The California almond industry relies heavily on the export market, and navigating logistical challenges and trade barriers has become quite complicated in recent years. Watch this brief interview with Julie Adams from the Almond Board of California as she shares their role and progress in keeping the exports flowing. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.
If fertilizer costs are bogging you down and you can hardly get into your wet alfalfa field this winter anyways, consider grazing sheep in the field. That’s what diversified California feed grower Bret Sill is trying out this winter. Watch this brief interview with Bret as he explains, and read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
CDFA recently announced awards for the 2022 Alternative Manure Management Program, as well as the Dairy Digester Research & Development Program, These programs are very competitive, and Paul Sousa from Western United Dairies encourages interested dairy producers to start preparing now to apply for the next round of funding. Watch this brief interview with Paul as he explains and read more about it in California Dairy Magazine.
Please thank this video’s sponsor Clean Energy for their industry support.
California’s almond acreage decreased for the first time in more than 25 years, according to a new report from Land IQ to the Almond Board of California (ABC). Total standing acreage as of Aug. 31 was estimated at 1.64 million acres, compared with 1.66 million acres at the same time in 2021. Bearing acres – orchards producing almonds and planted in 2019 or earlier – increased slightly to 1.34 million from 1.31 million last year. But non-bearing acres – new plantings going back to 2020 but not yet bearing almonds – dropped to 294,000 acres from 353,000 acres in 2021.
In addition, the Land IQ 2022 Standing Acreage and Removed Acreage Final Estimate said approximately 30,000 acres are either classified as stressed or abandoned. They were included in the standing acreage total because the orchards “may have the ability to recover,” Land IQ said.
Removed orchards contributed to the drop in total acreage and continued a trend from 2021. Total orchard acreage removed was about 60,400 acres as of Aug. 31 this year compared with 56,900 removed acres in 2021.
“Land IQ’s report may indicate a possible trend towards lower California almond acreage in the year ahead,” said Richard Waycott, ABC president and CEO. “This acreage estimate was based on data collected through Aug. 31, so it does not reflect any additional removals that may have occurred as the harvest and post-harvest seasons progressed this fall. Those data will be incorporated in the next acreage estimate to be published in April 2023.”
The estimate comes from multiple lines of evidence, including extensive examinations on the ground and advanced remote sensing analytics. Land IQ said the 2022 standing acreage estimate is 98.8 percent accurate.
Land IQ’s Final Acreage Estimate in November, along with USDA-NASS’s April Acreage Report, May’s Subjective Estimate and the Objective Report in July are all commissioned by ABC to provide statistical transparency and a robust picture of California almonds to industry stakeholders around the world.
In 2018, ABC first commissioned Land IQ, a Sacramento-based agricultural and environmental scientific research and consulting firm, to develop a comprehensive, living map of California almonds. The map is the result of more than a decade of research. — Caption: Photo Courtesy of the Almond Board of California
California Association of Winegrape Growers (CAWG) Chairman Tom Slater announced today that the Board of Directors has named Natalie Collins the association’s president. Collins has served as Interim President since June 1, 2022, after the retirement of John Aguirre.
“The Board is extremely grateful for the job Natalie has done for the past six months and is very excited she has accepted our offer to become the President of CAWG,” said Slater. “She has been a member of our CAWG family for seven years and brings with her an enormous amount of institutional knowledge. We look forward to Natalie sharing that knowledge with the Board and all its members.”
“CAWG has a rich history of strong advocacy and commitment in representing California winegrape growers. It is an honor to accept this position as CAWG heads toward its 50th anniversary,” Collins said. “I look forward to helping our growers meet the many challenges we face in California, Washington D.C., and globally. With these challenges comes incredible opportunity for CAWG to be at the table in shaping public policy that will respect and advance our industry. I could not be more excited for this opportunity to lead CAWG’s efforts as the voice of California’s winegrape growers.”
Over the last few months, Collins has led the CAWG team in Sacramento and guided the association’s partnership with the American Society for Enology and Viticulture (ASEV) in preparation for the annual Unified Wine & Grape Symposium next month. She has also taken the point in CAWG’s advocacy efforts in Washington, DC.
