Limoneira CO - Annual Report: 2013 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

For the fiscal year ended October 31, 2013

OR

Commission file number: 001-34755

Limoneira Company

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (805) 525-5541

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes  o  No  þ

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No þ

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes  þ  No  o

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes   þNo  o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): 

Indicate by check mark if whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes  o  No  þ

Based on the closing price as reported on the NASDAQ Global Market, the aggregate market value of the Registrant’s Common Stock held by non-affiliates on April 30, 2013 (the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $220.1 million. Shares of Common Stock held by each executive officer and director and by each stockholder affiliated with a director or an executive officer have been excluded from this calculation because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes. The number of outstanding shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock as of December 31, 2013 was 14,036,803.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Portions of the Registrant’s Proxy Statement for the 2014 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, which we intend to hold on March 24, 2014, are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K. The definitive Proxy Statement will be filed within 120 days after October 31, 2013.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

This annual report on Form 10-K (this “Annual Report”) contains statements which, to the extent that they do not recite historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and may include the words "may," "will," “could," "should," "would," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan" or other words or expressions of similar meaning.  We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations about future events.  The forward-looking statements include statements that reflect management’s beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations and intentions with respect to our financial condition, results of operations, future performance and business, including statements relating to our business strategy and our current and future development plans.

The potential risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual financial condition, results of operations and future performance to differ materially from those expressed or implied in this Annual Report include:

In addition, this Annual Report contains industry data related to our business and the markets in which we operate. This data includes projections that are based on a number of assumptions. If these assumptions turn out to be incorrect, actual results could differ from the projections. We urge you to carefully review this Annual Report, particularly the section “Risk Factors,” for a complete discussion of the risks of an investment in our common stock.

Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, level of activity, performance or achievements. Many factors discussed in this Annual Report, some of which are beyond our control, will be important in determining our future performance. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from those that might be anticipated from forward-looking statements. In light of these and other uncertainties, you should not regard the inclusion of a forward-looking statement in this Annual Report as a representation by us that our plans and objectives will be achieved, and you should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

All references to “we,” “us,” “our,” “our Company,” “the Company,” or “Limoneira” in this Annual Report mean Limoneira Company, a Delaware corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries.

PART I

Item 1. Business

Limoneira Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1990 as the successor to several businesses with operations in California since 1893.  Our business and operations are described below.  For detailed financial information with respect to our business and our operations, see our consolidated financial statements and the related notes to consolidated financial statements, which are included in Item 8 in this Annual Report.  In addition, general information concerning our Company can be found on our website, the internet address of which is www.limoneira.com. All of our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including but not limited to, the annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments thereto, are available free of charge on our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed or furnished to the SEC.

Overview

We are an agribusiness and real estate development company founded and based in Santa Paula, California, committed to responsibly using and managing our approximately 10,600 acres of land, water resources and other assets to maximize long-term stockholder value.  Our current operations consist of fruit production, sales and marketing, real estate development and capital investment activities.

We are one of California’s oldest citrus growers. According to Sunkist Growers, Inc. (“Sunkist”), we are one of the largest growers of lemons in the United States and, according to the California Avocado Commission, one of the largest growers of avocados in the United States.  In addition to growing lemons and avocados, we grow oranges and a variety of specialty citrus and other crops.  We have agricultural plantings throughout Ventura and Tulare Counties in California and in Yuma County in Arizona, which plantings consist of approximately 3,900 acres of lemons, 1,200 acres of avocados, 1,500 acres of oranges and 800 acres of specialty citrus and other crops.  We also operate our own packinghouse in Santa Paula, California, where we process, pack and sell lemons that we grow as well as lemons grown by others.

Our water resources include water rights, usage rights and pumping rights to the water in aquifers under, and canals that run through, the land we own.  Water for our farming operations is sourced from the existing water resources associated with our land, which includes rights to water in the adjudicated Santa Paula Basin (aquifer) and the un-adjudicated Fillmore, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles Basins (aquifers).  We use ground water and water from local water districts in Tulare County, which is in the San Joaquin Valley. Following our acquisition of Associated Citrus Packers, Inc. (“Associated”) we began using ground water in Arizona from the Colorado River through the Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District.

For more than 100 years, we have been making strategic investments in California agricultural and development real estate.  As of the date of this Annual Report, we have five active real estate development projects in California. These projects include multi-family housing and single-family homes comprising approximately 200 completed units and another approximately 1,700 units in various stages of planning and entitlement. 

Fiscal Year 2013 Highlights and Recent Developments

In February 2013, our East Area 1 real estate development project was annexed into the City of Santa Paula. The annexation enables us to proceed with our master planned community project consisting of up to 1,500 residential units, 210,000 square feet of commercial space and 350,000 square feet of light industrial space. Annexation into the City of Santa Paula was required in order to re-zone the land for residential, commercial and light industrial development. We have begun tract mapping of the area for development and will be applying for infrastructure building permits. Our goal is to break ground on the project and begin selling homes in the next 12 to 18 months, subject to general business, market and economic conditions. In May 2013, the Ventura Local Area Formation Commission unanimously approved the annexation of our East Area 2 real estate development project into the City of Santa Paula. The annexation was recorded during August 2013.

During February 2013, we completed the sale of 2,070,000 shares of common stock, at a price of $18.50 per share, to institutional and other investors in a registered offering under our shelf registration statement. The offering represented 16% of our outstanding common stock on an after-issued basis. Upon completion of the offering and issuance of common stock, we had 13,307,085 shares of common stock outstanding. The gross proceeds of the offering totaled $38,295,000 and after an underwriting discount of $2,106,000 and other offering expenses of $292,000, the net proceeds were $35,897,000. During February 2013, we used the net offering proceeds to repay long-term debt.

In April 2013, we purchased land for use as a citrus orchard for a purchase price of $375,000 cash, which included approximately 25 acres of agricultural property located adjacent to the Sheldon Ranch in the city of Lindsay, California. We accounted for this acquisition as an asset purchase with substantially the entire purchase price allocated to land.

On April 8, 2013, we, through our investment in HM East Ridge, LLC, entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement to sell the East Ridge parcel of property for $6,000,000. The property is located in the city of Santa Maria, County of Santa Barbara, California and includes approximately 40 acres of land. The transaction closed in June 2013 and generated net proceeds of $5,713,000. We recognized a loss on our investment in HM East Ridge, LLC of $1,754,000, which is included in equity in (losses) earnings of investments in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. During July 2013, we used the net sale proceeds to repay long-term debt.

On April 11, 2013, we sold 165,000 shares of Calavo Growers, Inc. (“Calavo”) common stock at a price of $29.02 per share (the closing price on April 10, 2013). Calavo repurchased the shares pursuant to a Stock Purchase Agreement we entered into with Calavo in 2005. Following this sale of shares of Calavo common stock, we continue to own 500,000 shares of Calavo common stock. The net proceeds from the sale were $4,788,000, resulting in a gain of $3,138,000. We used the sale proceeds to repay our long-term debt.

In June 2013, we announced a plan to build 71 agriculture workforce housing units in Santa Paula, California, that will be available for rent to local agriculture workers and Limoneira employees. We estimate that the total cost of the development will be approximately $8.5 million and will be completed and available for rent during 2014. When fully occupied, annual rental revenue from the additional housing units is anticipated to be approximately $850,000 to $900,000.

On July 1, 2013, we entered into a Lease Agreement with Cadiz, Inc. (“Cadiz”) to develop lemon orchards on Cadiz’s agricultural property in eastern San Bernardino County, California (the “Cadiz Ranch”). Under the terms of the Lease Agreement, we have the right to lease and plant up to 1,280 acres of lemons over the next five years at the Cadiz Ranch operations in the Cadiz Valley and have leased 320 acres initially, subject to a mutually agreed upon planting schedule. The Lease Agreement provides options to lease and plant up to 960 additional acres (320 acres in Option 1 and 640 acres in Option 2) by 2018. The annual rental payment will include a base rent of $200 per planted acre and a lease payment equal to 20% of net cash flow from the harvested crops grown on Cadiz property. Pursuant to the terms of the Lease Agreement, the annual rental payment will not exceed a total of $1,200 per acre.

On September 6, 2013 we acquired Associated, a privately owned Arizona corporation, for approximately $18.6 million. The purchase price consisted of the issuance of 705,000 unregistered shares of our common stock with an aggregate value of $16.0 million, based on our stock price on the acquisition date, $1.0 million in cash and the repayment of $1.6 million in Associated’s long term debt. The acquisition was structured as a tax-free reorganization under section 368 of the Internal Revenue Code. The acquisition provides for a potential purchase price adjustment based on the net assets acquired and for a holdback from payment of 5% ($850,000) of the stock and cash purchase price for a period of one year in support of potential indemnification claims as defined in the merger agreement. Upon completion of the acquisition, Associated became a wholly owned subsidiary of our Company. Associated owns approximately 1,300 acres of property in Yuma, Arizona, comprised of 950 acres of productive lemon orchards and 350 acres of other crops, as well as agriculture equipment and facilities. Transaction costs incurred in connection with the acquisition were approximately $270,000, which are included in selling, general and administrative expense. The results of operations of Associated are included in our consolidated results from operations from the acquisition date.

On October 11, 2013, we completed the acquisition of approximately 760 acres of land in the town of Porterville in Tulare County, California (“Lemons 400”) for $8,750,000 cash. This property consists of approximately 400 acres of productive lemon orchards and 360 acres primarily utilized for cattle grazing. The acquisition also included water assets and agricultural equipment and supplies.

On November 29, 2013 we entered into Purchase and Sale agreements to sell our Sevilla and Pacific Crest real estate development properties located in Santa Maria, California.  Both properties are being sold to the same buyer and the combined selling price of the two properties is $8,300,000. Upon the execution of the purchase and sale agreements, the buyer deposited $500,000 into escrow.  The buyer will issue a note receivable for each property at the close of the 90-day escrow period for the combined amount of $7,800,000. The notes are due on the earlier of the approval of the properties' tract maps by the City of Santa Maria or October 24, 2014.  We will collect 5% interest on the notes. Upon full payment of the notes receivable, the Company expects to receive $8,100,000 net cash in addition to interest earned on the notes. The Company continues to own its Centennial property in Santa Maria.

In December 2013 we entered into a construction contract that includes design and construction services for the expansion of the Company’s lemon packing facilities.  The project is expected to increase the capacity and efficiency our packing facilities.  The contract is subject to a guaranteed maximum price of approximately $9,300,000, which may be revised based on design modifications and finalization of construction costs.  The project is expected to commence in March 2014 and be substantially complete in the spring of 2015.

For the year ended October 31, 2013, we declared dividends to our common shareholders totaling $0.15 per share in the aggregate amount of $1,944,000 compared to $0.13125 per share in the aggregate amount of $1,470,000 for fiscal year 2012. On December 17, 2013, we declared a $0.0375 per share dividend to be paid on January 15, 2014 in the aggregate amount of $526,000 to common shareholders of record on December 30, 2013.

Business Segments

We have three business segments: agribusiness, rental operations, and real estate development.  The agribusiness segment includes our farming and lemon packing and sales operations.  The rental operations segment includes our residential and commercial rentals, leased land operations and organic recycling.  The real estate development segment includes our real estate projects and development. Financial information and further discussion of these segments are contained in Note 23 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements of this Annual Report.

Agribusiness

Our agribusiness segment includes our farming and lemon packing and sales operations. The agribusiness segment represented approximately 94%, 93% and 88% of our fiscal year 2013, 2012 and 2011 consolidated revenues, respectively.

Farming

We are one of California’s oldest citrus growers and one of the largest growers of lemons and avocados in the United States.  In addition to growing lemons and avocados, we grow oranges and a variety of specialty citrus and other crops.  We have agricultural plantings throughout Ventura and Tulare Counties in California and Yuma County in Arizona, which collectively consist of approximately 3,900 acres of lemons, 1,200 acres of avocados, 1,500 acres of oranges and 800 acres of specialty citrus and other crops.  We also operate our own packinghouse in Santa Paula, California, where we process, pack and sell lemons we grow as well as lemons grown by others.

Lemons.  We market and sell lemons directly to food service, wholesale and retail customers throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, Australia and certain other international markets. We are one of the largest lemon growers in the United States with approximately 3,900 acres of lemons planted throughout Ventura County, California, Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley in Central California and in Yuma County, Arizona. In California, the lemon growing area stretches from the Coachella Valley to Fresno and Monterey Counties, with the majority of the growing areas being located in the coastal areas from Ventura County to Monterey County.  Ventura County is California’s top lemon producing county.  Approximately 50% of our lemons are grown in Ventura County, approximately 40% are grown in Tulare County in Central California’s San Joaquin Valley and approximately 10% are grown in Yuma County, Arizona.

There are over fifty varieties of lemons, with the Lisbon, Eureka and Genoa being the predominant varieties marketed on a worldwide basis.  California grown lemons are available 12 months of the year, with peak production periods occurring from January through August.  Approximately 90% of our lemon plantings are of the Lisbon and Eureka varieties and approximately 10% are of other varieties such as sweet Meyer lemons, proprietary seedless lemons and pink variegated lemons. The storage life of fresh lemons is limited and generally ranges from one to 18 weeks, depending upon the maturity of the fruit, the growing methods used and the handling conditions in the distribution chain.

