California Ag Network

Category: Nut Industry

  • CA Farm Water Crisis – The Big Picture with Aubrey Bettencourt

    California farmers were already in a tight water supply situation before this dry year began. With water curtailments, SGMA implementation, settlement agreements and little progress in water infrastructure improvements, farmers have a lot of concerns regarding the future of their livelihoods. Watch this brief video with Aubrey Bettencourt as she provides the big picture of where agriculture currently stands in the California water crisis. Bettencourt has served California agriculture in various capacities over the years and is now Director of Sustainability with the California Cattle Council and Western United Dairies.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Upcoming Legislation on Product Packaging Concerns California Farmers

    As if transportation issues and port congestion weren’t challenging enough for California agriculture and other industries, further legislation to regulate the type of packaging producers can use to ship their products is pending state approval. Watch this brief video with Almond Alliance of California’s lobbyist Dennis Albiani how this will impact agriculture, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • Recent Successes & Challenges on the Legislative Front with APG’s Cadee Condit

    Growers finally got to meet American Pistachio Growers’ (APG) new Director of Government Relations, Cadee Condit in-person at the recent APG Summer Luncheon in Visalia, CA. Watch this brief interview with Cadee as she introduces herself and talks about APG’s current priorities on the legislative front. Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • New Incentives & Funding for Alternatives to Ag Burning

    Almond Alliance of California — Today, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District made several decisions which impact the California almond industry.

    The District accepted and appropriated $178,200,000 in state funding and approved enhancements to alternatives to the open burning incentive program. These funds were divided into two categories of incentives.

    • First, increase funding and expand incentives to the District Alternatives to Agricultural Open Burning Program.
    • Second, to ensure adequate capacity to accommodate increase in chipping, the District is proposing to expand the program to include new options for purchasing of chipping and grinding equipment. The criteria will require that any funded equipment is used specifically for expanding Central Valley chipping capacity as open burning is phased out. 
    New Incentive Program Enhancements:
    • Eliminate current $60,000 per year funding cap per entity.
    • Dedicate 30% of funding for smaller ag operations.
    • Additional incentives for small ag operations.  Provide an additional $100/acre for each incentive category to operations (<100 total acres).
    • Expand options for disposition of chipped material through beneficial re-use.
    • Revised per acre incentive amounts by crop type.
    • Increase incentive amount for cane and cordon-pruned vineyard material.
    • Maintain current incentive amount for orchard removal material.
    To View the Full Narrative, Click Here.
    New Incentive Option for Expansion of Chipping Capacity (New Equipment Purchase):
    • Anticipated launch date is September 1, 2021, pending receiving funding from the state.
    • Funding amount is initially allocated up to $30,000,000 for new equipment purchases.
    • Eligible participants are chipping and shredding contractors with demonstrated experience operating services for the chipping of ag material.
    • Eligible equipment are new tier 4 chippers and grinders for the purpose of processing woody ag waste.
    • Incentive amounts are up to 65% of the cost of eligible  equipment with a cap of $2,000,000 per participant.
    • First come, first serve, based on submittal of a complete application.
    • Participant requirements are required to sign a legally binding agreement with the District.  For more details feel free to contact the Almond Alliance. 
    Funding to Replace Agricultural Tractors and Heavy Duty Diesel Trucks:
    The District accepted $5,579,036 from US EPA for the following uses:
    • $2,789,518 to replace heavy-duty diesel trucks that have 2016 or older model year engines with low-NOx natural gas trucks;
    • $2,789,518 to replace agricultural tractors that have uncontrolled, Tier 1 or Tier engines with new agricultural tractors that have Tier 4 engines.
    • To learn more about these opportunities, please visit:
      • Mobile Agricultural Equipment Replacement, Click Here.
      • Heavy Duty Diesel Truck Replacement, Click Here. 
    To View All of the District’s Incentive Program Guidelines, Click Here.

    For more specific details, please contact the Almond Alliance.

  • New Director Leaders at the Almond Board of California

    The new Board of Directors of the Almond Board of California (ABC) took their seats on Wednesday with five voting members – three of them new to the board – beginning new terms to help oversee ABC’s support of one of California’s most important agricultural crops.

    Board members, whose terms officially began Aug. 1, also elected Brian Wahlbrink as chair and George Goshgarian Jr. as vice chair.

    “This is a knowledgeable, talented board,” Wahlbrink said. “Our board members come from across our industry and around our state. They bring a great energy and an impressive range of experience, and we’re all eager to continue moving California almonds forward as one of the state’s most valuable and important crops.”

    The 10-member board of ABC has five grower members – three representing independent growers and two representing growers working with cooperatives – and five handler members, also with three independents and two co-op reps.

    The new grower representatives are:

    • Paul Ewing, an independent from RPAC Almonds in Los Banos. He was re-elected and takes a 1-year term.
    • Joe Gardiner, an independent from Treehouse California Almonds in Earlimart. He was an alternative on the previous board and takes a 3-year term.
    • Christine Gemperle, a co-op grower from Gemperle Orchards in Ceres. She was also a former alternate and takes a 3-year term.

