California Ag Network

Category: Nut Industry

  • California Walnuts Bright Spots During COVID-19

    California Walnut Board — Although it has been a challenging time in many ways since COVID-19 began, we want to draw your attention to some “bright spots” for California Walnuts. Over the last few months, we’ve seen significant growth in trends in baking, snacking, simple meals, and interest in plant-based eating. Walnuts are increasingly being recognized by consumers as one of the most versatile “pantry” staples, having stocked up on them during the initial weeks of COVID-19 especially. Nationwide stay-at-home orders have allowed more time for experimentation in the kitchen. Consumers are indulging, but also being mindful of nutrition and their consumption of nutritious, immune-boosting foods, and walnuts are well positioned to provide both.

    We have been monitoring the evolving landscape from a marketing perspective, and continue to pivot to ensure we are leaning into appropriate trends. Consumers have been searching for keywords such as “food”, “recipes”, and “simple cookie recipes” at higher-than-normal rates. With digital partner Allrecipes, recipes using walnuts as an ingredient grew to an all-time record in April, up by 169% compared to April 2019, even beating historic numbers typically seen around the Thanksgiving holiday season.

    Consumers also engaged at historic levels with promoted Baking, Meal Prep, and Kid Friendly recipes, our “How To” content series, and blog content, resulting in increases in website traffic, with users up by 40%, sessions up by 34% and pageviews up by 18% since this time last year. This performance confirms the shift in consumer online behavior due to COVID-19, and validates that our content is resonating in a very meaningful way.

    Leaning into On-trend Baking Inspiration

    With consumers spending more time at home, baking has made a resurgence as a way to pass time, and as a source of comfort. In turn, we highlighted some of the trending baked goods by featuring our own recipes, including homemade sourdough bread and banana bread.

    On walnuts.org, we curated a special recipe collection inspired by this nostalgia to include our top banana bread and baking inspired recipes, called “Bananas, Bread, and More” and promoted it on our home page and native advertising channels.

    Resharing Famous Recipes for Consumers to Make at Home

    Companies such as The DoubleTree Hilton have been sharing their beloved recipes for fans to make at home. We shared their famous DoubleTree Cookie recipe which includes walnuts, on California Walnut social media channels

    Blog Content Repurposed for Native Channels and Instagram Stories

    At the end of March, we went into the archives of our past blogs to reshare articles that we felt would make the lives of our audience easier right now. This included articles such as Meal Prep Ideas and How To Start Your Own Herb Garden. These articles were promoted on digital and social channels. Most notably, we utilized our newly-earned swipe up feature on Instagram to drive directly to our website.

    Major Media Hits featuring California Walnuts

    In the past few months, walnuts have been mentioned in a number of stories and recipes by major media outlets. This included Wendy Bazilian’s virtual appearance on Live with Kelly & Ryan where she discussed how to properly store walnuts. Walnuts were also mentioned in People Magazine’s article featuring Cat Cora’s favorite parfait recipe. This particular recipe was shared with the intent of providing a treat option for consumers to make without having to visit a grocery store.

    All of this buzz on social media resulted in an increase in impressions by 55.5%, audience growth by 3%, and engagements by 2.7% since March 15. From a public relations perspective, the stay-at-home mandates also provided an opportunity for the team to connect with many of our regular media contacts on a more personal level, by checking in and sending walnut samples to them at their homes.

    Food Professionals

    The Foodservice community is keeping the innovation pipeline alive during this time, from new menu ideas to improved take-out and delivery platforms, along with product development in the plant-based, nutrient dense space. Walnuts have a prime opportunity, as consumer interest in plant-based eating increases, and we see new issues with the meat supply chain. California Walnuts was recently featured in FSR Magazine with a strong plant-based center-of-the-plate message.

    In the Food Manufacturing space, the evolution toward healthful indulgence has rapidly advanced since the onset of COVID-19 as more consumers seek products that are indulgent, but made with whole ingredients. To take advantage of the banana bread trend, we recently published an article called Classic Pairing of Bananas, Walnuts Thrives Through Evolution in which we highlighted the trend and all of the interesting products being made with walnuts and bananas.

    Although new product launches have slowed for now, we anticipate a wave of innovation to occur later this year, with walnuts playing a key role in many of these products. We especially see potential in the growing number of consumers who are turning to plant-based foods due to nutritional preferences and shortages in the meat supply. Ready and primed to capture food manufacturers who are interested in including walnuts in their future products, this month we published a white paper 5 Reasons Food & Beverage Manufacturers Should Use California Walnuts.

