Mennonite Church USA

Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.”—Genesis 1:29 TNIV

In early September, I visited the corporate offices of Four Seasons Produce, based in Ephrata, Pa. I stopped by to see my friend Nelson Longenecker, who serves as vice president of business innovation at Four Seasons as well as vice chair of the board of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA).

From the onset of my visit, I observed that leaders of this company take seriously God’s call to be stewards of God’s creation.

As stewards, they cooperate with God in the production and distribution of food for the earth’s inhabitants.

They handle produce—fruits and vegetables—from many parts of the world and distribute it throughout the eastern United States.

The most visible part of God’s work at Four Seasons, of course, is the creation itself.

Without the creation of the world with its vegetation, there’d be nothing for them to distribute. It’s instructive that the writers and arrangers of Scripture put God as the subject of an active verb in the very first sentence of the Bible—”In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”

That’s one reason I value the term “creation care” as a way of speaking about environmental concerns; it emphasizes stewardship—cooperation with God by caring for the planet God created for human enjoyment.

Four Seasons reflects God’s work by emphasizing and building on the organic nature of food. In fact, half their produce is certified as “organic,” a huge percentage increase over the past decade. Because of their support of organic farmers, Four Seasons has become their distributor of choice in the Pennsylvania area.

They also support other local farmers engaged in small-scale production. The closest farmer raises produce just across the fence from the plant; he loads his wagon in the field and brings it across the parking lot to the warehouse.

Because the company imports produce from places as distant as New Zealand, they also have given thought to the carbon footprints left by various means of transportation.

I was surprised to learn that in the transportation of produce, the biggest carbon footprint of all is generally left by the customer driving to and from the store to buy groceries.

That’s because the amount of fossil fuel consumed is so high in proportion to the amount of food that is moved.

I also learned that sometimes local food production, especially in greenhouses, can consume a higher percentage of fossil fuel than shipping long distances by boat, which is by far the most efficient way to move large quantities of food.

Four Seasons cooperates with God in the care of the earth’s resources in a variety of ways, most visibly in energy conservation. They were recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency as the first warehouse in the country to be awarded the Energy Star.

Through rainwater harvesting and enhanced cooling water treatment, they have dramatically reduced the need for public well water. Although the company is growing, they cut back 24 percent on the amount of water needed in 2012 from a similar time in 2007, saving 1.6 million gallons. Through “mixed stream” recycling, they divert 90 percent of the normal waste from landfills.

I also saw God at work in the care for employees—whom they call associates—at this company. Surveys demonstrate that associates feel like their work is significant, that they are making a difference in the world. The Spirit of God enables a cooperative approach that values people at every level in the company.

In my visit to Four Seasons, I was encouraged to see people cooperating with God in the marketplace. I can’t think of a better way for Christian faith to get down to business.

Ervin Stutzman is executive director of Mennonite Church USA.