    The new handler representatives are:

    • Darren Rigg, an independent handler from Minturn Nut Co in Le Grand. He was re-elected and takes a 1-year term.
    • Bob Silveria, an independent handler from Vann Family Orchards in Williams. He will serve a 3-year term.

    In addition, the board has five new alternates:

    • Brandon Rebeiro, an independent grower from Gold Leaf Farming in Modesto.
    • Chris Bettencourt, an independent grower from Westley.
    • Kent Stenderup, a co-op grower from Stenderup Ag Partners in Bakersfield and former chair of the ABC Board.
    • Dexter Long, an independent handler from Hilltop Ranch in Ballico. He was re-elected as an alternate.
    • Chad DeRose, an independent handler from Famoso Nut Co. in McFarland. He was also re-elected as an alternate.

    The ABC board sets policy and recommends budgets to the Secretary of Agriculture in major areas including production research, public relations and advertising, nutrition research, statistical reporting, quality control and food safety.

    About the Almond Board of California

    ABC is a Federal Marketing Order dedicated to promoting California almonds to domestic and international audiences through marketing efforts and by funding and promoting research about almonds’ health benefits, efficient and sustainable farming, food safety and more. ABC works on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of whom are multi-generational family operations.

  • US Pistachio Shipments Up Despite Logistical & Economic Challenges

    Despite continued pandemic, trade and logistical issues, American Pistachio Growers President Richard Matoian shared at their annual Summer Luncheon that pistachio shipments are up, which is critical for the success of this growing commodity. Watch this brief interview with Richard as he explains, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • 2021 Crop Forecast with American Pistachio Growers

    Just how “off” of an off-year do we expect the California pistachio crop to be this season?  Obviously factors of drought and increasing bearing acreage will play major roles in the outcome of this year’s harvest, but watch this brief interview with APG President Richard Matoian as he shares the crop forecast.  Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • FARM Act Funding for Pilot Programs to Produce Biocarbon Products from Tree Nuts

    The Almond Alliance of California today commended Rep. Josh Harder (C-10) for including funding to support ten nationwide pilot programs to convert tree nut by-products into biocarbon products in the Future of Agricultural Resiliency and Modernization (FARM) Act.

    Almond Alliance President Elaine Trevino explained that in California the funding will help accelerate efforts to develop new biofuels or other biocarbon products derived from almond harvest by-products.  For example, in a process called “pyrolysis” almond harvest by-products can produce biochar, a soil amendment with excellent carbon sequestration potential and syngas and bio-oils, which can be used directly to fire furnaces or more importantly as inputs to produce motor vehicle biofuels and other biochemicals.

    Trevino commented, “California’s almond growers are proud to be innovators who remain focused on sustainability and are constantly looking to put everything we grow to its highest and best use.  We expect that biofuels produced using California Grown almond by-products will become a major contributor towards meeting California’s carbon neutral goals.  We appreciate Congressman Harder’s ongoing support of almond growers and especially his inclusion of funding for pilot projects in the FARM Act that will catalyze development of climate-friendly biocarbon and biofuel products.”

    About the Almond Alliance

    The Almond Alliance of California (AAC) is a trusted non-profit organization dedicated to advocating on behalf of the California almond community. California almonds generate more than $21 billion in economic revenue and directly contribute more than $11 billion to the state’s total economy. California’s top agricultural export, almonds create approximately 104,000 jobs statewide, over 97,000 in the Central Valley, which suffers from chronic unemployment. The AAC is dedicated to educating state legislators, policy makers and regulatory officials about the California almond community. As a membership-based organization, our members include almond processors, hullers/shellers, growers and allied businesses. Through workshops, newsletters, conferences, social media and personal meetings, AAC works to raise awareness, knowledge and provide a better understanding about the scope, size, value and sustainability of the California almond community.

    For more information on the Almond Alliance, visit https://almondalliance.org/ or check out the Almond Alliance on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

  • American Pistachio Growers Kicks Off New Facebook Live Series

    American Pistachio Growers (APG), armed with voluminous data that pistachios are packed with a multitude of benefits for active bodies and minds, is inaugurating a new 2021-22 Facebook Live Series — Friday Fuel-Up with Dr. Mike Roussell — to engage some of the most energetic and interesting people in the world with the question, What fuels you? The monthly series, which debuts August 6 and continues the first Friday of every month, is hosted by nutritionist Dr. Mike Roussell, a noted author and nutrition advisor to Men’s Health Magazine.

    “I’m ecstatic about the opportunity to bring to online audiences conversations with some of the world’s top athletes, adventurers and authorities in key areas of life,” said Roussell. “We’ll delve into their mindset, what drives them to succeed in their field, as well as the physical aspect of fueling success. In all episodes, there should be key takeaways that any listener can apply to their own life.”

    The first eight months’ line-up of guests reads like a page out of Who’s Who. His first guest on August 6 is Luke Coutinho, a globally renowned holistic lifestyle coach and best-selling author, based in India, who’s known for his take on Eastern philosophy, nutrition and practices that also incorporate well into Western lifestyles.