    To put it simply, California walnuts are innovating and evolving to a new norm, while setting the tone for a more impactful food future with sustainability, menu efficiencies, and food safety measures in mind.

  • Houston Wilson Named Presidential Director for the Clif Bar Endowed Organic Agriculture Institute

    Houston Wilson has been named the Presidential Director for the University of California’s Organic Agriculture Institute, which was established in January 2020 with a $500,000 endowment by Clif Bar and a matching $500,000 endowment from UC President Janet Napolitano.

    Wilson, a UC Riverside agricultural entomologist based at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, joined UC ANR as assistant Cooperative Extension specialist in 2017. He will launch the institute and chart a path for future growth while also focusing on immediate priorities such as a survey of organic production in California, multiple outreach and training opportunities for growers, publication of organic production guidelines, and developing research programs. Wilson’s long-term goal is to continue to grow the endowment and position the organization to successfully support the state’s growing organic farming economy.

    “Organic growers in California face an array of interconnected agronomic, economic and regulatory challenges,” said Wilson. “Tackling these issues simultaneously requires a multidisciplinary approach to develop solutions that work in all scales of production. The economic opportunities are there, and we want to help position California growers to reap these benefits, and in doing so increase the supply of affordable organic food for consumers.”

    Since 2007, Wilson has conducted research and extension in orchard and vineyard systems with a focus on integrated pest management strategies, many of which are readily applicable to organic agriculture. Key studies have included evaluating the use of mating disruption to control navel orangeworm in fig production, cover crops to increase biological control of vineyard leafhoppers, pheromone lures to improve monitoring of leaffooted bug in almonds, and more.

    “We are excited about Houston’s vision for establishing and growing California’s first organic institute,” said Glenda Humiston, UC vice president for agriculture and natural resources (UC ANR). “Continued research advancements will be critical to the future of organic farming in our state as well as the health of our environment.”

    “Clif Bar is thrilled to see Houston’s appointment. We’ve heard from orchardists in our supply chain who have worked with him in the past and are excited that he’ll have more resources to help serve the needs of organic producers,” said Matthew Dillon, senior director of agriculture for Clif Bar. “We look forward to working with Houston, UC ANR, and the organic agriculture community to continue to improve the sustainability and economic resiliency of California farmers.”

    Wilson earned his doctoral degree in environmental science, policy and management and also holds a bachelor’s degree in international area studies, both from UC Berkeley.

    About UC ANR

    UC Agriculture and Natural Resources brings the power of UC to all 58 California counties. Through research and Cooperative Extension in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition, economic and youth development, our mission is to improve the lives of all Californians. Learn more at ucanr.edu.

    About Clif Bar & Company

    Clif Bar & Company is a leading maker of nutritious and organic foods and drinks, including CLIF® Bar energy bar, LUNA®, The Whole Nutrition Bar for Women®; and CLIF Kid®, Nourishing Kids in Motion®. Focused on sports nutrition and snacks for adventure, the family and employee-owned company is committed to sustaining its people, brands, business, community and planet. For more information on Clif Bar & Company, please visit www.clifbar.com, check out our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/clifbar and follow us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/clifbar.

    — By Pamela Kan-Rice, UC Cooperative Extension

  • CA Nut Industry Funds Four New UC Cooperative Extension Research Positions

    Four staff research associates will join the ranks of UC Cooperative Extension scientists in the coming months to support nut crop advisors conducting critical research in walnut, almond and pistachio production.

    The California Walnut Board, the Almond Board of California and the California Pistachio Research Board together have provided about $425,000 to cover annual salaries, benefits, travel and equipment for the new UC Cooperative Extension staff. Under the terms of the agreement, the new positions will be funded annually for up to three years, pending available funds and success of the program.

    “By supporting these new positions in UC Cooperative Extension, the California Walnut Board, the Almond Board of California and the California Pistachio Research Board show their recognition for the value of applied research conducted by our nut crop advisors,” said UC Agriculture and Natural Resources vice president Glenda Humiston. “We are grateful to these industry organizations for this vote of confidence and the generous funding to generate science-based knowledge to apply on California farms.”

    The new research associates will each devote time supporting two advisors with tree nut assignments:

    • Allan Fulton and Luke Milliron, serving Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties
    • Katherine Jarvis-Shean and Franz Niederholzer, serving Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, Sutter, Yolo counties
    • Mae Culumber and Phoebe Gordon, serving Fresno, Madera and Merced counties
    • Elizabeth Fichtner and an advisor under recruitment, serving Tulare and Kings counties

    The arrangement reflects a change in how UC Cooperative Extension supports the agriculture industries in California with applied research. With less funding from its traditional revenue sources – USDA, the state government and counties – advisors cover more territory than in the past. Over the years, they have also taken on an increasing share of UC’s applied research mission serving the state’s specialty crops industries.