With an average annual production of approximately 750,000 tons of lemons, California accounts for approximately 90% of the United States lemon crop, with Arizona producing a vast majority of the rest.  Between 50% and 70% percent of the United States lemon crop is utilized in the fresh market, with the remainder going to the processed market for products such as juice, oils and essences.  Most lemons are consumed as either a cooking ingredient, a garnish, or as juice in lemonade or other carbonated beverages or drinks. Demand for lemons is typically highest in the summer, although California producers through various geographical zones are typically able to harvest lemons year round.

Avocados.  We are one of the largest avocado growers in the United States with approximately 1,200 acres of avocados planted throughout Ventura County.  In California, the growing area stretches from San Diego County to Monterey County, with the majority of the growing areas located approximately 100 miles north and south of Los Angeles County.

Over the last 70 years, the avocado has transitioned from a single specialty fruit to an array of 10 varieties ranging from the green-skinned Zutanos to the black-skinned Hass, which is the predominant avocado variety marketed on a worldwide basis.  California grown avocados are available year round, with peak production periods occurring between February and September.  Other avocado varieties have a more limited picking season and typically command a lower price.  Because of superior eating quality, the Hass avocado has contributed greatly to the avocado’s growing popularity through its retail, restaurant and other food service uses.  Approximately 98% of our avocado plantings are of the Hass variety.  The storage life of fresh avocados is limited and generally ranges from one to four weeks, depending upon the maturity of the fruit, the growing methods used and the handling conditions in the distribution chain.

We provide all of our avocado production to Calavo Growers, Inc. (“Calavo”), a packing and marketing company listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol CVGW.  Calavo’s customers include many of the largest retail and food service companies in the United States and Canada. Our marketing relationship with Calavo dates back to 2003.  Calavo receives fruit from our orchards at its packinghouse located in Santa Paula, California.  Calavo’s proximity to our agricultural operations enables us to keep transportation and handling costs to a minimum. Our avocados are packed by Calavo and sold and distributed under its own brands to its customers primarily in the United States and Canada.

Primarily due to differing soil conditions, the care of avocado trees is intensive and during our 70-year history of growing avocados, growing techniques have changed dramatically.  The need for more production per acre to compete with foreign sources of supply has required us to take an important lead in the practice of dense planting (typically four times the number of avocado trees per acre versus traditional avocado plantings) and mulching composition to help trees acclimate under conditions that more closely resemble those found in the tropics, a better climate for avocado growth.

Oranges.  While we are primarily known for our high quality lemons, we also grow oranges.  We have approximately 1,500 acres of oranges planted throughout Tulare County in the San Joaquin Valley in Central California.  In California, the growing area for oranges stretches from Imperial County to Yolo County.

For many decades, the Valencia variety of oranges was grown in Ventura County primarily for export to the Pacific Rim.  Throughout the late 20th century, developing countries began producing the larger, seedless Navel variety of oranges that successfully competed against the smaller Valencia variety. California grown Navel oranges are available from October to June, with peak production periods occurring between January and April.  California grown Valencia oranges are available from March to October, with peak production periods occurring between June and September. Approximately 95% of our orange plantings are of the Navel variety and approximately 5% are of the Valencia variety.

Navel oranges comprise most of California’s orange crop, accounting for approximately 75% over the past three growing seasons. Valencia oranges account for a vast majority of the remainder of California’s orange crop.  While California produces approximately 25% of the nation’s oranges, its crop accounts for approximately 80% of those going to the fresh market. The share of California’s crop going to fresh market, as opposed to the processed market (i.e. juices, oils and essences) varies by season, depending on the quality of the crop.

We utilize Sunkist to market and sell a portion of our oranges under the Sunkist brand to food service wholesale and retail customers. As an agricultural cooperative, Sunkist coordinates the sales and marketing of our oranges and orders are processed by third-party packinghouses for direct shipment to customers.  We typically partner with third-party packinghouses to process and ship our oranges.  We estimate approximately 70% of our oranges are sold to retail customers and approximately 30% are sold to wholesale customers.

Specialty Citrus and Other Crops.  A few decades ago we began growing specialty citrus varieties and other crops that we believed would appeal to changing North American and worldwide demand.  As a result, we currently have approximately 800 acres of specialty citrus and other crops planted such as Satsuma mandarin oranges, Moro blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, Minneola tangelos, Star Ruby grapefruit, pummelos, pistachios, cherries, peaches, plums and olives.

Acreage devoted to specialty citrus and other crops in California has been growing significantly over the past few decades, especially with the popularity of the Clementine, a type of mandarin orange.  We grow Satsumas, a type of mandarin orange similar to Clementine mandarin oranges. A portion of our specialty citrus is marketed and sold under the Sunkist brand by Sunkist and packed and shipped to major retail operations in the United States through arrangements with other packinghouses similar to our oranges.  

We market our other specialty crops, such as pistachios, cherries, peaches, plums and olives independently. All of our pistachios are harvested and sold to an independent roaster, packager and marketer of nuts.  Our cherries, peaches, plums and olives are harvested and sold to third-party packers and shippers.

We have agricultural plantings on properties located throughout Ventura and Tulare Counties in California and in Yuma, Arizona.  The following is a description of our agriculture properties:

The Limoneira/Olivelands Ranch is the original site of our Company. Our headquarters, lemon packing operations and storage facilities are located on this property.  

The Teague McKevett Ranch is the site of our real estate development project known as East Area 1 and described below under the heading “Real Estate Development.”

Limco Del Mar is owned by a limited partnership of which we are the general partner and own an interest of 23.4%, which is comprised of a 1.3% general partner interest and a 22.1% limited partner interest.  

We manage the farming operations of the Sheldon Ranch under an operating lease arrangement.

We manage the farming operations of the Cadiz Ranch under an operating lease arrangement.

The other properties in the table above include corporate and lemon packing facilities, leased agricultural land, rental units, roads, creeks, hillsides and other open land.

Our orchards can maintain production for many years. For financial reporting purposes, we depreciate our orchards from 20 to 40 years depending on the fruit variety with the majority of our orchards depreciated over 20 to 30 years. We regularly evaluate our orchards’ production and growing costs, and based on these and other factors we may decide to redevelop certain orchards. In addition, we may acquire agricultural property with existing productive orchards or without productive orchards, which would require new orchard plantings. The fruit varieties that we grow typically are non-producing for approximately the first four years after planting. Orchards may continue producing fruit longer than their depreciable lives.

The following table presents the number of acres planted by fruit variety and by year of planting:

Lemon Packing and Sales

We are the oldest continuous lemon packing operation in North America.  We pack and sell lemons grown by us as well as lemons grown by others.  Lemons delivered to our packinghouse in Santa Paula, California are graded, sized, packed, and cooled and ripened for delivery to customers.  Our ability to accurately estimate the size, grade and timing of the delivery of the annual lemon crop has a substantial impact on both our costs and the sales price we receive for the fruit.

A significant portion of the costs related to our lemon packing operation are fixed.  Our strategy for growing the profitability of our lemon packing operations calls for optimizing the percentage of a crop that goes to the fresh market, or fresh utilization, and procuring a larger percentage of the California lemon crop.

We invest considerable time and research into refining and improving our lemon operations through innovation and are continuously in search of new techniques to refine how premium lemons are delivered to our consumers.

Rental Operations

Our rental operations segment includes our residential and commercial rentals, leased land operations and organic recycling.  The rental operations segment represented approximately 5%, 6% and 7% of our fiscal year 2013, 2012 and 2011 consolidated revenues, respectively.

Residential

We own and maintain approximately 200 residential housing units located in Ventura and Tulare Counties that we lease to employees, former employees and non-employees.  We are in the process of adding 71 new units in Santa Paula, California as a result of recently receiving approval from the Ventura County Planning Commission to build new residential housing units.  These properties generate reliable cash flows which we use to partially fund the operating costs of our business and provide affordable housing for many of our employees and the community.

Commercial

We own several commercial office buildings and a multi-use facility consisting of a retail convenience store, gas station, car wash, and quick-serve restaurant.  As with our residential housing units, these properties generate reliable cash flows which we use to partially fund the operating costs of our business.

Leased Land

As of October 31, 2013, we lease approximately 600 acres of our land to third party agricultural tenants who grow a variety of row crops such as strawberries, raspberries, celery and cabbage.  Our leased land business provides us with a profitable method to diversify the use of our land.

Organic Recycling

With the help of our tenant Agromin, a manufacturer of premium soil products and a green waste recycler located in Oxnard, California, we have created and implemented an organic recycling program.  Agromin provides green waste recycling for cities in Santa Barbara, Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. We worked with Agromin to develop an organic recycling facility on our land in Ventura County, to receive green materials (lawn clipping, leaves, bark, plant materials) and convert such material into mulch that we spread throughout our agricultural properties to help curb erosion, improve water efficiency, reduce weeds and moderate soil temperatures.  We receive a percentage of the gate fees Agromin collects from regional waste haulers and enjoy the benefits of the organic material.

Real Estate Development

Our real estate development segment includes our real estate development operations.  The real estate development segment represented approximately 1%, 1% and 5% of our consolidated revenues in fiscal years 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. 

For more than 100 years, we have been making strategic real estate investments in California agricultural and developable real estate.  Our current real estate developments include developable land parcels, multi-family housing and single-family homes with approximately 1,700 units in various stages of planning and development.  The following is a summary of each of the strategic agricultural and development real estate investment properties in which we own an interest:

East Area I - Santa Paula, California.  Santa Paula East Area I consists of 523 acres that we presently use as agricultural land and is located in Santa Paula approximately ten miles from the City of Ventura and the Pacific Ocean.  This property is also known as our Teague McKevett Ranch.  We believe East Area I is an ideal location for a master planned community of commercial and residential properties designed to satisfy expected demand in a region that we believe will have few other developments in this coming decade.  In 2008, after we completed a process of community planning and environmental review, the citizens of Santa Paula voted to approve the annexation of East Area I into Santa Paula.  This vote was a requirement of the Save Open-Space and Agricultural Resources, or SOAR, ordinance that mandates a public vote of the City of Santa Paula for land use conversion.  We are currently in the process of obtaining final documentation to complete the entitlement and we have executed a 30-year pre-annexation and development agreement with the City of Santa Paula.  The development agreement with the City of Santa Paula related to East Area I was approved by ordinance No. 1191, such ordinance became effective April 17, 2008, and contemplates a development project consisting of up to 1,500 residential units and an estimated 811,000 square feet of office, retail, and light industrial and civic facilities, together with schools, park sites and open spaces.  East Area I was annexed into the City of Santa Paula in February 2013. We are currently working on tract mapping and design activities. Our goal is to break ground on the project and begin selling homes in the next 12 to 18 months, subject to general business, market and economic conditions. We expect to develop this property with financial and development partners, outside consultants and our own internal resources. If economic and market conditions do not provide us with attractive development opportunities, however, we are prepared to continue using this land for agricultural purposes until such development opportunities present themselves. 

East Area II - Santa Paula, California.  We and our design associates are in the process of formulating plans for East Area II, a parcel of approximately 30 acres adjacent to East Area I, also a part of our Teague McKevett Ranch, that we believe is suited to commercial and/or industrial development along the south side of California Highway 126, a heavily traveled corridor that connects Highway 101 at Ventura on the west with Interstate 5 at Santa Clarita on the east.  When completed, we expect that the development will contribute to the economic vitality of the region and allow residents to work and shop within close proximity to their homes.

The successful development of East Area II will be partly dependent on the success of East Area I described above.  We expect that East Area II could accommodate large retailers, a medium or large employer, a complex of mixed business and retail, or some combination of the foregoing. We are actively cultivating prospects to buy or become future tenants in East Area II and expect that development will closely follow the build-out of East Area I.

Windfall Farms - Creston, California.  Windfall Farms is an approximately 700 acre former thoroughbred breeding farm and equestrian facility located in Creston, California, near Paso Robles.  The property has paved roads, water wells, irrigation, piping, stables, homes, other out-buildings and a race track.  Restrictions imposed by the California Land Conservation Act (also known as the Williamson Act) expired at the end of calendar year 2012 and presently 74 parcels as large as ten acres can be subdivided and resold, creating small agricultural parcels with home sites. We plan to begin planting approximately 100 acres of vineyards during fiscal year 2014. Vineyards are generally productive after four years.

Santa Maria - Santa Barbara County, California.  In early fiscal 2007, we invested in four entitled development parcels in Santa Barbara County, California, a county that, in our experience, entitles very few parcels.  Located in Santa Maria, each of these parcels offers a residential and/or commercial development opportunity. A brief description of each parcel is as follows:

Limco Del Mar Ranch - Ventura, California.  We believe Limco Del Mar Ranch, which is currently used for agricultural purposes, has long-term development potential.  The Limco Del Mar Ranch is located on the east end of Ventura with southerly views of the Pacific Ocean.  As described above in “Agribusiness - Farming,” this property is owned by a limited partnership of which we are the general partner and own an interest of approximately 23%.  We manage the agricultural operations on this property.