“Natalie has demonstrated in her work with CAWG that she has the skills necessary to not only lead a smooth transition, but also to create new opportunities for CAWG and our growers in the years to come,” concluded Slater.
Collins joined CAWG in 2015 as the director of member relations and quickly established herself as integral to the advancement of the association. She is a graduate of California State University, Chico with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business and minors in organizational communications and business administration. Before joining CAWG, she was a program director for the San Joaquin Farm Bureau Federation and a 2015 Leadership Farm Bureau program graduate.
Natalie resides in Lodi with her husband Kyle and their two children.
After undoubtedly one of the most difficult years almond growers have faced in decades, Almond Board of California (ABC) president and CEO, Richard Waycott, and Board of Directors chair, Alexi Rodriguez, discussed the reality of current industry challenges, while offering hope and a plan of action during the State of the Almond Industry presentation at the 50th annual Almond Conference.
Between water scarcity, high product carry-in, logistical and supply chain issues, and rising interest rates, the almond community’s resiliency was certainly tested over the past 12 months, and “the combination has created this perfect storm that’s really had a profound impact on our industry,” Rodriguez said.
To provide an overview of current supply and demand trends, David Magaña, senior analyst at RaboResearch Food and Agribusiness, reiterated that almonds are becoming an increasingly popular product among consumers. While this development is certainly welcomed, inflation is also the highest in four decades, pinching the pockets of consumers, driving up production costs for growers and increasing costs throughout the supply chain.
Reassuringly, experts predict demand-driven inflation will subside within the next two years, and because container shortages have diminished, transportation logistics are improving, Magaña explained.
Almond Acreage and Production Down
It’s no secret that production numbers for the current harvest year are estimated to decrease and acreage numbers have decreased for the first time in more than a quarter of a century. However, Bryce Spycher, ABC senior manager of marketing order services stated that as a whole, we continue to see massive increases by the millions about every nine years.
So, where are all these pounds going? Spycher explained that 70% of all production is exported to more than 100 different countries, while 30% is consumed domestically. In recent years, there’s been a spike in domestic consumption, he said, particularly in mechanically-altered almonds – sliced, diced, blanched or otherwise not in-shell.
Partnering to Combat Issues
The Almond Board is fortunate to have a unique partnership with the Almond Alliance of California, which advocates on behalf of the industry in public policy arenas. Under the leadership of president and CEO Aubrey Bettencourt, the Alliance’s commitment to supply chain issues has leveraged relationships with five major carriers in negotiating how product can move faster and more efficiently across all ports.
Additionally, the Alliance has partnered with Western United Dairies and the California Department of Water Resources to roll out LandFlex, a drought relief program providing farmers with compliance resources related to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA).
“We are not done as an industry, and we have a lot of room to grow,” Bettencourt said. “It’s a tough time but let me tell you, don’t confuse vision and direction to turn obstacles into opportunity and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Strategizing to Meet Challenges
With a changing industry comes a changing strategy, particularly in exploring untapped audiences. To be proactive, Rodriguez explained the newest cross-functional project in the works. Titled “Thea,” this tool will help predict, plan and strategize ABC’s foundation of activities over the next 10-15 years.
Waycott also introduced how the team at ABC shifted its focus to promote almonds in unconventional outlets including March Madness, Marvel Studios, Sanremo Music Festival, Tmall – a Chinese e-commerce website – the well-known gaming platform called Twitch, and they’ve even explored efforts within the Metaverse.
Other marketing campaigns designed to focus on the health and beauty benefits of almonds continue to be successful in India and Asia – two of ABC’s most profitable regions. The Almond Board has also made it a priority to tell all aspects of the industry’s story, with touchpoints in carbon, water and zero waste. In doing so, they’ve partnered with media outlets including the New York Times, Atlantic Magazine, Men’s Health and Women’s Healthto drive these messages to new audiences.
When it comes to developing relationships with the U.S. government and importers, it is not a “one size fits all” situation, as each importer has an individual set of technical, sustainable, and environmental expectations, explained Julie Adams, ABC vice president of technical and regulatory affairs, and Jonathan Hoff, chair of the Technical and Regulatory Affairs committee. As a result, Adams discussed the retooling of the California Almond Stewardship Platform, an integration of research, education and self-assessment resources to help growers and handlers address consumer demands.