    The new staff research associate positions were crafted to attract highly qualified candidates who will support advisors’ applied research efforts. Their primary focus will be on assisting advisors with planning, execution and gathering data on experimental and demonstration field trials.

    UCCE advisor emeritus Joe Grant, who now serves as production research director of the California Walnut Board, chaired an industry working group that drafted the plan based on advisors’ input about their needs.

    “Advisors are competent and creative people with the skills and knowledge to do research. They need the same support that researchers on campus have,” Grant said.

    The California Pistachio Research Board previously provided funding for a plant pathology researcher and an integrated pest management advisor at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Parlier. In addition, the board supported creation of $1 million endowments for a nut genetics researcher and a tree nut soil science and plant-water relations researcher as part of an initiative co-funded by UC President Janet Napolitano.

    “We’ve been concerned for a long time about UC Cooperative Extension’s research capacity and infrastructure issues,” said Bob Klein, manager of the California Pistachio Research Board. “This new initiative will increase efficiency and productivity for farm advisors and also reduce their stress from being overcommitted.”

    Josette Lewis, the Almond Board chief scientific officer, said the organization depends on UCCE farm advisors for unbiased, quality information about almond production.

    “Advisors are a valuable link between UC campuses and growers, not only in doing applied research that helps growers thrive, but in meeting California’s goals of environmental and social sustainability,” Lewis said. “The information they generate is shared with a host of ag industry professionals – pest control advisers, crop consultants and people in the private sector who provide services to growers.”

    Commodity industry funding for UC Cooperative Extension reflects the value the nut crop industries leverage from one of the strongest agricultural research and extension systems in the world, Lewis said.

    The new program is modeled after a pilot project in Colusa County in which the Almond Board provided funding for Niederholzer to hire an intern to support almond research. A young scientist who held the post from 2015-16 was Milliron. In 2017, UC Cooperative Extension named Milliron a sustainable orchard systems advisor for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties and he will now supervise one of the new staff research associates.

    “We had a chance to keep him in the system and capitalize on what he learned during his internship,” Lewis said.

    There are other tree nut and fruit advisors in need of research help, Grant said. For example, there are concentrations of tree fruit and nut acreage and growers in Kern, San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

    “We positioned these four research associates where we heard the need for help was most critical. We can see adding another position or two in the future if funds are available,” Grant said. — By Jeannette E. Warnert, UC Cooperative Extension

    Pistachios growing at the UC Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

  • APG Marketing in India Key with Growth of Pistachio Production

    As pistachio growers anticipate tremendous growth in production over the next several years, American Pistachio Growers continue to invest in new markets across the world. Watch this brief interview with Judy Hirigoyen from APG to learn more, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. Don’t currently receive the magazine? Subscribe for free at: https://malcolmmedia.com/pacific-nut-producer-magazine-subscriptions/

  • Pistachio Importer Offers Insights on how to Better Reach the Indian Market

    With special funding from USDA, American Pistachio Growers is in the midst of a new robust marketing campaign in India.  Watch this brief interview with pistachio importer Ritesh Bajaj as he offers his insights on how to market more pistachios in India.

  • Almond Board of California 2020 Election Results

    The Almond Board of California has released election results for the Board of Directors positions whose terms of office will run from August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021. The names of the following nominees have been submitted to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture for selection:

    Independent Grower:

    Member Position One (one-year term):          

    Paul Ewing, Los Banos

    Alternate Position One:

    Joe Gardiner, Earlimart                                 

    Independent Handler:

    Member Position One (three-year term):

    Alexi Rodriguez, Caruthers

    Alternate Position One:

    Ron Fisher, Modesto

    Member Position Three (one-year term):           

    Darren Rigg, Le Grand            

    Alternate Position Two:

    Chad DeRose, McFarland

    Cooperative Grower:

    Member Position One (three-year term):

    George Goshgarian Jr., Fowler

    Alternate Position One:

    Christine Gemperle, Ceres

    Cooperative Handler:

    Member Position Two (three-year term):

    Bill Morecraft, Sacramento

    Alternate Position Two:

    Alicia Rockwell, Sacramento

    ABOUT THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA

    Almonds from California are a healthy, natural, wholesome and quality food. The Almond Board of California promotes almonds with a research-based approach to responsible farming, production and marketing on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of whom have third- and fourth-generation family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit Almonds.com or check out California Almonds on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

  • California Walnut Acreage Continues to Grow

    According to the USDA’s 2019 Walnut Acreage Report, California’s walnut acreage is estimated at 415,000 acres, up 3.8 percent from 2017. Of the total acreage, 365,000 were bearing and 50,000 were non-bearing. Of the walnut acreage reported, Chandler continues as the leading variety with 133,609 bearing acres. Tulare overtook Hartley for second place with 29,331 bearing acres. San Joaquin County shows the largest acreage with 14 percent of the total, followed by Butte with 13 percent and Tulare with 10 percent each.