Competitive Strengths

Agribusiness

With agricultural operations dating back to 1893, we are one of California’s oldest citrus growers and one of the largest growers of lemons and avocados in the United States.  Consequently, we have developed significant experience with many crops, mainly lemons, avocados and oranges.  The following is a brief list of what we believe are our significant competitive strengths with respect to our agribusiness segment:

Rental Operations

With respect to our rental operations segment, we believe our competitive advantages are as follows:

Real Estate Development

With respect to our real estate development segment, we believe our competitive advantages are as follows:

Business Strategy

While each of our business segments has a separate business strategy, we are an agribusiness and real estate development company that generates annual cash flows to support investments in agricultural and real estate development activities.  As our agricultural and real estate development investments are monetized we intend to seek to expand our agribusiness into new regions and markets and invest in cash producing residential, commercial and industrial rental assets.

The following describes the key elements of our business strategy for each of our agribusiness, rental operations and real estate development business segments.

Agribusiness

With respect to our agribusiness segment, key elements of our strategy are:

Rental Operations

With respect to our rental operations segment, key elements of our strategy include the following:

Real Estate Development

With respect to our real estate development segment, key elements of our strategy include:

Customers

Since November 2010, we have marketed and sold our lemons directly to our food service, wholesale and retail customers in the United States, Canada, Asia, Australia and certain other international markets. Previously, Sunkist marketed and sold the majority of our lemons. We sold lemons to approximately 140 customers during fiscal year 2013, comprised of 72% to domestic customers, 27% to domestic exporters and 1% to international customers. Our specialty citrus and other crops are sold through Sunkist and other third-party packinghouses. We sell all of our avocados to Calavo.

Information about Geographic Areas

During fiscal year 2013, lemon sales were comprised of 72% domestic sales, 27% sales to domestic exporters and 1% international sales. During fiscal year 2012, lemon sales were comprised of 79% domestic sales and 21% sales to domestic exporters. During fiscal year 2011, lemon sales were comprised of 86% domestic sales, 12% to domestic exporters and 2% international sales. All of our long-lived assets are located within the United States.

Seasonal Nature of Business

As with any agribusiness enterprise, our agribusiness operations are predominantly seasonal in nature.  The harvest and sale of our lemons, avocados, oranges and specialty citrus and other crops occurs in all quarters, but is generally more concentrated during our second and third quarters.  Our lemons are generally grown and marketed throughout the year. Our avocados are sold generally throughout the year with the peak months being March through July.  Our Navel oranges are primarily sold January through April and our Valencia oranges are primarily sold June through September. Our specialty citrus is sold from November through June and our specialty crops, such as cherries, peaches and plums are sold from May through September and our pistachios and olives are sold in September and/or October.

Competition

The lemon, avocado, orange and specialty citrus and other crop markets are intensely competitive, but no single producer has any significant market power over any market segments, as is consistent with the production of most agricultural commodities. Generally, there are a large number of global producers that sell through joint marketing organizations and cooperatives. Such fruit is also sold to independent packers, both public and private, who then sell to their own customer base. Customers are typically large retail chains, food service companies, industrial manufacturers and distributors who sell and deliver to smaller customers in local markets throughout the world. In the purest sense, our largest competitors are other citrus and avocado producers in California, Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Florida, a number of which are members of cooperatives such as Sunkist or have selling relationships with Calavo similar to that of Limoneira. In another sense, we compete with other fruits and vegetables for the share of consumer expenditures devoted to fresh fruit and vegetables: apples, pears, melons, pineapples and other tropical fruit. Avocado products compete in the supermarket with hummus products and other dips and salsas.  U.S. producers of tree fruits and nuts generate approximately $18 billion of tree fruits and nuts each year, about 15% of which is exported. For our specific crops, the size of the U.S. market is approximately $300 million for lemons, approximately $300 to $400 million for avocados depending on the year, and approximately $1.5 to $2.0 billion for oranges, both fresh and juice. Competition in the various markets in which we operate is affected by reliability of supply, product quality, brand recognition and perception, price and the ability to satisfy changing customer preferences through innovative product offerings.

The sale and leasing of residential, commercial and industrial real estate is very competitive, with competition coming from numerous and varied sources throughout California.  The degree of competition has increased due to the current economic climate, which has caused an oversupply of comparable real estate available-for-sale or lease due to the decline in demand as a result of the current downturn in the housing market and the credit crisis.  Our greatest direct competition for each of our current real estate development properties in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties comes from other residential and commercial developments in nearby areas.  Windfall Farms competes generally with the second home and life-style real estate market, which includes golf course communities, marinas, destination resorts and other equestrian facilities located in Southern California, and, therefore, its competition ranges over a greater area and range of consumer options.

Intellectual Property

We have numerous trademarks and brands under which we market and sell our fruits, particularly lemons, domestically and internationally, many of which have been owned for decades. The Limoneira brands of lemons, including Santa®, Paula®, Bridal Veil®, Fountain®, Golden Bowl® and Level®, are examples of such trademarks owned by us and registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. We also acquired certain lemon brands with the acquisition of Associated including Kiva and Kachina.

Employees

At October 31, 2013, we had 254 employees, 69 of which were salaried and 185 of which were hourly.  None of our employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement.  We believe our relations with our employees are good.

Research and Development

Our research and development programs concentrate on sustaining the productivity of our agricultural lands, product quality and value-added product development.  Agricultural research is directed toward sustaining and improving product yields and product quality by examining and improving agricultural practices in all phases of production (such as the development of specifically adapted plant varieties, land preparation, fertilization, pest and disease control, post-harvest handling, packing and shipping procedures), and includes on-site technical services and the implementation and monitoring of recommended agricultural practices.  Research efforts are also directed towards integrated pest management.  We conduct agricultural research at field facilities throughout our growing areas. We also sponsor research related to environmental improvements and the protection of worker and community health. The aggregate amounts we spent on research and development in each of the last three years have not been material in any of such years.

Environmental and Regulatory Matters

Our agribusiness and real estate development operations are subject to a broad range of evolving federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations. For example, the growing, packing, storing and distributing of our products is extensively regulated by various federal and state agencies. The California State Department of Food and Agriculture oversees our packing and processing of lemons and conducts tests for fruit quality and packaging standards.  We are also subject to laws and regulations which govern the use of pesticides and other potentially hazardous substances and the treatment, handling, storage and disposal of materials and waste and the remediation of contaminated properties. Advertising of our products is subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission and our operations are subject to certain health and safety regulations, including those issued under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

We seek to comply at all times with all such laws and regulations and to obtain any necessary permits and licenses, and we are not aware of any instances of material non-compliance.  We believe our facilities and practices are sufficient to maintain compliance with applicable governmental laws, regulations, permits and licenses.  Nevertheless, there is no guarantee that we will be able to comply with any future laws and regulations for necessary permits and licenses.  Our failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations or obtain any necessary permits and licenses could subject us to civil remedies including fines, injunctions, recalls or seizures, as well as potential criminal sanctions. These remedies can increase costs, decrease revenues and lead to additional charges to earnings, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Item 1A. Risk Factors

Investing in our common stock involves a high degree of risk. There are numerous and varied risks, known and unknown, that may prevent us from achieving our goals. The risks described below are not the only ones we will face. If any of the following risks or other risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition, results of operations or future prospects could be materially and adversely affected. In such event, the trading price of our common stock could decline and investors in our common stock could lose all or part of their investment.

Risks Related to Our Agribusiness Segment

Adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, crop disease, pests and other natural conditions, including the effects of climate change, can impose significant costs and losses on our business.

Fresh produce is vulnerable to adverse weather conditions, including windstorms, floods, drought and temperature extremes, which are quite common and may occur with higher frequency or be less predictable in the future due to the effects of climate change. Unfavorable growing conditions can reduce both crop size and crop quality. In extreme cases, entire harvests may be lost in some geographic areas. These factors can increase costs, decrease revenues and lead to additional charges to earnings, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Citrus and avocado orchards are subject to damage from frost and freezes and this has happened periodically in the recent past. In some cases, the fruit is damaged or ruined while in the case of extended periods of cold, the trees can also be damaged or killed.

Fresh produce is also vulnerable to crop disease and to pests, e.g. the Mediterranean Fruit Fly and the Asian Citrus Psyillid (“ACP”), which may vary in severity and effect, depending on the stage of production at the time of infection or infestation, the type of treatment applied and climatic conditions.

Due to the discovery of ACP, the California Department of Food and Agriculture has initiated quarantines and related restrictions in several citrus growing regions of California including Ventura, San Diego, Imperial, Orange, Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Santa Barbara and Tulare counties in California. The quarantine prohibits the movement of nursery stock out of quarantine areas and requires that all citrus fruit be cleaned of leaves and stems prior to movement out of the quarantine area. 86% of our lemon orchards are located in the quarantine area.

ACP is an aphid–like insect that is a serious pest to all citrus plants because it can transmit the disease, Huanglonbing (“HLB”), when it feeds on the plants’ leaves and trees. By itself, ACP causes only minor cosmetic damage to citrus trees. HLB, however, is considered to be one of the most devastating diseases of citrus in the world. Symptoms of HLB include yellow shoots, leaf mottle, small upright leaves and lopsided fruit with a bitter flavor. Trees infected with HLB decline in health, produce inedible fruit and eventually die, usually in 3 to 5 years after becoming infected. There is no cure for the disease and infected trees must be removed and destroyed to prevent further spreading. Both ACP and HLB are federal action quarantine pests subject to interstate and international quarantine restrictions by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”). ACP and HLB exist in Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, South Carolina and Texas. HLB was detected in Los Angeles County in 2012. ACP, but not HLB, has been detected in Mississippi and Alabama. ACP and HLB also exist in Mexico and certain other countries.

To date, HLB has not been detected in trapped ACP or trees in California, but there can be no assurance that HLB will not be detected in the future. The quarantine and treatment of ACP under current protocols is not expected to have a significant direct financial impact on us. There are a number of registered insecticides known to be effective against ACP. However, certain markets and customer responses to the discovery of ACP and the related quarantine could result in a significant decline in revenue due to restrictions on where our lemons can be sold and lower demand for our lemons. Additional government regulations and other quarantine requirements or customer handling and inspection requirements could increase agribusiness costs to us. Our citrus orchards could be at risk if ACP starts to transmit the HLB disease to our trees. Agribusiness costs could also increase significantly as a result of HLB. For example, a recent study in Florida indicated the presence of HLB has increased citrus production costs by as much as 40%.

The costs to control these diseases and other infestations vary depending on the severity of the damage and the extent of the plantings affected. Moreover, there can be no assurance that available technologies to control such infestations will continue to be effective. These infestations can increase costs, decrease revenues and lead to additional charges to earnings, which may have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our business is highly competitive and we cannot assure you that we will maintain our current market share.

Many companies compete in our different businesses. However, only a few well-established companies operate on an international, national and regional basis with one or several product lines. We face strong competition from these and other companies in all our product lines.

Important factors with respect to our competitors include the following: 

There can be no assurance that we will continue to compete effectively with our present and future competitors, and our ability to compete could be materially adversely affected by our debt levels and debt service requirements.

Our strategy of marketing and selling our lemons directly to our food service, wholesale and retail customers may not continue to be successful.

Prior to November 1, 2010, most of our lemons, including our packinghouse branded lemons, such as Santa® and Paula®, were marketed and sold under the Sunkist brand to food service industry wholesale and retail customers in the United States, Canada, Asia and certain other markets primarily through Sunkist, an agricultural marketing cooperative. Effective November 1, 2010, we terminated the Sunkist License Agreement and began to market and sell our lemons directly to our food service, wholesale and retail customers throughout the United States, Canada, Asia, Australia and certain other international markets. This strategy represents a significant departure from our traditional method of selling our lemons through Sunkist, which we discontinued in 2010.

Obtaining and retaining customers, particularly chain stores and other large customers, is highly competitive, and the prices or other terms of our sales arrangements may not be sufficient to retain existing business, maintain current levels of profitability or to obtain new business. Industry consolidation (horizontally and vertically) and other factors have increased the buying leverage of the major grocery retailers in our markets, which may put further downward pressure on our pricing and volume and could adversely affect our results of operations.

Our earnings are sensitive to fluctuations in market prices and demand for our products.

Excess supplies often cause severe price competition in our industry. Growing conditions in various parts of the world, particularly weather conditions such as windstorms, floods, droughts and freezes, as well as diseases and pests, are primary factors affecting market prices because of their influence on the supply and quality of product.

Fresh produce is highly perishable and generally must be brought to market and sold soon after harvest. Some items, such as avocados, oranges and specialty citrus, must be sold more quickly, while other items, such as lemons, can be held in cold storage for longer periods of time. The selling price received for each type of produce depends on all of these factors, including the availability and quality of the produce item in the market, and the availability and quality of competing types of produce.

In addition, general public perceptions regarding the quality, safety or health risks associated with particular food products could reduce demand and prices for some of our products. To the extent that consumer preferences evolve away from products that we produce for health or other reasons, and we are unable to modify our products or to develop products that satisfy new consumer preferences, there will be a decreased demand for our products. However, even if market prices are unfavorable, produce items which are ready to be, or have been, harvested must be brought to market promptly. A decrease in the selling price received for our products due to the factors described above could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our earnings may be subject to seasonal variability.

Our earnings may be affected by seasonal factors, including:

Our lemons are generally grown and marketed throughout the year. Our Navel oranges are sold generally January through April and our Valencia oranges are sold generally June through September. Our avocados are sold generally throughout the year with the peak months being March through July. Our specialty citrus is sold generally from November through June, our cherries, peaches and plums are sold from May through September and our pistachios and olives are sold in September and October.