Much of this information would not be possible without the investment ABC has made and continues to make in data collection. Funding continues to research leaf-footed bugs, navel orangeworm control, rootstock selection, groundwater recharge, pesticide application, and whole orchard recycling, said ABC chief scientific officer, Josette Lewis, and Devin Clarke, chair of the Strategic Ag Innovation committee.
The team at ABC also concepted new ways to be smart water users and utilize all four viable products coming from the orchard: the nut, shell, hull and woody biomass. From nutritional bars to coffee made from hulls, Lewis reiterated, “it isn’t just one gallon per nut; look at all the things you get with a handful of almonds.”
While hardships still loom over the industry, a silver lining lies in the struggle of it all – the opportunity to learn, grow and innovate from these experiences.
“While it’s going take a little bit of time, I’m confident that the work we’re currently engaged in will help aid the industry as we move through these difficult times,” Rodriguez concluded. — By the Almond Board of California
The California Department of Water Resources, Western United Dairies Foundation, Almond Alliance, Self-Help Enterprises, and the Community Alliance with Family Farmers have introduced LandFlex. This solutions-based program assists vulnerable communities in solving the groundwater crisis related to the drought by protecting domestic wells through preventative fallowing, relieving supply pressures, and providing water supply certainty to critically over-drafted basins.
“Farmers, underrepresented communities and Groundwater Sustainability Agencies share a common interest in the immediate ending of groundwater overdraft on lands near vulnerable drinking water wells,” said Anja Raudabaugh, Chief Executive Officer of Western United Dairies. “The LandFlex program is a pilot program providing farmers the flexibility to manage their land through the drought and to provide water security for rural communities.”
The LandFlex program reduces groundwater demand by contracting with farmers to rotationally and temporarily fallow ground in areas deeply dependent on groundwater for domestic well supplies. The price paid per acre-foot of water savings is prioritized based on the enrolled lands’ proximity to domestic wells coupled with the lands’ existing subsidence levels. A crop’s evapotranspiration will be based on local average GSA data.
“LandFlex provides during a fallowing and drought crisis to conserve and leave water in the ground to stabilize aquifers and allow our farmers to stay in operation and have operating capital on a voluntary and annual basis while supporting our communities and ensuring a secure food supply for next year,” said Aubrey Bettencourt, Chief Executive Officer of the Almond Alliance.
Grant awards will be prioritized on lands experiencing the most severe subsidence due to groundwater depletion and on areas closest to domestic wells that have recently gone dry.
For more information on LandFlex, and to sign up for program updates, visit: https://landflex.org
The California Dairy Innovation Center released its schedule of 2023 training programs for processors, producers, entrepreneurs, and students. The courses, which have no pre-requisites, will be held at a variety of California locations and are open to all participants.
The preliminary schedule of courses includes:
Coffee, Tea, and Creamers: The Science and Art of Milk in Beverages, which will take place January 10-11, 2023, at Chapman University in Orange County.
“Attendees will learn to roast coffee, experiment with a variety of milk-containing tea and coffee products and processes and conduct many tastings of innovative products. Lectures will be featured from subject matter experts, industry consultants and faculty who will cover a wide range of topics, from cold brews to cream liqueurs, boba teas to ready-to-drink products with extended shelf-life,” said Dr. Anuradha Prakash, Professor of Food Science at Chapman University. “This course will be valuable to processors and entrepreneurs, coffee shops personnel, students, dairy producers and suppliers of flavors and ingredients to the sector. There are no pre-requisites, other than having a curious mind and a passion for innovation. Each attendee will benefit from networking opportunities between participants, and one-on-one time with instructors.”
Early registration (through December 15th) is $75-450. More information is available at www.chapman.edu/CoffeeTeaCreamers.
Better Process Control School is scheduled for January 17-20, 2023, at Chapman University in Orange County. This course applies to processors of low acid, retorted, aseptic and acidified foods and products packaged in metal or plastic cans, glass jars, and flexible pouches. Participants who earn a passing grade on required chapter tests are awarded a Certificate of Completion that indicates satisfactory completion of FDA and USDA-FSIS training requirements. This class is open to all in the dairy industry. Registration is $900. Additional information is available at https://www.chapman.edu/bpcs or by contacting Robyne Kelly at (714) 289-2040 or rokelly@chapman.edu.
