Master innovation

The smell of salt slowly wafted through the open window of my rental car as I cruised up the Pacific Coast Highway toward Camarillo, Calif. I had escaped the rush-hour traffic of the 405 just outside of Los Angeles by taking a detour to catch the PCH up to my destination instead.

Nothing but Malibu’s 27 miles of beaches, according to the signs, stood between me and Camarillo now.

It was August in California, and I was out west to attend Houweling’s Tomatoes’ celebration of its first GE Jenbacher combined heat, power, water and CO₂ plant, the most efficient carbon-powered hydrogenation station in the United States. Houweling’s gets heat, CO₂ and water, and then they’re able to sell the electricity. It’s so efficient that 90 to 95 percent of what is produced is used.

While I was there, I also got a tour of “Mastery under glass,” or the Houweling’s tomato production process, which is quite impressive up close. Here’s a look at their operations in a photo essay.