Currency exchange fluctuation may impact the results of our operations.

We distribute our products both nationally and internationally. Our international sales are transacted in U.S. dollars. Our results of operations are affected by fluctuations in currency exchange rates in both sourcing and selling locations. In the past, periods of a strong U.S. dollar relative to other currencies has led international customers, particularly in Asia, to find alternative sources of fruit.

Increases in commodity or raw product costs, such as fuel and paper, could adversely affect our operating results.

Many factors may affect the cost and supply of fresh produce, including external conditions, commodity market fluctuations, currency fluctuations, changes in governmental laws and regulations, agricultural programs, severe and prolonged weather conditions and natural disasters. Increased costs for purchased fruit have in the past negatively impacted our operating results, and there can be no assurance that they will not adversely affect our operating results in the future.

The price of various commodities can significantly affect our costs. Our fuel costs have increased substantially in recent years, and there can be no assurance that there will not be further increases in the future. If the price of oil rises, the costs of our herbicides and pesticides can be significantly impacted.

The cost of paper is also significant to us because some of our products are packed in cardboard boxes for shipment. If the price of paper increases and we are not able to effectively pass these price increases along to our customers, then our operating income will decrease. Increased costs for paper have in the past negatively impacted our operating income, and there can be no assurance that these increased costs will not adversely affect our operating results in the future.

Increases in labor, personnel and benefits costs could adversely affect our operating results.

We primarily utilize labor contractors to grow, harvest and deliver our fruit to our lemon packing house or outside packing facilities. We utilize a combination of employees and labor contractors to process our lemons in our lemon packing facility. Our employees and contractors are in demand by other agribusinesses and other industries. Shortages of labor could delay our harvesting or lemon processing activities or could result in increases in labor costs.

We and our labor contractors are subject to government mandated wage and benefit laws and regulations. For example, the State of California has recently passed regulations increasing minimum wage rates. In addition, the effects on medical costs brought about by the recently enacted Affordable Care Act are still being determined in the labor market, but could result in increases in our medical costs or the medical costs of our labor contractors that could be passed on to us.

Changes in immigration laws could impact the ability of Limoneira to harvest its crops.

We engage third parties to provide personnel for our harvesting operations. The availability and number of such workers is subject to decrease if there are changes in U.S. immigration laws. The scarcity of available personnel to harvest our agricultural products could cause harvesting costs to increase or could lead to the loss of product that is not timely harvested, which could have a material adverse effect to our citrus grove operations, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The lack of sufficient water would severely impact our ability to produce crops or develop real estate.

The average rainfall in Ventura County is between 14 and 15 inches per year, with most of it occurring in fall and winter. These amounts are substantially below amounts required to grow crops and therefore we are dependent on our rights to pump water from underground aquifers. Extended periods of drought in California may put additional pressure on the use and availability of water for agricultural uses and in some cases Governmental authorities have diverted water to other uses. As California has grown, there are increasing and multiple pressures on the use and distribution of water, which many view as a finite resource. Lack of available potable water can also limit real estate development.

The use of herbicides, pesticides and other potentially hazardous substances in our operations may lead to environmental damage and result in increased costs to us.

We use herbicides, pesticides and other potentially hazardous substances in the operation of our business. We may have to pay for the costs or damages associated with the improper application, accidental release or the use or misuse of such substances. Our insurance may not be adequate to cover such costs or damages or may not continue to be available at a price or under terms that are satisfactory to us. In such cases, payment of such costs or damages could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Environmental and other regulation of our business, including potential climate change regulation, could adversely impact us by increasing our production cost or restricting our ability to import certain products into the United States.

Our business depends on the use of fertilizers, pesticides and other agricultural products. The use and disposal of these products in some jurisdictions are subject to regulation by various agencies. A decision by a regulatory agency to significantly restrict the use of such products that have traditionally been used in the cultivation of one of our principal products could have an adverse impact on us. Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996, the EPA is undertaking a series of regulatory actions relating to the evaluation and use of pesticides in the food industry.  Similarly, in the EU, regulation (EC) No. 1107/2009 which became effective on June 14, 2011, fundamentally changed the pesticide approval process from the current risk base to hazard criteria based on the intrinsic properties of the substance.  These actions and future actions regarding the availability and use of pesticides could have an adverse effect on us. In addition, if a regulatory agency were to determine that we are not in compliance with a regulation in that agency’s jurisdiction, this could result in substantial penalties and a ban on the sale of part or all of our products in that jurisdiction.

There has been a broad range of proposed and promulgated state, national and international regulation aimed at reducing the effects of climate change. Such regulations apply or could apply in countries where we have interests or could have interests in the future. In the United States, there is a significant possibility that some form of regulation will be enacted at the federal level to address the effects of climate change. Such regulation could take several forms that could result in additional costs in the form of taxes, the restriction of output, investments of capital to maintain compliance with laws and regulations, or required acquisition or trading of emission allowances. Climate change regulation continues to evolve, and while it is not possible to accurately estimate either a timetable for implementation or our future compliance costs relating to implementation, we do not believe that such regulation is reasonably likely to have a material effect in the foreseeable future on our business, results of operations, capital expenditures or financial position.

Global capital and credit market issues affect our liquidity, increase our borrowing costs and may affect the operations of our suppliers and customers.

The global capital and credit markets have experienced increased volatility and disruption over the past several years, making it more difficult for companies to access those markets. We depend in part on stable, liquid and well-functioning capital and credit markets to fund our operations. Although we believe that our operating cash flows and existing credit facilities will permit us to meet our financing needs for the foreseeable future, there can be no assurance that continued or increased volatility and disruption in the capital and credit markets will not impair our liquidity or increase our costs of borrowing. Our business could also be negatively impacted if our suppliers or customers experience disruptions resulting from tighter capital and credit markets or a slowdown in the general economy.

A global economic downturn may have an adverse impact on participants in our industry, which cannot be fully predicted.

The full impact of a global economic downturn on customers, vendors and other business partners cannot be anticipated. For example, major customers or vendors may have financial challenges unrelated to us that could result in a decrease in their business with us or, in extreme cases, cause them to file for bankruptcy protection. Similarly, parties to contracts may be forced to breach their obligations under those contracts. Although we exercise prudent oversight of the credit ratings and financial strength of our major business partners and seek to diversify our risk to any single business partner, there can be no assurance that there will not be a bank, insurance company, supplier, customer or other financial partner that is unable to meet its contractual commitments to us. Similarly, stresses and pressures in the industry may result in impacts on our business partners and competitors, which could have wide ranging impacts on the future of the industry.

We are subject to the risk of product contamination and product liability claims.

The sale of food products for human consumption involves the risk of injury to consumers. Such injuries may result from tampering by unauthorized third parties, product contamination or spoilage, including the presence of foreign objects, substances, chemicals, other agents, or residues introduced during the growing, storage, handling or transportation phases. While we are subject to governmental inspection and regulations and believe our facilities comply in all material respects with all applicable laws and regulations, we cannot be sure that consumption of our products will not cause a health-related illness in the future or that we will not be subject to claims or lawsuits relating to such matters. Even if a product liability claim is unsuccessful or is not fully pursued, the negative publicity surrounding any assertion that our products caused illness or injury could adversely affect our reputation with existing and potential customers and our corporate and brand image. Moreover, claims or liabilities of this sort might not be covered by our insurance or by any rights of indemnity or contribution that we may have against others. We maintain product liability insurance, however, we cannot be sure that we will not incur claims or liabilities for which we are not insured or that exceed the amount of our insurance coverage.

We are subject to transportation risks.

An extended interruption in our ability to ship our products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Similarly, any extended disruption in the distribution of our products could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. While we believe we are adequately insured and would attempt to transport our products by alternative means if we were to experience an interruption due to strike, natural disasters or otherwise, we cannot be sure that we would be able to do so or be successful in doing so in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Events or rumors relating to the LIMONEIRA, Santa®, Paula®, Bridal Veil®, Fountain®, Golden Bowl® and Level®, brands could significantly impact our business.

Consumer and institutional recognition of the LIMONEIRA, Santa®, Paula®, Bridal Veil®, Fountain®, Golden Bowl® and Level®, trademarks and related brands and the association of these brands with high quality and safe food products are an integral part of our business. The occurrence of any events or rumors that cause consumers and/or institutions to no longer associate these brands with high quality and safe food products may materially adversely affect the value of our brand names and demand for our products.

We are dependent on key personnel and the loss of one or more of those key personnel may materially and adversely affect our prospects.

We currently depend heavily on the services of our key management personnel. The loss of any key personnel could materially and adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, or our ability to pursue land development. Our success will also depend in part on our ability to attract and retain additional qualified management personnel.

Inflation can have a significant adverse effect on our operations.

Inflation can have a major impact on our farming operations. The farming operations are most affected by escalating costs and unpredictable revenues (due to an oversupply of certain crops) and very high irrigation water costs. High fixed water costs related to our farm lands will continue to adversely affect earnings. Prices received for many of our products are dependent upon prevailing market conditions and commodity prices. Therefore, it is difficult for us to accurately predict revenue, just as we cannot pass on cost increases caused by general inflation, except to the extent reflected in market conditions and commodity prices.

Government regulation could increase our costs of production and increase legal and regulatory expenses.

Growing, packaging, storing and distributing food products are activities subject to extensive federal, state and local regulation, as well as foreign regulation. These aspects of our operations are regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (the “FDA”), the USDA and various state and local public health and agricultural agencies. On January 4, 2011, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, which is intended to ensure food safety, was enacted. This Act provides direct recall authority to the FDA and includes a number of other provisions designed to enhance food safety, including increased inspections by the FDA of food facilities. Our business is also affected by import and export controls and similar laws and regulations, both in the United States and elsewhere. Issues such as health and safety, which slow or otherwise restrict imports and exports, could adversely affect our business. In addition, the modification of existing laws or regulations or the introduction of new laws or regulations could require us to make material expenditures or otherwise adversely affect the way that we have historically operated our business.

Our strategy to expand international production and marketing may not be successful and may subject us to risks associated with doing business in corrupt environments.

While we intend to expand our lemon supply sources to international markets and explore opportunities to expand our international production and marketing of lemons, we may not be successful in implementing this strategy. Additionally, in many countries outside of the United States, particularly in those with developing economies, it may be common for others to engage in business practices prohibited by laws and regulations applicable to us, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act or similar local anti-bribery laws. These laws generally prohibit companies and their employees, contractors or agents from making improper payments to government officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business. Failure to comply with these laws could subject us to civil and criminal penalties that could materially and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

The acquisition of other businesses could pose risks to our operating income.

We intend to continue to consider acquisition prospects that we think complement our business. While we are not currently a party to any agreement with respect to any acquisitions, we may acquire other businesses in the future. Future acquisitions by us could result in accounting charges, potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities, and increased debt and contingent liabilities, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and the market price of our common stock. Acquisitions entail numerous risks, including the assimilation of the acquired operations, diversion of management’s attention to other business concerns, risks of entering markets in which we have limited prior experience, and the potential loss of key employees of acquired organizations. We may be unable to successfully integrate businesses or the personnel of any business that might be acquired in the future, and our failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our business and on the market price of our common stock.

We depend on our infrastructure to have sufficient capacity to handle our annual lemon production needs.

We have an infrastructure that has sufficient capacity for our lemon production needs, but if we lose machinery or facilities due to natural disasters or mechanical failure, we may not be able to operate at a sufficient capacity to meet our lemon production needs. This could have a material adverse effect on our business, which could impact our results of operations and our financial condition.

Risks Related to Our Indebtedness

We may be unable to generate sufficient cash flow to service our debt obligations.

To service our debt, we require a significant amount of cash. Our ability to generate cash, make scheduled payments or refinance our obligations depends on our successful financial and operating performance. Our financial and operating performance, cash flow and capital resources depend upon prevailing economic conditions and various financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. These factors include among others:

If our cash flow and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell material assets or operations, obtain additional capital or restructure our debt. If we are required to take any actions referred to above, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we cannot assure you that we would be able to take any of these actions on terms acceptable to us, or at all, or that these actions would enable us to continue to satisfy our capital requirements or that these actions would be permitted under the terms of our various debt agreements.

Restrictive covenants in our debt instruments restrict or prohibit our ability to engage in or enter into a variety of transactions, which could adversely restrict our financial and operating flexibility and subject us to other risks.

Our revolving credit and term loan facilities contain various restrictive covenants that limit our ability to take certain actions. In particular, these agreements limit our and our ability to, among other things:

Our revolving credit facility (the “Rabobank Credit Facility”) with Rabobank N.A. (“Rabobank”) contains a financial covenant that requires us to maintain compliance with a specified debt service coverage ratio on an annual basis. At October 31, 2013 and 2012, we were in compliance with such debt service coverage ratio. Our failure to comply with this covenant in the future may result in the declaration of an event of default under our Rabobank Credit Facility.

Any or all of these covenants could have a material adverse effect on our business by limiting our ability to take advantage of financing, merger and acquisition or other corporate opportunities and to fund our operations. Any future debt could also contain financial and other covenants more restrictive than those imposed under our line of credit and term loan facilities.