Unit Operations in Dairy Processing will be held February 8-9, 2023, at the Dairy Products Technology Center at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. This workshop focuses on the fundamentals and building blocks of dairy processing. Instructors include Cal Poly faculty and staff, industry representatives, equipment and process suppliers, expert consultants.
“This course combines lectures with hands-on demonstrations in the pilot plant. It is a unique opportunity to view equipment and better understand processes behind the production of fluid milk products, cheese, milk concentrates and powders and even ice cream. Our instructors will combine lectures with practical demonstrations of fundamental principles and will showcase innovation from industry equipment suppliers.” says Katy Pankey, Manager, Creamery Production & Industry Short Courses at Cal Poly. “Whether participants are new to industry, wish to advance their careers or need a refresher, this course is sure to bring value.”
This course does not require any pre-requisites and is recommended for production staff and plant operators, supervisors and team leaders wishing to upskill; technical and quality personnel; R&D and new product development personnel; and food entrepreneurs and students considering a career in the dairy processing sector. Participants who complete the course earn Cal Poly Certificates. Registration is $75-350 and preferred Cal Poly rates are available at area hotels. Additional program details and registration information is available at https://dairy.calpoly.edu/short-course-symposia. Questions can be directed to klees@calpoly.edu.
“We are pleased to offer such a robust schedule of educational opportunities at the start of the new year and plan additional short-courses in Q2,” said Veronique Lagrange, CDIC Director. “These sessions are created in collaboration with industry and are designed to meet the need for training in various areas of the state and for multiple product lines. Beyond processors, they also attract entrepreneurs and personnel from related sectors such as equipment, distribution, and ingredients. We are also offering special discounts for students.”
Upcoming courses include:
Advanced Cheesemaking (April 2023)Presented in collaboration with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, this course will be offered at the Dairy Products Technology Center at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Hispanic Cheeses: Production, Characteristics and Utilization (June 2023)A collaboration between Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Fresno State University, this course will be held at the: Dairy Products Technology Center, San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Short Course and conference programs are co-organized with California Milk Advisory Board’s California Dairy Innovation Center, with partial funding and contributions from Dairy Management Inc., the USDA’s Pacific Coast Coalition Dairy Business Innovation Initiative (hosted by Fresno State) and CMAB. Programs are subject to change. For more info about the CDIC and its educational opportunities, contactvlagrange@cmab.net.
About the California Dairy Innovation Center
The California Dairy Innovation Center (CDIC) coordinates pre-competitive research and educational training in collaboration with industry, check-off programs, and research/academic institutions in support of a common set of innovation and productivity goals. The CDIC is guided by a Steering Committee that includes California Dairies Inc., California Dairy Research Foundation, California Milk Advisory Board, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, Dairy Management Inc., Fresno State University, Hilmar Cheese, Leprino Foods, and UC Davis.
People are increasingly trying to grow both food and clean energy on the same land to help meet the challenges of climate change, drought and a growing global population that just topped 8 billion. This effort includes agrivoltaics, in which crops are grown under the shade of solar panels, ideally with less water.
Now scientists from the University of California, Davis, are investigating how to better harvest the sun — and its optimal light spectrum — to make agrivoltaic systems more efficient in arid agricultural regions like California. Their study, published in Earth’s Future, a journal of the American Geophysical Union, found that the red part of the light spectrum is more efficient for growing plants, while the blue part of the spectrum is better used for solar production.
A Door Opener
The study’s results could help guide global interest in agrivoltaics and identify potential applications for those systems.
“This paper is a door opener for all sorts of technological advancements,” said corresponding author Majdi Abou Najm, an associate professor at the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and a fellow at the UC Davis Institute of the Environment. He conducted the study with first author Matteo Camporese of the University of Padova in Italy, who came to UC Davis as a Fulbright visiting scholar. “Today’s solar panels take all the light and try to make the best of it. But what if a new generation of photovoltaics could take the blue light for clean energy and pass the red light onto the crops, where it is most efficient for photosynthesis?”