    The balance of the 2021 line-up includes: Scott H. Smith, PhD., Nutritionist and Manager for Nutritional Biochemistry for NASA’s Johnson Space Center, September 3; renowned Big Mountain snow boarder and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jeremy Jones, October 1; two-time Olympic gold medal-winning British triathlete Alistair Brownlee, November 5; and Bryan Snyder, Director of Nutrition for the Denver Broncos, December 3.

    For 2022, Roussell will welcome 2021 Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey, January 7; Vicky Losada, international soccer star and leading advocate for womens’ and girls’ sports, February 4; and pro quarterback Josh Allen, March 4.

    Audiences can join the conversations LIVE between Roussell and Coutinho on August 6 at 10 a.m. PST at Facebook.com/AmericanPistachios, the same time and place for all subsequent episodes in this first Friday-of-the-month series. Recorded programs will also be available on Instagram and YouTube.

    “People who are physically and mentally active will find these guests fascinating, as they discuss what fuels their goals and their achievements,” said Judy Hirigoyen, Vice President of Global Marketing at American Pistachio Growers. “We’re proud to sponsor this effort and engage consumers in the dialogue. Those using the live chat feature on FB Live will have the opportunity to win serious swag,” she added.

    American Pistachio Growers is a non-profit trade association representing more than 865 members of the pistachio growing communities in California, Arizona, and New Mexico. 

  • American Farmland Trust Shares Soil Health Economic Calculator with Customized Almond Version

    Today, American Farmland Trust, the organization that for 40 years has been saving the land that sustains us and advancing the principles of regenerative agriculture shares an updated AFT’s Retrospective Soil Health Economic Calculator (R-SHEC) Tool, providing farmers and the conservation community a means of evaluating the return on investment (ROI) of soil health conservation practices with 2020 price and crop data. The previous version of the tool used 2019 information. This updated pricing allows farmers to obtain a more accurate picture of the costs and benefits of their investments in soil health.

    Impacts of climate change on agriculture and the need for farms to become more resilient to extreme weather are more obvious than ever before. In addition, society is asking farmers to improve environmental outcomes of agriculture, including impacts to water quality and wildlife habitat and to sequester carbon in their soils to mitigate climate change.  Soil health practices like cover crops, no-till, nutrient management and conservation crop rotation can help address these challenges. However, despite farmers’ belief in the science underpinning the practices, they are often reluctant to change management techniques without knowing how much the practices will cost and what the financial benefits will be.

    The R-SHEC Tool is part of a comprehensive set of resources available online and free of charge from AFT on the Soil Health Case Study Methods and Took Kit webpage. The methods, tools and training resources provided are those used by AFT in developing case studies featuring soil health successful farmers in its Quantifying the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Soil Health project funded by a USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grant. The Tool Kit materials have all been updated for this re-release. The R-SHEC Tool allows evaluation of soil health practices adopted by row crop farmers (corn, soybeans, wheat and hay) for more than four years and within the last 15 years. The tool presents the net economic benefits in a partial budget analysis table and includes an estimate of the ROI in the soil health practices.

    In addition to updating price and cost data in the tool, AFT is releasing a customized almond version to estimate the economic effects of almond-specific soil health practices such as conservation cover, nutrient management, mulching and compost application. AFT believes the Almond R-SHEC Tool is very relevant at this time given the water struggles in California, a key almond producing region and almonds being a high-water use crop.  In 2018, AFT worked with Almond Farmers Tom and Dan Rogers and found they experienced a 25 percent reduction in irrigation water use which they attribute to the increased water holding capacity from the soil health practices used on their farm.

    The next phase of this work, a Predictive Soil Health Economic Calculator (P-SHEC) Tool will enable conservationists to partner with farmers who are “on the fence” about soil health practices to estimate the potential short and long-term economic effects of an investment in practices, hopefully giving the farmers the information they need. This tool will be previewed at the Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference to be held virtually on July 26-28, 2021. Interested parties should sign up for Workshop 2 to learn about P-SHEC. The tool will not be released publicly until the fall.

    “AFT encourages our fellow conservationists to use this suite of resources and the new R-SHEC Tools released today to produce their own case studies demonstrating the economic and environmental benefits of soil health,” said Michelle Perez, AFT Water Director. “Our hope is that farmers who have been considering adopting soil health practices will find the economic evidence quantified for a farmer in their area sufficiently compelling to get them to ‘say yes’ to trying soil health practices themselves.”

    American Farmland Trust is the only national organization that takes a holistic approach to agriculture, focusing on the land itself, the agricultural practices used on that land, and the farmers and ranchers who do the work. AFT launched the conservation agriculture movement and continues to raise public awareness through our No Farms, No Food message. Since our founding in 1980, AFT has helped permanently protect over 6.8 million acres of agricultural lands, advanced environmentally-sound farming practices on millions of additional acres and supported thousands of farm families.