A breach of a covenant or other provision in any credit facility governing our current and future indebtedness could result in a default under that facility and, due to cross-default and cross-acceleration provisions, could result in a default under our other credit facilities. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under any of our credit facilities, the applicable lender(s) could elect to declare all amounts outstanding to be immediately due and payable and, with respect to our revolving credit facility, terminate all commitments to extend further credit. If we were unable to repay those amounts, our lenders could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure the indebtedness. If the lenders under our current or future indebtedness were to accelerate the payment of the indebtedness, we cannot assure you that our assets or cash flow would be sufficient to repay in full our outstanding indebtedness.

Despite our relatively high current indebtedness levels and the restrictive covenants set forth in agreements governing our indebtedness, we may still incur significant additional indebtedness, including secured indebtedness. Incurring more indebtedness could increase the risks associated with our substantial indebtedness.

Subject to the restrictions in our credit facilities, we may incur significant additional indebtedness. If new debt is added to our current debt levels, the related risks that we now face could increase.

Some of our debt is based on variable rates of interest, which could result in higher interest expenses in the event of an increase in the interest rates.

Our Rabobank Credit Facility and a portion of our two term loans (“Farm Credit West Term Loans”) and non-revolving line of credit (“Farm Credit West Line of Credit”) with Farm Credit West FLCA and Farm Credit West, PCA (collectively “Farm Credit West”) currently bear interest at variable rates, which will generally change as interest rates change. We bear the risk that the rates we are charged by our lenders will increase faster than the earnings and cash flow of our business, which could reduce profitability, adversely affect our ability to service our debt, cause us to breach covenants contained in our Rabobank Credit Facility, or our Farm Credit West Term Loans or Farm Credit West Line of Credit, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, while we have entered into interest rate swaps as hedging instruments to fix a substantial portion of the variable component of our indebtedness, such interest rate swaps could also have an adverse impact on the comparative results of our operation if prevailing interest rates remain below fixed rates established in such instruments.

Risks Related to Our Real Estate Development Segment

We are involved in a cyclical industry and are affected by changes in general and local economic conditions.

The real estate development industry is cyclical and is significantly affected by changes in general and local economic conditions, including:

The process of project development and the commitment of financial and other resources occur long before a real estate project comes to market. A real estate project could come to market at a time when the real estate market is depressed. It is also possible in a rural area like ours that no market for the project will develop as projected.

A recession in the global economy, or a downturn in national or regional economic conditions, could adversely impact our real estate development business.

Future economic instability or tightening in the credit markets could lead to another housing market collapse, which could adversely affect our real estate development operations. Our future real estate sales, revenues, financial condition and results of operations could suffer as a result. Our business is especially sensitive to economic conditions in California and Arizona, where our properties are located.

Higher interest rates and lack of available financing can have significant impacts on the real estate industry.

Higher interest rates generally impact the real estate industry by making it harder for buyers to qualify for financing, which can lead to a decrease in the demand for residential, commercial or industrial sites. Any decrease in demand will negatively impact our proposed developments. Lack of available credit to finance real estate purchases can also negatively impact demand. Any downturn in the economy or consumer confidence can also be expected to result in reduced housing demand and slower industrial development, which would negatively impact the demand for land we are developing.

We are subject to various land use regulations and require governmental approvals for our developments that could be denied.

In planning and developing our land, we are subject to various local, state, and federal statutes, ordinances, rules and regulations concerning zoning, infrastructure design, subdivision of land, and construction. All of our new developments require amending existing general plan and zoning designations, so it is possible that our entitlement applications could be denied. In addition, the zoning that ultimately is approved could include density provisions that would limit the number of homes and other structures that could be built within the boundaries of a particular area, which could adversely impact the financial returns from a given project. In addition, many states, cities and counties (including Ventura County) have in the past approved various “slow growth” or “urban limit line” measures.

In February 2013, our East Area I real estate development project was annexed into the City of Santa Paula and in August 2013, our East Area II real estate development project was annexed into the City of Santa Paula. If unforeseen regulatory challenges occur, we may not be able to develop East Areas I and II as planned and the approximately $51.5 million investment we have in the projects could be impaired in the future.

Third-party litigation could increase the time and cost of our real estate development efforts.

The land use approval processes we must follow to ultimately develop our projects have become increasingly complex. Moreover, the statutes, regulations and ordinances governing the approval processes provide third parties the opportunity to challenge the proposed plans and approvals. As a result, the prospect of third-party challenges to planned real estate developments provides additional uncertainties in real estate development planning and entitlements. Third-party challenges in the form of litigation would, by their nature, adversely affect the length of time and the cost required to obtain the necessary approvals. In addition, adverse decisions arising from any litigation would increase the costs and length of time to obtain ultimate approval of a project and could adversely affect the design, scope, plans and profitability of a project.

We are subject to environmental regulations and opposition from environmental groups that could cause delays and increase the costs of our real estate development efforts or preclude such development entirely.

Environmental laws that apply to a given site can vary greatly according to the site’s location and condition, present and former uses of the site, and the presence or absence of sensitive elements like wetlands and endangered species. Environmental laws and conditions may (i) result in delays, (ii) cause us to incur additional costs for compliance, where a significant amount of our developable land is located, mitigation and processing land use applications, or (iii) preclude development in specific areas. In addition, in California, third parties have the ability to file litigation challenging the approval of a project, which they usually do by alleging inadequate disclosure and mitigation of the environmental impacts of the project. While we have worked with representatives of various environmental interests and wildlife agencies to minimize and mitigate the impacts of our planned projects, certain groups opposed to development may oppose our projects vigorously, so litigation challenging their approval could occur. Recent concerns over the impact of development on water availability and global warming increases the breadth of potential obstacles that our developments face.

Our developable land is concentrated entirely in California and Arizona.

All of our developable land is located in California and Arizona, and our business is especially sensitive to the economic conditions within California. Any adverse change in the economic climate of California, Arizona, or our regions of those states, and any adverse change in the political or regulatory climate of California or Arizona, or the counties where our land is located in such states could adversely affect our real estate development activities. Ultimately, our ability to sell or lease lots may decline as a result of weak economic conditions or restrictive regulations.

If the real estate industry weakens or instability of the mortgage industry and commercial real estate financing exists, it could have an adverse effect on our real estate business.

Our residential housing projects are currently in various stages of planning and entitlement, and therefore they have not been impacted by the downturn in the housing market or the mortgage lending crisis. Recent trends in the housing market have been improving, however, if the residential real estate market weakens or instability of the mortgage industry and commercial real estate financing exists, our residential real estate business could be adversely affected. An excess supply of homes available due to foreclosures or the expectation of deflation in house prices could also have a negative impact on our ability to sell our inventory when it becomes available.

We rely on contractual arrangements with third party advisors to assist us in carrying out our real estate development projects and are subject to risks associated with such arrangements.

We utilize third party contractor and consultant arrangements to assist us in operating our real estate development segment. These contractual arrangements may not be as effective in providing direct control over this business segment. For example, our third party advisors could fail to take actions required for our real estate development businesses despite its contractual obligation to do so. If the third party advisors fail to perform under their agreements with us, we may have to rely on legal remedies under the law, which may not be effective. In addition, we cannot assure you that our third party advisors would always act in our best interests.

If we are unable to complete land development projects within forecasted time and budget expectations, if at all, our financial results may be negatively affected.

We intend to develop land and real estate properties as suitable opportunities arise, taking into consideration the general economic climate. New real estate development projects have a number of risks, including the following:

If any development project is not completed on time or within budget, our financial results may be negatively affected.

If we are unable to obtain required land use entitlements at reasonable costs, or at all, our operating results would be adversely affected.

The financial performance of our Real Estate segment is closely related to our success in obtaining land use entitlements for proposed development projects. Obtaining all of the necessary entitlements to develop a parcel of land is often difficult, costly and may take several years, or more, to complete. In some situations, we may be unable to obtain the necessary entitlements to proceed with a real estate development or may be required to alter our plans for the development. Delays or failures to obtain these entitlements may have a material adverse effect on our financial results.

We could experience a reduction in revenues or reduced cash flows if we are unable to obtain reasonably priced financing to support our real estate development projects and land development activities.

The real estate development industry is capital intensive, and development requires significant up-front expenditures to develop land and begin real estate construction. Accordingly, we have and may continue to incur substantial indebtedness to finance our real estate development and land development activities. Although we believe that internally generated funds and current borrowing capacity will be sufficient to fund our capital and other expenditures, including additional land acquisition, development and construction activities, the amounts available from such sources may not be adequate to meet our needs. If such sources were insufficient, we would seek additional capital in the form of debt from a variety of potential sources, including bank financing. The availability of borrowed funds to be used for additional land acquisition, development and construction may be greatly reduced, and the lending community may require increased amounts of equity to be invested in a project by borrowers in connection with new loans. The failure to obtain sufficient capital to fund our planned expenditures could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations and our results of operations in future periods.

We may encounter other risks that could impact our ability to develop our land.

We may also encounter other difficulties in developing our land, including:

Risks Relating to Our Common Stock

The value of our common stock could be volatile.

The overall market and the price of our common stock may fluctuate greatly and we cannot assure you that you will be able to resell shares at or above market price. The trading price of our common stock may be significantly affected by various factors, including:

Concentrated ownership of our common stock creates a risk of sudden change in our share price.

As of October 31, 2013, directors and members of our executive management team beneficially owned or controlled approximately 9.3% of our common stock. Investors who purchase our common stock may be subject to certain risks due to the concentrated ownership of our common stock. The sale by any of our large stockholders of a significant portion of that stockholder’s holdings could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, the registration of any significant amount of additional shares of our common stock will have the immediate effect of increasing the public float of our common stock and any such increase may cause the market price of our common stock to decline or fluctuate significantly.

Our charter documents contain provisions that may delay, defer or prevent a change of control.

Provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change in control would be beneficial to stockholders. These provisions include the following:

We incur increased costs as a result of being a publicly traded company.

As a Company with publicly traded securities, we have incurred, and will continue to incur, significant legal, accounting and other expenses not historically incurred. In addition, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as well as rules promulgated by the SEC and NASDAQ, require us to adopt corporate governance practices applicable to U.S. public companies. These rules and regulations may increase our legal and financial compliance costs, which could adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

Item 2. Properties

Real Estate

We own our corporate headquarters in Santa Paula, California.  We own approximately 8,300 acres of farm land in California, with approximately 4,000 acres located in Ventura County and approximately 3,000 acres located in Tulare County, which is in the San Joaquin Valley and we own 1,300 acres located in Yuma, Arizona.  We lease approximately 30 acres of land located in Ventura County, approximately 1,000 acres in Tulare County and approximately 300 acres in San Bernardino County. We also have an interest in a partnership that owns approximately 200 acres of land in Ventura County.  The land used for agricultural plantings consists of approximately 3,900 acres of lemons, approximately 1,200 acres of avocados, approximately 1,500 acres of oranges and approximately 800 acres of specialty citrus and other crops. Our agribusiness land holdings are summarized below:

The book value of our agribusiness land holdings of $53,593,000 differs from the land balance of $47,008,000 included in property plant and equipment, Note 6 of the consolidated financial statements in Item 8 of Form 10-K. The table above presents our current land holdings in agribusiness operations and, therefore, excludes rental and real estate development land and includes the Teague McKevett Ranch, which is classified as real estate development in the consolidated financial statements because of its planned development as East Areas I and II.

We own our packing facility located in Santa Paula, California, where we process and pack our lemons as well as lemons for other growers.  We are in the process upgrading our packing facility for additional capacity and are scheduled to complete the upgrade in fiscal 2015. In 2008, we entered into an operating lease agreement and completed the installation of a 5.5 acre, one-megawatt ground-based photovoltaic solar generator, which provides the majority of the power to operate our packing facility.  In 2009, we completed the installation of a one-megawatt solar array (which we also lease through an operating lease agreement), which provides us with a majority of the electricity required to operate four deep water well pumps at one of our ranches in the San Joaquin Valley.

We own approximately 200 residential units in Santa Paula, California that we lease as part of our rental operations segment to our employees, former employees and outside tenants and several commercial office buildings and properties that are leased to various tenants. We are in the process of building an additional 71 residential rental units in Ventura County, California which are scheduled to be available for rent in fiscal 2014.

We own real estate development property in the California counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura. These properties are in various stages of development for up to approximately 1,700 residential units and approximately 811,000 square feet of commercial space.

Water and Mineral Rights

Our water resources include water rights, usage rights and pumping rights to the water in aquifers under, and canals that run through, the land we own. Water for our farming operations is sourced from the existing water resources associated with our land, which includes rights to water in the adjudicated Santa Paula Basin (aquifer) and the un-adjudicated Fillmore, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles Basins (aquifers).  We also use ground water and water from local water districts in the San Joaquin Valley.  We believe our water resources are adequate for our current farming operations in our agribusiness segment.

Our rights to extract groundwater from the Santa Paula Basin are governed by the Santa Paula Basin Judgment (the “Judgment”). The Judgment was entered in 1996 by stipulation among the United Water Conservation District, the City of Ventura and various members of the Santa Paula Basin Pumpers Association (the “Association”). The Association is a not-for-profit, mutual benefit corporation, which represents the interests of all overlying landowners with rights to extract groundwater from the Santa Paula Basin and the City of Santa Paula.  We are a member of the Association.  Membership in the Association is governed by the Association's Bylaws.