    OBJECTIVES

    The Pacific Regional Office of the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) conducts an acreage survey of California walnut growers. The purpose of this survey is to provide walnut acreage information on new plantings and removals. It is a continuation of a long series of industry-funded walnut acreage surveys.

    This report consists of two parts:

    Estimated walnut acreage — bearing, non-bearing, and total.

    Detailed data by variety, year planted, and county – as voluntarily reported by walnut growers and maintained in the NASS database. 

    With perfect information, the estimated walnut acreage and the detailed data would be the same. However, differences exist for the following reasons:

    A voluntary survey of approximately 4,900 walnut growers is unlikely to ever attain 100 percent completeness.

    It is difficult for USDA, NASS to detect growers that are planting walnuts for the first time.

    The detailed data reflects tree removals from over 15,000 acres during the past two years. Of this number, some acreage was harvested in 2019 prior to being pulled out, and that acreage has already been removed from the detailed data.

    PROCEDURES

    The major source of the walnut detailed data was a questionnaire mailed to all walnut growers included in the NASS database. The mailing was made to approximately 4,900 walnut growers in early November. The questionnaire contained previously reported crop, variety, and acreage information preprinted. Producers were asked to update the information with new plantings, removals, and any other corrections; new growers were mailed a blank questionnaire. Producers were given six weeks to respond by mail. A telephone follow-up was then undertaken.

    To arrive at the estimated walnut acreage, the NASS walnut acreage database was compared with pesticide application data maintained by County Agricultural Commissioners and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation. In addition, NASS looked at data collected on the Walnut Nursery Sales Survey.

    ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

    The USDA, NASS, Pacific Regional Office sincerely appreciates the many farm operators, owners, and management firms for providing the information. A special thanks goes to the California Walnut Board for providing funding and support of this special acreage update survey.

  • What Pistachio Growers can do Right Now to Control Gill’s Mealybug


    Gill’s Mealybug was an unusually difficult problem for many pistachio growers last year. Watch this brief interview with David Haviland to learn what growers can do right now to get these pests under control and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • USDA-NASS Predicts Third Straight Record-Breaking Almond Crop

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) is predicting a record California almond crop for the third straight year. The USDA-NASS 2020 California Almond Subjective Forecast estimates California almond orchards will produce 3.0 billion pounds of nuts this year, up 17.6 percent from last year’s 2.55 billion-pound crop. Forecasted yield is expected to reach 2,380 pounds per acre, 10.2 percent greater than the 2019 yield of 2,160 peracre.

    This forecast comes about three weeks after USDA-NASS released the 2019 California Almond Acreage Report, which estimated total almond acreage for 2019 up 10 percent from 2018 at 1.53 million acres. Bearing acres – orchards mature enough to produce a crop – were reported at 1.18 million acres, up 8 percent from the previous year. USDA-NASS also estimated preliminary bearing acreage for 2020 at 1.26 million acres.

    “Almond acreage and production continue to increase as California almond growers further invest in precision agriculture and responsible best practices,” said Almond Board of California (ABC) President and CEO Richard Waycott. “Through the industry’s advancements in water use efficiency to environmentally friendly pest management, zero waste efforts in the orchard and beyond, almond growers are committed to achieving our Almond Orchard 2025 Goals and the realization of the California almond orchard of the future.”

    The first of two production reports for the upcoming crop year, the Subjective Forecast is based on opinions obtained from randomly selected almond growers located throughout the state via a phone survey, this year conducted from April 20 to May 6. USDA-NASS asks individual growers to indicate their total almond yield per acre from last year and expected yield for the current year based on field observations. The sample of growers interviewed is grouped by size of operation, and different individuals are interviewed each year to ensure grower representation throughout the Central Valley. USDA-NASS then combines the yield estimates obtained from each grower and extrapolates the information to arrive at the numbers reported in the Subjective Forecast.

