Photo by Samantha Bengtson
The city’s newest turbine shows support for the Gonzales High School Spartans.
GONZALES — Gonzales is continuing its journey with renewable energy as Mann Packing and Del Monte Fresh Produce have installed the second wind turbine in the city last week.
Mann Packing is the fresh vegetable division of Del Monte Fresh Produce, and both names are on South County’s newest wind turbine.
According to Jacob Shafer, senior marketing and communications specialist at Mann Packing, the turbine is 260 feet tall and its propellers span 165 feet. Over this past week the different pieces of the wind turbine were installed, and it was completed July 13.
Along with having both logos for Mann Packing and Del Monte Fresh Produce, the wind turbine also shows its support for Gonzales High School with a sign down the side that says “Go Spartans.”
“For Del Monte Fresh Produce, sustainability is a management practice that guides our daily business,” said Shafer. “Throughout our global operations we have many programs that seek to protect and sustain the environment and promote the well-being of our employees and the communities in which we operate.”
Included in Del Monte’s sustainability programs are the efficient use of natural resources through energy conservation practices and programs in all its facilities and the use of alternative energy sources.
The company is also trying to protect native flora and fauna through their land management as well as water and native species in the forest reserves and around their operations, recycling, using sustainable packaging and reduction of input material.
“When Del Monte acquired Mann’s, there was no hesitation in moving ahead with the planned wind turbine project in order to harness the wind power that blows through the Salinas Valley, especially Gonzales,” Shafer said.
To install the second wind turbine for Mann Packing and Del Monte Fresh Produce, Foundation Windpower once again led the way. The turbine also marks Foundation Windpower’s sixth wind energy project in South Monterey County.