The Judgment adjudicated and allocated water rights in the Santa Paula Basin among the Association's members and the City of Ventura.  The water rights are established and governed by a seven-year moving average (i.e. production can rise or fall in any particular year so long as the seven year average is not exceeded).   Under California law, the water rights are considered "property."  A perpetual right to water, evidenced by the Judgment, can be exchanged for interests in real property under IRS Code Section 1031 and if condemned by a public agency, just compensation must be paid to the rightful owner.  Our rights under the Judgment are perpetual and considered very firm and reliable which reflects favorably upon their fair market value.

For ease of administration, the Association is appointed by the Judgment as the trustee of its members’ water rights and is responsible for coordinating and promoting the interests of its members.  The Judgment includes provisions for staged reductions in production rights should shortage conditions develop.  It also allows the adjudicated water rights to be leased or sold among the parties.  The Judgment established a Technical Advisory Committee composed of the United Water Conservation District, the City of Ventura and the Association to assist the Superior Court of the State of California, Ventura County (the “Court”), with the technical aspects of Santa Paula Basin management.  Finally, the Judgment reserves continuing jurisdiction to the Court to hear motions for enforcement or modification of the Judgment as necessary.

Our California water resources include approximately 17,000 acre feet of water affiliated with our owned properties, of which approximately 8,600 acre feet are adjudicated. In connection with our September 6, 2013 acquisition of Associated and its property ownership in Yuma, Arizona and its related membership in the Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District (“YMIDD”), we have been allocated approximately 11,000 acre feet of water sourced from the Colorado River.  During December 2013, Associated entered into an agreement with the YMIDD to participate in a Pilot Fallowing Program in which Associated has agreed to forego its water allocation for approximately 286 acres of land in exchange for $750 per acre through December 31, 2016, unless terminated sooner by YMIDD. Additionally, we own shares in six not-for-profit mutual benefit water companies. Our investments in these water companies provide us with the right to receive a proportionate share of water from each of the water companies.

We believe water is a natural resource that is critical to economic growth in the western United States and firm, reliable water rights are essential to our sustainable business practices.  Consequently, we have long been a private steward and advocate of prudent and efficient water management.  We have made substantial investments in securing water and water rights in quantities that are sufficient to support and, we believe will exceed, our long-term business objectives.  We strive to follow best management practices for the diversion, conveyance, distribution and use of water.  In the future, we intend to continue to provide leadership in the area of, and seek innovation opportunities that promote, increased water use efficiency and the development of new sources of supply for our neighboring communities.

We own oil, gas and mineral rights related to our Ventura County, California properties and have signed a five year lease with Vintage Petroleum, LLC to allow seismic testing on approximately 1,500 acres. We will receive a 20% royalty if any oil and gas is extracted.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings 

We are from time to time involved in legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business.  Other than proceedings incidental to our business, we are not a party to, nor is any of our property the subject of, any material pending legal proceedings and no such proceedings are, to our knowledge, contemplated by governmental authorities.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Information

Our common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC (“NASDAQ”) under the symbol “LMNR.” There is no assurance that our common stock will continue to be traded on NASDAQ or that any liquidity will exist for our stockholders.

 Market Price

The following table shows the high and low per share price quotations of our common stock for the two most recently completed fiscal years as reported on NASDAQ. 

Holders

On December 31, 2013, there were 311 registered holders of our common stock.  The number of registered holders includes banks and brokers who act as nominees, each of whom may represent more than one stockholder.

Dividends

The following table presents cash dividends per common share declared and paid in the periods shown.

We expect to continue to pay quarterly dividends at a rate similar to the fourth quarter of 2013 to the extent permitted by the financial results of our business and other factors beyond management’s control.

Securities Authorized for Issuance under Equity Compensation Plans

The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the Proxy Statement.

Performance Graph

The line graph above compares the percentage change in cumulative total stockholder return of our common stock registered under section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) with (i) the cumulative total return of the Russell 2000 Index, assuming reinvestment of dividends, and (ii) the cumulative total return of Dow Jones U.S. Food Producers Index, assuming reinvestment of dividends. The comparison is presented since April 13, 2010, which is the effective date of our Company’s registration under the Exchange Act.

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities

On September 6, 2013 we acquired Associated, a privately owned Arizona corporation, for $18,580,000. The purchase price consisted of the issuance of 705,000 unregistered shares of our Company’s common stock with an aggregate value of $15,959,000 based on our Company’s stock price on the acquisition date, $1,041,000 in cash and the repayment of $1,580,000 in Associated’s long term debt. The issuance of unregistered shares of our common stock to certain shareholders of Associated was made in reliance on the private placement exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, provided by Section 4(a)(2) thereof and Rule 506 of Regulation D promulgated thereunder because it did not involve a public offering. The sale of Company common stock was conducted without general solicitation or general advertising, and each of the Associated shareholders receiving our common stock represented that it was an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of Regulation D. Appropriate resale restrictions apply to the common stock issued to such Associated shareholders.

Purchases of Equity Securities by Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

None.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data

The following selected financial data are derived from our audited consolidated financial statements. The information set forth below should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

On September 6, 2013 we completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding stock of Associated, a privately owned Arizona corporation, for $18,580,000. The purchase price consisted of the issuance of 705,000 unregistered shares of our Company’s common stock with an aggregate value of $15,959,000 based on our Company’s stock price on the acquisition date, $1,041,000 in cash and the repayment of $1,580,000 in Associated’s long term debt. The acquisition was structured as a tax-free reorganization under section 368 of the Internal Revenue Code. The acquisition provides for a potential purchase price adjustment based on the net assets acquired and for a holdback from payment of 5% ($850,000) of the stock and cash purchase price for a period of one year in support of potential indemnification claims as defined in the merger agreement. Upon completion of the acquisition, Associated became a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Company. Associated owns approximately 1,300 acres of property in Yuma County, Arizona, comprised of 950 acres of productive lemon orchards and 350 acres of other crops, as well as agriculture equipment and facilities. We accounted for the transaction under the acquisition method. Transaction costs incurred in connection with the acquisition were approximately $270,000, which are included in selling, general and administrative expense. The results of operations of Associated have been included in the consolidated results of operations from the acquisition date.

On October 11, 2013, we completed the acquisition of Lemons 400 for $8,750,000 cash. This property, located in the town of Porterville in Tulare County, California, consists of approximately 400 acres of productive lemon orchards and 360 acres primarily leased for cattle grazing. The acquisition also included water assets and agricultural equipment and supplies.

On November 15, 2009, we were assigned the 85% interest in Windfall Investors, LLC (“Windfall Investors”) that we did not previously own. The transaction was accounted for as a business combination assuming net liabilities of $1,742,000, comprised of $17,699,000 in primarily real estate development assets and $19,441,000 of current liabilities and debt.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

You should read the following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of operations together with “Selected Financial Data” and our consolidated financial statements and notes thereto that appear elsewhere in this Annual Report. This discussion and analysis contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, and assumptions. Actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, those presented under “Risk Factors” included in Item 1A and elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Overview

Limoneira Company was incorporated in Delaware in 1990 as the successor to several businesses with operations in California since 1893. We are an agribusiness and real estate development company founded and based in Santa Paula, California, committed to responsibly using and managing our approximately 10,600 acres of land, water resources and other assets to maximize long-term stockholder value. Our current operations consist of fruit production, sales and marketing, real estate development and capital investment activities.

We are one of California’s oldest citrus growers. According to Sunkist, we are one of the largest growers of lemons in the United States and, according to the California Avocado Commission, one of the largest growers of avocados in the United States. In addition to growing lemons and avocados, we grow oranges and a variety of other specialty citrus and other crops. We have agricultural plantings throughout Ventura and Tulare Counties in California, and Yuma Arizona, which plantings consist of approximately 3,900 acres of lemons, 1,200 acres of avocados, 1,500 acres of oranges and 800 acres of specialty citrus and other crops. We also operate our own packinghouse in Santa Paula, California, where we process and pack lemons that we grow, as well as lemons grown by others.

Our water resources include water rights, usage rights and pumping rights to the water in aquifers under, and canals that run through, the land we own. Water for our farming operations is sourced from the existing water resources associated with our land, which includes rights to water in the adjudicated Santa Paula Basin (aquifer) and the un-adjudicated Fillmore, Santa Barbara and Paso Robles Basins (aquifers). We use ground water and water from local water districts in Tulare County, which is in the San Joaquin Valley. We also use ground water in Arizona from the Colorado River through the Yuma Mesa Irrigation and Drainage District.

For more than 100 years, we have been making strategic investments in California agribusiness and real estate development. We currently have five active real estate development projects in California. These projects include multi-family housing and single-family homes comprised of approximately 200 completed units and another approximately 1,700 units in various stages of development.

We have three business segments: agribusiness, rental operations and real estate development. Our agribusiness segment currently generates the majority of our revenue from its farming and lemon packing and sales operations; our rental operations segment generates revenue from our housing, organic recycling and commercial and leased land operations; and our real estate development segment primarily generates revenues from the sale of real estate development projects. From a general view, we see the Company as a land and farming company that generates annual cash flows to support its progress into diversified real estate development activities. As real estate developments are monetized, our agriculture business will then be able to expand more rapidly into new regions and markets.

Recent Developments

In February, 2013, our East Area 1 real estate development project was annexed into the City of Santa Paula. The annexation enables us to proceed with our master planned community project consisting of up to 1,500 residential units, 210,000 square feet of commercial space and 350,000 square feet of light industrial space. Annexation into the City of Santa Paula was required in order to re-zone the land for residential, commercial and light industrial development. We have begun tract mapping the area for development and will be applying for infrastructure building permits. Our goal is to break ground on the project and begin selling homes in the next 12 to 18 months, subject to general business, market and economic conditions. In May 2013, the Ventura Local Area Formation Commission unanimously approved the annexation of our East Area 2 real estate development project into the City of Santa Paula. The annexation was recorded during August 2013.

During February 2013, we completed the sale of 2,070,000 shares of common stock, at a price of $18.50 per share, to institutional and other investors in a registered offering under our shelf registration statement. The offering represented 16% of our outstanding common stock on an after-issued basis. Upon completion of the offering and issuance of common stock, we had 13,307,085 shares of common stock outstanding. The gross proceeds of the offering totaled $38,295,000 and after an underwriting discount of $2,106,000 and other offering expenses of $292,000, the net proceeds were $35,897,000. During February 2013, we used the net offering proceeds to repay long-term debt.

In April 2013, we purchased land for use as a citrus orchard for a purchase price of $375,000 cash, which included approximately 25 acres of agricultural property located adjacent to the Sheldon Ranch, in the city of Lindsay, California. We accounted for this transaction as an asset purchase with substantially the entire purchase price allocated to land.

On April 8, 2013, we, through our investment in HM East Ridge, LLC, entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement to sell its East Ridge parcel of property for $6,000,000. The property is located in the city of Santa Maria, County of Santa Barbara, California and includes approximately 40 acres of land. The transaction closed in June 2013 and generated net proceeds of $5,713,000. We recognized a loss on our investment in HM East Ridge, LLC of $1,754,000, which is included in equity in (losses) earnings of investments in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. During July 2013, we used the net sale proceeds to repay long-term debt.

On April 11, 2013, we sold 165,000 shares of Calavo Growers, Inc. (“Calavo ”) common stock at a price of $29.02 per share (the closing price on April 10, 2013). Calavo repurchased the shares pursuant to a Stock Purchase Agreement we entered into with Calavo in 2005. Following the sale of shares of Calavo common stock, we continue to own 500,000 shares of Calavo common stock. The net proceeds from the sale were $4,788,000, resulting in a gain of $3,138,000. We used the sale proceeds to repay our long-term debt.

In June 2013, we announced a plan to build 71 agriculture workforce housing units in Santa Paula, California, that will be available for rent to local agriculture workers and Limoneira employees. We estimate that the total cost of the development will be approximately $8.5 million and will be completed and available for rent during 2014. When fully occupied, annual rental revenue from the additional housing units is anticipated to be approximately $850,000 to $900,000.

On July 1, 2013, we entered into a Lease Agreement with Cadiz, Inc. (“Cadiz”) to develop new lemon orchards on Cadiz’s agricultural property in eastern San Bernardino County, California (the “Cadiz Ranch”). Under the terms of the Lease Agreement, we have the right to lease and plant up to 1,280 acres of lemons over the next five years at the Cadiz Ranch operations in the Cadiz Valley, and have leased 320 acres initially, subject to a mutually agreed upon planting schedule. The Lease Agreement provides options to lease and plant up to 960 additional acres (320 acres in Option 1 and 640 acres in Option 2) by 2018. The annual rental payment will include a base rent of $200 per planted acre and a lease payment equal to 20% of net cash flow from the harvested crops grown on Cadiz property. Pursuant to the terms of the Lease Agreement, the annual rental payment will not exceed a total of $1,200 per acre.

On September 6, 2013, we acquired Associated, a privately owned Arizona corporation, for approximately $18.6 million. The purchase price consists of the issuance of 705,000 unregistered shares of our common stock with an aggregate value of $16.0 million, based on our stock price on the Acquisition Date, 1.0 million in cash and the repayment of $1.6 million in Associated’s long term debt. The acquisition was structured as a tax-free reorganization under section 368 of the Internal Revenue Code. The acquisition provides for a potential purchase price adjustment based on the net assets acquired and for a holdback from payment of 5% ($850,000) of the stock and cash purchase price for a period of one year in support of potential indemnification claims as defined in the merger agreement. Upon completion of the acquisition, Associated became a wholly-owned subsidiary of our Company. Associated owns approximately 1,300 acres of property in Yuma, Arizona, comprised of 950 acres of productive lemon orchards and 350 acres of other crops, as well as agriculture equipment and facilities. Transaction costs and other expenses incurred in connection with the acquisition were approximately $270,000, which are included in selling, general and administrative expense. The results of operations of Associated have been included in our consolidated results operations from the acquisition date.

