leaving the planet healthier with every piece of fruit we grow,” said Rochelle Bohm, Vice President of Marketing at CMI Orchards. “Every apple, pear and cherry we ship through Seattle and Tacoma carries their work to rebuild soil health and build a better food system. We’re proud the Northwest Seaport Alliance recognized that commitment, and we’re determined to keep raising the bar for sustainable fruit production.”
The Northwest Seaport Alliance, a partnership between the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, serves as a key export gateway for CMI’s apples, pears, and cherries destined for international markets. CMI was recognized for its innovative approach to environmental stewardship and its ongoing efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of fruit production.
Central to those efforts is The Soil Center™, CMI’s regenerative agriculture hub, which helps growers adopt practices that improve soil health, increase biodiversity and remove carbon from the atmosphere. Since 2022, The Soil Center™ project has sequestered more than 1 million tons of carbon dioxide, with a goal of reaching 2 million tons by 2030. The work has also led to Planet Positive™, CMI’s consumer-facing program highlighting carbon-negative fruit production.
The award adds to a growing list of sustainability recognitions for CMI, including being named among the world’s 50 most sustainable companies by the 2026 SEAL Business Awards, earning Silver at the 2026 Global Good Awards, and being named a finalist for the 2026 Sustainable Food Awards Sustainability Pioneer Award.
About CMI Orchards
CMI Orchards is a leading grower, packer and marketer of Washington apples, pears and cherries, delivering premium fruit and innovative programs to retailers and consumers in over 60 countries.