For the study, the scientists developed a photosynthesis and transpiration model to account for different light spectra. The model reproduced the response of various plants, including lettuce, basil and strawberry, to different light spectra in controlled lab conditions. A sensitivity analysis suggested the blue part of the spectrum is best filtered out to produce solar energy while the red spectrum can be optimized to grow food.
This work was further tested this past summer on tomato plants at UC Davis agricultural research fields in collaboration with UC Davis Assistant Professor Andre Daccache from the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
Guiding Light
In an era of shrinking viable land, understanding how plants respond to different light spectra is a key step toward designing systems that balance sustainable land management with water use and food production, the study noted.
“We cannot feed 2 billion more people in 30 years by being just a little more water-efficient and continuing as we do,” Abou Najm said. “We need something transformative, not incremental. If we treat the sun as a resource, we can work with shade and generate electricity while producing crops underneath. Kilowatt hours become a secondary crop you can harvest.”
The study was funded by a U.S. Department of State Fulbright Research Scholarship, UC Davis and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. — By Kat Kerlin, UC Davis
In celebration of the holidays, today the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) introduced a collaboration with cheese shop Lady & Larder and cheese expert Jessica Lawrenz to present the California Cheese Wreath Kit, a collection of Real California cheeses, dried fruit, nuts, crackers, and other items used to create an edible arrangement for seasonal gatherings and gift giving. In the spirit of giving, for each kit orders a donation of $20* will be made to Feeding America in support of families in need.
The California Cheese Wreath kit features three cow’s milk specialty cheeses made with Real California Milk from the state’s farm families, California almonds, dried citrus wheels, raisins, cherries, crackers, and dried herbs along with a round bamboo cheese board as well as instructions for assembling a festive cheese wreath. The wreath sells for $175 and is available for pickup at Lady & Larder in Santa Monica or online (https://ladyandlarder.com/products/real-california-cheese-wreath-2022) for shipping to most states.
“We love cheese boards, but cheese wreaths take the celebration to the next level. It’s a centerpiece, a family project, and an edible arrangement all in one. And we’re excited to partner with Lady & Larder to create a kit that makes it easy to prepare and allows us to give back,” said Jennifer Giambroni, VP of Communications for the CMAB.
The initiative is part of the #CADAIRY4GOOD initiative to support families in need. Launched on June 1, 2022, with the announcement of a pilot program to provide one-pound cheese shreds to food banks throughout the state, the #CADAIRY4GOOD initiative focuses on increasing access to nutritious dairy foods made with Real California Milk for California individuals and families in need and to identify sustainable partnerships to expand the reach and resources available to feeding programs throughout the state.
California is the number one dairy state. Its 1,100 family dairy farms are focused on delivering the wholesome goodness of California milk while creating a greener, more sustainable future. California products can be identified by the Real California Milk seal, which means they are made with 100 percent milk from the state’s dairy farm families.
$20 will be donated to Feeding America for each California Cheese Wreath Kit purchased with a guaranteed donation of $10,000 to Feeding America. Only California Cheese Wreath Kit purchases at Lady & Larder between the December 1, 2022 and January 30, 2023 qualify.
About Real California Milk/California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state’s dairy farm families who lead the nation in sustainable dairy farming practices. With a vision to nourish the world with the wholesome goodness of Real California Milk, the CMAB’s programs focus on increasing demand for California’s sustainable dairy products in the state, across the U.S. and around the world through advertising, public relations, research, and retail and foodservice promotional programs. For more information and to connect with the CMAB, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagramand Pinterest.
Lady & Larder
Twin sisters Sarah and Boo Simms are the culinary and creative duo behind Lady & Larder – the Los Angeles based cheese and wine shop credited with starting a global grazing board movement. Founded in 2016, Lady & Larder proudly supports 100% domestic, American-made seasonal products and specializes in custom edible displays, carefully sourcing only the best for their crudités, fruit, cheese, and charcuterie. For those unable to visit their shop in person, the duo also offers online classes and workshops, as well as ships beautifully curated cheese boards, charcuterie kits, and seasonal culinary gifts nationwide. To Learn more, please visit ladyandlarder.com.