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Family-owned Musco Family Olive Co., a leading supplier of table olives, has been honored as a California 2011 Leader in Innovation in Energy and Agriculture by Grow-California for its cutting-edge approach to business, which has a positive impact on California's agricultural industry and economy. Musco received the Game Changer of the Year Award in the category of Innovation in Energy and Agriculture and earned the recognition specifically for its most recent initiative, the Renewable Energy and Wastewater System (RENEWS).

According to Felix Musco, CEO of Musco Family Olive Co., more than 15 tons of olive pits, previously considered waste, are converted to carbon-neutral heat energy each day through RENEWS. Energy from the pits is used to evaporate wastewater and to drive the largest industrial steam engine in the United States, at Musco's Tracy, Calif., headquarters. RENEWS was invented and patented by specialist Frank Schubert, CEO and founder of Combined Solar Technologies, onsite at Musco's facilities. More than half of the facility's electrical needs will be supplied by the system.

"Receiving the Game Changer of the Year Award underscores Musco's commitment to environmental stewardship and to providing for future generations," says Musco, representing the third generation of the Musco family legacy. "Our goal is a 100-percent renewable practice, where every olive processed within the facility is also helping our planet."

Musco's environmental stewardship extends to multiple innovations, including recycling more than 90 percent of all its water through a closed-loop system and extensive diversion from landfills, either through beneficial reuse onsite or via off-site institutional recycling. Musco is the first food processor in the United States to utilize NyPa crop forage to address soil salinity. The company also is dedicated to innovative transport and packaging processes.

"Musco Family Olive Co. is a true game changer in its innovative approach," says Jon Gregory, president and CEO of Grow California. "RENEWS caught the interest of numerous investors, bankers and economic development organizations who consulted with us to identify California agricultural companies with an impressive focus on innovation."

"We are proud of our hard-earned legacy as being the leading olive producer in the nation, but we are even more proud of our dedication and investment to doing business in a way that is healthy for our environment and community," Musco says. "It doesn't matter the size of your business. We are proof that innovative environmental solutions are attainable."

The award was presented by California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross, and USDA Rural Development State Director Dr. Glenda Humiston at a special ceremony held during the inaugural California Agriculture Innovation conference on the campus of U.C. Davis. Winners were selected because of their focus on innovation and contributions to California's economic growth. A total of 12 companies were recognized, including Blue Diamond Growers, Lundberg Family Farms and Paramount Farms. For more information about the California Agriculture Innovation conference and the Game Changer of the Year awards, visit www.grow-california.com.

Source: Musco Family Olive Co.