On October 11, 2013, we complete the acquisition of approximately 760 acres of agricultural property in the town of Porterville in Tulare County, California (“Lemons 400”), for $8,750,000 cash. This property consists of approximately 400 acres of productive lemon orchards and 360 acres primarily leased for cattle grazing. The acquisition also included water assets and agricultural equipment and supplies.

On November 29, 2013 we entered into Purchase and Sale agreements to sell our Sevilla and Pacific Crest real estate development properties located in Santa Maria, California.  Both properties are being sold to the same buyer and the combined selling price of the two properties is $8,300,000. Upon the execution of the purchase and sale agreements, the buyer deposited $500,000 into escrow.  The buyer will issue a note receivable for each property at the close of the 90-day escrow period for the combined amount of $7,800,000. The notes are due on the earlier of the approval of the properties' tract maps by the City of Santa Maria or October 24, 2014.  We will collect 5% interest on the notes. Upon full payment of the notes receivable, the Company expects to receive $8,100,000 net cash in addition to interest earned on the notes. We continue to own our Centennial property in Santa Maria.

In December 2013 we entered into a construction contract that includes design and construction services for the expansion of our lemon packing facilities.  The project is expected to increase the efficiency our packing facilities.  The contract is subject to a guaranteed maximum price of approximately $9,300,000, which may be revised based on design modifications and finalization of construction costs.  The project is expected to commence in March 2014 and be substantially complete in the spring of 2015.

For the year ended October 31, 2013, we declared dividends to our common shareholders totaling $0.15 per share in the aggregate amount of $1,944,000. On December 17, 2013, we declared a $0.0375 per share dividend to be paid on January 15, 2014 in the aggregate amount of $526,000 to common shareholders of record on December 30, 2013.

Results of Operations

The following table shows the results of operations for:

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Due to significant depreciable assets associated with the nature of our operations and interest costs associated with our capital structure, management believes that earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) and adjusted EBITDA, which excludes impairments on real estate development assets when applicable, is an important measure to evaluate our results of operations between periods on a more comparable basis. Such measurements are not prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and should not be construed as an alternative to reported results determined in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP information provided is unique to us and may not be consistent with methodologies used by other companies. EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are summarized and reconciled to net income which management considers to be the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP as follows:

Fiscal Year 2013 Compared to Fiscal Year 2012

Revenues

Total revenue for fiscal year 2013 was $84.9 million compared to $65.8 million for fiscal year 2012. The 29% increase of $19.1 million was primarily the result of increased agribusiness revenues, as detailed below:

Rental operations revenue was $4.3 million in fiscal year 2013 compared to $4.0 million in fiscal year 2012.

Real estate development revenue was $0.6 million in fiscal year 2013 compared to $0.3 million in fiscal year 2012. The increase in fiscal year 2013 revenue compared to fiscal year 2012 is primarily due to alfalfa production on our Windfall Farms development property.

Costs and Expenses 

Total costs and expenses for fiscal year 2013 were $79.5 million compared to $61.3 million for fiscal year 2012. This 30% increase of $18.2 million was primarily attributable to increases in our agribusiness costs and selling, general and administrative expenses of $16.3 million and $1.3 million, respectively. Costs associated with our agribusiness segment include packing costs, harvest costs, growing costs, costs related to the lemons we procure from third-party growers and depreciation expense. These costs are discussed further below:

Real estate development expenses for fiscal year 2013 were $1.3 million compared to $1.0 million in fiscal year 2012.

Selling, general and administrative expenses for fiscal year 2013 were $11.8 million compared to $10.5 million for fiscal year 2012. This 12% increase of $1.3 million is primarily attributable to the following:

Other Income (Expense)

Other income (expense) for fiscal year 2013 was $4.2 million of income compared to $0.4 million of income for fiscal year 2012. The $3.8 million increase in income is primarily the result of:

Income Taxes

We recorded an income tax provision of $3.2 million for fiscal year 2013 on pre-tax income of $8.1 million compared to an income tax provision of $2.0 million for fiscal year 2012 on pre-tax income of $5.1 million.

Our effective tax rate is 39.7% for fiscal year 2013 compared to an effective rate of 38.6% for fiscal year 2012. The primary reason for this change in our effective tax rate was a decrease in the allowable domestic production deduction as a percentage of pre-tax income in fiscal year 2013 over the fiscal year 2012 amounts.

Equity in (losses) earnings of investments

Equity in (losses) earnings of investments for fiscal year 2013 was $1.4 million of losses compared to $0.2 million of earnings for fiscal year 2012. The $1.6 million increase in losses was primarily the result of a $1.8 million loss on the sale of HM East Ridge, LLC property in fiscal year 2013. There was no such loss in fiscal year 2012.

Fiscal Year 2012 Compared to Fiscal Year 2011

Revenues

Total revenue for fiscal year 2012 was $65.8 million compared to $52.5 million for fiscal year 2011. The 25% increase of $13.3 million was primarily the result of increased agribusiness and real estate development revenue, as detailed below:

Rental operations revenue of $4.0 million in fiscal year 2012 was comparable to $3.9 million in fiscal year 2011.

Real estate development revenue was $0.3 million in fiscal year 2012 compared to $2.5 million in fiscal year 2011. Fiscal year 2011 revenue included the sale of a luxury home in Paradise Valley, Arizona (“Donna Circle”) at a sales price of $2.3 million. There were no real estate project sales in fiscal year 2012.

Costs and Expenses

Total costs and expenses for fiscal year 2012 were $61.3 million compared to $51.5 million for fiscal year 2011. This 19% increase of $9.8 million was primarily attributable to increases in our agribusiness costs and selling, general and administrative expenses of $12.1 million, respectively, offset by decreases in real estate development expenses, including impairment charges, of $3.7 million and $1.2 million, respectively, offset by decrease in real estate development expenses, including impairment charges, of $3.7 million. Costs associated with our agribusiness segment include packing costs, harvest costs, growing costs, costs related to the lemons we process and sell for third-party growers and depreciation expense. The significant variances are discussed below:

Real estate development expenses consist of costs incurred for our various real estate projects, impairment charges and depreciation expense. Real estate development expenses for fiscal year 2012 were $1.0 million compared to $4.7 million for fiscal year 2011. This 78% decrease of $3.7 million was primarily attributable to the following:

Selling, general and administrative expenses for fiscal year 2012 were $10.5 million compared to $9.3 million for fiscal year 2011. This 13% increase of $1.2 million is primarily attributable to the following:

Other Income (Expense)

Other income (expense) for fiscal year 2012 was $0.4 million of income compared to $1.2 million of income for fiscal year 2011. The $0.8 million decrease in income is primarily the result of:

Income Taxes

We recorded an income tax provision of $2.0 million for fiscal year 2012 on pre-tax income of $5.1 million compared to an income tax provision of $0.7 million for fiscal year 2011 on pre-tax income of $2.3 million.

Our effective tax rate is 38.6% for fiscal year 2012 compared to an effective rate of 31.1% for fiscal year 2011. The primary reasons for this change in our effective tax rate were decreases in other permanent items offset by increases in the allowable domestic production deduction in fiscal year 2012 over the fiscal year 2011 amounts.

Segment Results of Operations

We evaluate the performance of our agribusiness, rental operations and real estate development segments separately to monitor the different factors affecting financial results. Each segment is subject to review and evaluations related to current market conditions, market opportunities and available resources. The following table shows each segment’s results of operations for:

Fiscal Year 2013 Compared to Fiscal Year 2012

The following analysis should be read in conjunction with the previous section “Results of Operations.”

Agribusiness

For fiscal year 2013 our agribusiness segment revenue was $80.0 million compared to $61.6 million for fiscal year 2012. The 30% increase of $18.4 million primarily reflected higher lemon and avocado revenues for fiscal year 2013 compared to fiscal year 2012. The increase in agribusiness revenue primarily consists of the following:

Costs associated with our agribusiness segment include packing costs, harvest costs, growing costs, costs related to the lemons we procure from third-party growers and depreciation expense. For fiscal year 2013, our agribusiness costs and expenses were $63.6 million compared to $47.3 million for fiscal year 2012. The 34% increase of $16.3 million primarily consists of the following:

Rental Operations

Our rental operations segment had revenues of approximately $4.3 million and $4.0 million in fiscal years 2013 and 2012, respectively. Revenues for all three areas of this segment (residential and commercial rentals, leased land and organic recycling) were similar year to year.

Costs in our rental operations segment were approximately $2.2 million and $2.0 million in fiscal years 2013 and 2012, respectively. Depreciation expense was similar year to year.

Real Estate Development

Our real estate development segment had revenues of approximately $0.6 million and $0.3 million in fiscal years 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Costs and expenses in our real estate development segment were approximately $1.4 million and $1.0 million in fiscal years 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Corporate and Other

Corporate costs and expenses include selling, general and administrative expenses and other costs not allocated to the operating segments. Corporate and other costs for fiscal year 2013 were $1.3 million higher than fiscal year 2012. Depreciation expense was similar year to year at approximately $0.2 million.

Fiscal Year 2012 Compared to Fiscal Year 2011

The following analysis should be read in conjunction with the previous section “Results of Operations.”

Agribusiness

For fiscal year 2012 our agribusiness segment revenue was $61.6 million compared to $46.1 million for fiscal year 2011. The 34% increase of $15.5 million primarily reflected higher lemon and avocado revenues for fiscal year 2012 compared to fiscal year 2011. The increase in agribusiness revenue primarily consists of the following:

Costs associated with our agribusiness segment include packing costs, harvest costs, growing costs, costs related to the lemons we procure from third-party growers and depreciation expense. For fiscal year 2012, our agribusiness costs and expenses were $47.3 million compared to $35.2 million for fiscal year 2011. The 34% increase of $12.1 million primarily consists of the following:

Rental Operations

Our rental operations revenue for fiscal year 2012 was $4.0 million compared to $3.9 million in fiscal year 2011 resulting in an increase of $0.1 million. Revenues for all three areas of this segment (residential and commercial rentals, leased land and organic recycling) were similar year to year.

Costs and expenses in our rental operations segment for fiscal year 2012 were $0.2 million higher than fiscal year 2011 due to increased repairs and maintenance costs for our residential rental facilities. Depreciation expense was similar year to year.

Real Estate Development

Our real estate development segment revenue for fiscal year 2012 was $2.2 million lower than fiscal year 2011.

Costs and expenses in our real estate development segment for fiscal year 2012 were $3.7 million lower than fiscal year 2011.

Corporate and Other

Corporate costs and expenses include selling, general and administrative expenses and other costs not allocated to the operating segments. Corporate and other costs for fiscal year 2012 were $1.2 million higher than fiscal year 2011. Depreciation expense was similar year to year.

Quarterly Results of Operations

The following table presents our operating results for each of the eight fiscal quarters in the period ended October 31, 2013. The information for each of these quarters is derived from our unaudited interim financial statements and should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report. In our opinion, all necessary adjustments, which consist only of normal and recurring accruals, have been included to fairly present our unaudited quarterly results. As with any agribusiness enterprise, our agribusiness operations are highly seasonal in nature.  The harvest and sale of our lemons, avocados, oranges and specialty citrus and other crops occurs in all quarters, but is generally more concentrated during the second and third quarters.

The following information compares our fourth quarter ended October 31, 2013 to the fourth quarter ended October 31, 2012. Information concerning comparisons of our first, second and third quarters can be found in our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

Our liquidity and capital position fluctuates during the year depending on seasonal production cycles, weather events and demand for our products. Typically, our first and last fiscal quarters coincide with the fall and winter months during which we are growing crops that are harvested and sold in the spring and summer, our second and third quarters. To meet working capital demand and investment requirements of our agribusiness and real estate development segments and to supplement operating cash flows, we utilize our revolving credit facility to fund agricultural inputs and farm management practices until sufficient returns from crops allow us to repay amounts borrowed. Raw materials needed to propagate the various crops grown by us consist primarily of fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, fuel and water and are readily available from local sources.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities

For the fiscal years ended October 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, net cash provided by operating activities was $5.3 million, $6.3 million and $6.0 million, respectively. The significant components of our cash flows provided by operating activities are as follows:

Cash Flows from Investing Activities

For the years ended October 31, 2013, 2012, and 2011, net cash used in investing activities was $11.3 million, $11.3 million and $1.5 million, respectively and is primarily comprised of capital expenditures, business acquisitions and sales of assets.

Cash Flows from Financing Activities

For the years ended October 31, 2013, 2012 and 2011, net cash provided by (used in) financial activities was $6.2 million, $4.9 million, and ($4.8) million, respectively.