    This July, USDA-NASS will release its second production estimate, the 2020 California Almond Objective Report. While the Subjective Forecast provides an initial estimate of the 2020/2021 crop, the Objective Report will provide an estimate based on actual almond counts that uses a more statistically rigorous methodology to determine yield. In Dec. 2019, ABC’s Board of Directors approved a strategic approach to further improve the accuracy of USDA-NASS’s reporting. From 2020 on, the Objective Report will include measurements from 1,000 target orchards throughout the state (an increase of 150 samples from 2019) and provide nut counts on not one but two branches per tree. The Objective Report will also provide the weight, size and grade of the average almond sample broken down by growing region – no longer growing district – and variety.

    The 2020 California Almond Objective Report will be released on Tuesday, July 7, at 12:00 p.m. PT. USDA-NASS conducts the Objective Report, the Subjective Forecast and the Acreage Report to provide the California almond industry with the data needed to make informed business decisions, and thanks all farm operators, owners and management entities for their time in providing the information necessary to create these reports. — Article & Photo Courtesy of Almond Board of California

  • Blue Diamond Celebrates 110-Year Anniversary with Key Expansions

    Blue Diamond Growers, a nonprofit grower-owned cooperative and the world’s leading processor and marketer of almonds, marked its 110-year anniversary today with announcements about the completion of two key infrastructure expansions.

    The company also was recently recognized by Boston Consulting Group & IRI as one of the Top 10 Fastest Growing Mid-Size CPGs for the fourth consecutive year.

    As part of Blue Diamond’s long-range strategic vision, two major expansions at the co-op’s facilities in the heart of California’s Central Valley almond growing region, have been completed or are nearing completion this month. Groundbreaking ceremonies for both projects were held last year. The first expansion is a 52,000 square foot addition to the existing 200,000 square foot Turlock manufacturing plant that first opened in 2013 and sits on 88 acres. In 2014, Food Engineering Magazine recognized the Turlock facility as Plant of the Year for innovation, manufacturing excellence and sustainable operations. Construction completed on the new building last week expands Blue Diamond’s value-added almond processing capabilities with an automated factory that features state-of-the art handling, processing and packaging equipment. This expansion also provides space for a future manufacturing line to support current business or new innovations.


    Newly expanded Turlock facility

    The second expansion is the new Bulk 8 Warehouse at the Salida facility that originally opened as an almond receiving station in 1969. Today the 675,000 square foot facility sits on 44 acres and includes a retail Nut & Gift Shop. The new 58,000 square foot bulk storage facility is on schedule to be completed by the end of May providing an additional 50 million pounds of in-house bulk almond storage capacity in time to receive the 2020 almond harvest. The 65-foot-tall building includes advanced design with an automated gravity fed spiral conveyance system that improves grower delivery efficiency and reduces damage to the almonds.


    New Bulk 8 warehouse in Salida

    “It is particularly meaningful for Blue Diamond to be able to commemorate our Founders Day today by not only recognizing our humble beginnings 110 years ago, but also celebrating two key growth milestones that help secure our future,” said Mark Jansen, President and CEO for Blue Diamond Growers. “I couldn’t be more proud that, despite the unprecedented challenges businesses around the world have faced over the past two months, our incredible team has been able to sustain operations as an essential food supplier, while completing these critical expansion projects ahead of schedule to meet customer needs.“

    “When we opened each of Blue Diamond’s three main facilities, we made a commitment to invest in our infrastructure, in our workforce, and in the individual communities where our employees and almond growers live and work. Throughout the year, we support local nonprofits through our community grants, sponsorships, employee volunteerism and product donations. During yesterday’s global Giving Tuesday Now effort I’m thrilled to report that Blue Diamond, along with partners Union Pacific and Sun-Maid Growers of California, committed to a donation match of $50,000 to help support three food banks in northern and central California that are struggling to meet significant demand from local families in need.” 

    Blue Diamond Growers was founded by a handful of California almond growers on May 6, 1910.  Originally known as the California Almond Growers Exchange, the grower-owned cooperative quickly grew into the world leader in growing, processing and marketing almonds and almond ingredients. In 1914, the Exchange opened a new receiving and packaging plant in Sacramento, California, that eventually became the largest almond processing plant in the world. Today, the Sacramento plant sits on 90 acres, covering 33 city blocks and serves at the cooperative’s headquarters. In 1915, the co-op adopted the symbol of a blue diamond – the finest grade of diamond in the world – to signify its commitment to quality and in 1980, the cooperative’s name was officially changed to Blue Diamond Growers.

    California produces 80% of the world’s almond supply and almonds are the state’s largest food export item. Blue Diamond Growers’ 3,000 members account for roughly half of the state’s almond producers.