The $6.1 million of cash provided by financing activities for fiscal year 2013 was comprised primarily of net repayments of long-term debt in the amount of $27.5 million and net proceeds from our public offering of common stock in the amount of $35.9 million. Additionally, we paid common and preferred dividends of $2.2 million in fiscal year 2013. The $4.9 million of cash provided by financing activities in fiscal year 2012 is comprised primarily of net borrowings of long-term debt in the amount of $6.7 million partially offset by common and preferred dividend paid of $1.7 million. The $4.7 million of cash used in financing activities in fiscal year 2011 is comprised primarily of net repayments of long-term debt in the amount of $3.1 million and common and preferred dividends paid of $1.7 million.

Transactions Affecting Liquidity and Capital Resources

We finance our working capital and other liquidity requirements primarily through cash from operations and our Rabobank Credit Facility. In addition, we have the Farm Credit West Term Loans and the Farm Credit West Line of Credit. Additional information regarding the Rabobank Credit Facility, the Farm Credit West Term Loans and the Farm Credit West Line of Credit can be found in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report.

We believe that the cash flows from operations and available borrowing capacity from our existing credit facilities will be sufficient to satisfy our capital expenditures, debt service, working capital needs and other contractual obligations for fiscal 2014. In addition, we have the ability to control a portion of our investing cash flows to the extent necessary based on our liquidity demands.

Rabobank Credit Facility

As of October 31, 2013, our outstanding borrowings under the Rabobank Credit Facility were $54.4 million and we had $34.6 million of availability. The Rabobank Credit Facility currently bears interest at a variable rate equal to the one month LIBOR plus 1.80%. The interest rate resets on the first of each month and was 1.98% at October 31, 2013. We have the ability to prepay any amounts outstanding under the Rabobank Credit Facility without penalty. In November 2011, we entered into a Second Amendment to Amended and Restated Line of Credit Agreement in order to (i) increase the revolving line of credit from $80 million to the lesser of $100 million or 60% of the appraised value of any real estate pledged as collateral, which was $89,000,000 at October 31, 2013, (ii) amend the interest rate such that the line of credit bears interest at a rate equal to LIBOR plus 1.80%, and (iii) extend the maturity date from June 30, 2013 to June 30, 2018.

We have the option of fixing the interest rate under the Rabobank Credit Facility on any portion of outstanding borrowings using interest rate swaps. In November 2011, we entered into a forward interest rate swap agreement with Rabobank International, Utrecht to fix the interest rate at 4.30% on $40.0 million of outstanding borrowings under the Rabobank Credit Facility beginning July 2013 until June 2018. This interest rate swap qualifies as a cash flow hedge and is accounted for as a hedge under the short-cut method. Therefore, the fair value liability of $2.2 million is included in other long-term liabilities and related accumulated other comprehensive loss at October 31, 2013. Additional information regarding the interest rate swap can be found in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report.

The Rabobank Credit Facility is secured by certain of our agricultural properties and a portion of the equity interest in the San Cayetano Mutual Water Company, and subjects us to affirmative and restrictive covenants including, among other customary covenants, financial reporting requirements, requirements to maintain and repair any collateral, restrictions on the sale of assets, restrictions on the use of proceeds, prohibitions on the incurrence of additional debt and restrictions on the purchase or sale of major assets. We also are subject to a covenant that we will maintain a debt service coverage ratio, as defined in the Rabobank Credit Facility, of less than 1.25 to 1.0 measured annually at October 31, with which we were in compliance at October 31, 2013.

Farm Credit West Term Loans and Non-Revolving Credit Facility

As of October 31, 2013, we had an aggregate of $7.7 million outstanding under the Farm Credit West Term Loans and Farm Credit West Line of Credit. The following provides further discussion on the term loans and non-revolving credit facility:

The Farm Credit West Term Loans and Farm Credit West Line of Credit contain various conditions, covenants and requirements with which our Company and Windfall Investors must comply. In addition, our Company and Windfall Investors are subject to limitations on, among other things, selling, abandoning or ceasing business operations; merging or consolidating with a third party; disposing of a substantial portion of assets by sale, transfer, gifts or lease except for inventory sales in the ordinary course of business; obtaining credit or loans from other lenders other than trade credit customary in the business; becoming a guarantor or surety on or otherwise liable for the debts or obligations of a third party; and mortgaging, pledging, leasing for over a year, or otherwise making or allowing the filing of a lien on any collateral.

Public Offering of Common Stock

During February 2013, we completed the sale of 2,070,000 shares of common stock, at a price of $18.50 per share, to institutional and other investors in a registered offering under our shelf registration statement.  The offering represented 16% of our outstanding common stock on an after-issued basis. Upon completion of the offering and issuance of common stock, we had 13,307,085 shares of common stock outstanding. The gross proceeds of the offering totaled $38,295,000 and after an underwriting discount of $2,106,000 and other offering expenses of $292,000, the net proceeds were $35,897,000. During February 2013, we used the net offering proceeds to repay long-term debt.

Interest Rate Swaps

We enter into interest rate swap agreements to manage the risks and costs associated with our financing activities. At October 31, 2013, we had an interest rate swap agreement which locks in the interest rate on $40.0 million of our $62.1 million in debt at 4.30% until June 2018.

On April 29, 2010 we cancelled two interest rate swaps with notional amounts of $10.0 million each and amended the interest rate swap form a notional amount of $22.0 million to a notional amount of $42.0 million. The interest rate swaps previously qualified as cash flow hedges and the fair value adjustments to the swap agreements were deferred and included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). As a result of the re-negotiated terms, the remaining interest rate swap no longer qualified for hedge accounting and accordingly, fair value adjustments from April 30, 2010 are included in interest income (expense). This swap expired June 30, 2013.

In November 2011, we entered into a forward interest swap agreement with Rabobank International, Utrecht to fix the interest rate at 4.30% on $40.0 million of our outstanding borrowings under the Rabobank Credit Facility beginning on July 1, 2013 until June 30, 2018. This interest rate swap qualifies as a cash flow hedge and is accounted for as a hedge under the short-cut method. Therefore, the fair value adjustments to the underlying debt are deferred and included in accumulated other comprehensive loss and the liability is being recorded in other long-term liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at October 31, 2013. Additional information regarding the interest rate swaps can be found in Note 14 to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report.

Of the remaining $22.1 million in debt, $20.1 million bears interest at a variable rate, which was 2.75% or less at October 31, 2013 and $2.0 million bear’s interest at a fixed rate of 3.65% which becomes variable in November 2014.

Real Estate Development Activities and Related Capital Resources

As noted under “Transactions Affecting Liquidity and Capital Resources,” we have the ability to control a portion of our investing cash flows to the extent necessary based upon our liquidity demands. In order for our real estate development operations to reach their maximum potential benefit to us, however, we will need to be successful over time in identifying other third party sources of capital to partner with us to move those development projects forward. While we are frequently in discussions with potential external sources of capital in respect to all of our development projects, current market conditions for California real estate projects, while improving, continue to be challenging and make it difficult to predict the timing and amounts of future capital that will be required to complete the development of our projects.

Trend Information

Agribusiness

The worldwide fresh produce industry has historically enjoyed consistent underlying demand and favorable growth dynamics. In recent years, the market for fresh produce has increased faster than the rate of population growth, supported by ongoing trends including greater consumer demand for healthy, fresh and convenient foods, increased retailer square footage devoted to fresh produce, and greater emphasis on fresh produce as a differentiating factor in attracting customers. Health-conscious consumers are driving much of the growth in demand for fresh produce. Over the past several decades, the benefits of natural, preservative-free foods have become an increasingly significant element of the public dialogue on health and nutrition. As a result, consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables has markedly increased. According to the USDA, Americans consumed an additional 37 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables per capita in 2008 than they did in 1988.

The USDA reports that per capita fresh lemon consumption was 3.5 pounds in 2011 and since 2000 has averaged 3.0 pounds per capita versus 2.7 pounds in the 1990s. Approximately 64% of the California crop has gone into the fresh market during the past decade. The fresh market is significantly more profitable than the processed market and the amount of production sold in the fresh market is referred to as fresh utilization. Our fresh utilization has historically been comparable to the California industry average and we expect that our fresh utilization will increase due to increased flexibility to sell lemons directly to food service wholesale and retail customers and increased customer interaction resulting from our direct lemon sales strategy.

According to the USDA, the U.S. per capita consumption of avocados has increased in recent years from 2.3 pounds per capita in 2000 to 4.1 pounds per capita in 2011. Initial USDA estimates place consumption at a record 4.6 pounds per capita in 2012. A growing Hispanic population, an increasing awareness of healthier foods and the acceptance of mono-unsaturated fats has helped to spur demand for avocados. California is the largest U.S. producer of avocados and the 2010 crop of 550 million pounds was the second largest in the last ten years and fourth largest in California avocado production history. According to the California Avocado Commission the 2013 - 2014 crop will produce approximately 325 million pounds. This is a decrease of approximately 180 million pounds or 35% from the 2012 - 2013 crop.

Navel oranges comprise most of California’s orange crop, accounting for approximately 75% over the past three growing seasons. Valencia oranges account for a vast majority of the remainder of California’s orange crop. While California produces approximately 25% of the nation’s oranges, its crop accounts for approximately 80% of those going to the fresh market. The share of California’s crop going to fresh market, as opposed to the processed market (i.e. juices, oils and essences) varies by season, depending on the quality of the crop.

Real Estate Development

According to most accounts, the residential real estate market continues to be weak following the well-known economic downturn in recent years.  Persistent high unemployment is expected to keep home sales at historically low levels in terms of volume and price.  We have incurred impairment charges on certain of our real estate development projects over the last three years and future impairment is possible.   Due to these factors, we anticipate maintaining a cautious and patient perspective with respect to our real estate development activities.  However, interest rates are also at historically low levels, which provide a favorable buying opportunity for potential home buyers. Additionally, we believe that our real estate development properties have certain unique characteristics and are located in desirable locations, in particular East Area I, and as economic or real estate market conditions improve or other factors arise, we will take advantage of such opportunities to develop our properties.

Contractual Obligations and Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

The following table presents our contractual obligations at October 31, 2013 for which cash flows are fixed and determinable:

We believe that the cash flows from our agribusiness and rental operations segments as well as available borrowing capacity from our existing credit facilities will be sufficient to satisfy our future capital expenditure, debt service, working capital and other contractual obligations for fiscal year 2014. In addition, we have the ability to control a portion of our investing cash flows to the extent necessary based on our liquidity demands.

Fixed Rate and Variable Rate Debt

Details of amounts included in long-term debt can be found above and in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this Annual Report. The table above assumes that long-term debt is held to maturity.

Interest Payments on Fixed and Variable Debt

The above table assumes that our fixed rate and long term debt is held to maturity and the interest rates on our variable rate debt remains unchanged for the remaining life of the debt from those in effect at October 31, 2013.

Preferred Stock Dividends

In 1997, in connection with the acquisition of Ronald Michaelis Ranches, Inc., we issued 30,000 shares of Series B Convertible Preferred Stock at $100 par value (the “Series B Stock”). The holders of the Series B Stock are entitled to receive cumulative cash dividends at an annual rate of 8.75% of par value. Such dividends are payable quarterly on the first day of January, April, July and October in each year commencing July 1, 1997 and totaled $0.3 million in each of the fiscal years 2013, 2012 and 2011.

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

We have a noncontributory, defined benefit, single employer pension plan (the “Plan”), which provides retirement benefits for all eligible employees of the Company. Effective June 2004, the Company froze the Plan and no additional benefits accrued to participants subsequent to that date. We may make discretionary contributions to the Plan and we may be required to make contributions to adhere to applicable regulatory funding provisions, based in part on the Plan’s asset valuations and underlying actuarial assumptions. We made funding contributions of $1,252,000 and $1,275,000 for fiscal years 2013 and 2012, respectively and we expect to contribute approximately $500,000 to the Plan in fiscal year 2014.

Operating Lease Obligations

We have numerous operating lease commitments with remaining terms ranging from less than one year to ten years. We have installed a one mega-watt photovoltaic solar array on one of our agricultural properties located in Ventura County that produces a significant amount of the power to run our lemon packinghouse. The construction of this array was financed by Farm Credit Leasing and we have a long-term lease with Farm Credit Leasing for this array. Annual payments for this lease are $0.5 million, and at the end of ten years we have an option to purchase the array for $1.1 million. We entered into a similar transaction with Farm Credit Leasing for a second photovoltaic array at one of our agricultural properties located in the San Joaquin Valley to supply a significant amount of the power to operate four deep-water well pumps located on our property. Annual lease payments for this facility range from $0.3 million to $0.8 million, and at the end of ten years we have the option to purchase the array for $1.3 million. Additionally, we have agreements with an electricity utility through the California Solar Initiative which entitle us to receive rebates for energy produced by our solar arrays. These rebates, which reduce our agribusiness costs and expenses, are scheduled to expire in fiscal year 2014, were $1.0 million, $1.0 million and $0.9 million in fiscal years 2013, 2012, and 2011, respectively, and have averaged approximately $1.0 million per year since the inception of the leases.

In January 2012, we entered into six operating leases for the Sheldon Ranch. Each of the leases is for ten-year terms and provides for four five-year renewal options with an aggregate base rent of approximately $500,000 per year. The leases also contain profit share arrangements with the landowners as additional rent on each of the properties and a provision for the potential purchase of the properties by us in the future. In accordance with the terms of the leases, we did not share in the citrus crop revenue in fiscal year 2012. We incurred $724,000 and $456,000 of net lease expense in fiscal years 2013 and 2012, respectively.