California Ag Network

Tag: Almond Board of California

  • CA Almond Acreage Continues on the Rise

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) is releasing two California almond industry acreage reports: USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) 2020 California Almond Acreage Report including the 2021 preliminary bearing acreage, and Land IQ’s 2021 Standing Acreage Initial Estimate (bearing acres, only). These reports are being issued side by side to improve industry reporting methods and provide a more robust picture of California’s almond acreage.

    USDA-NASS reports a continued increase in California’s almond acreage in 2020. Bearing acres, or orchards that have matured enough to produce a crop, are estimated at 1.25 million acres, up 5.9 percent from 2019. Total almond acreage, including non-bearing trees, is estimated at 1.6 million, up 5.3 percent from the previous year.  Nonpareil continued to be the leading variety, followed by Monterey, Butte, Carmel, and Padre.

    Land IQ’s initial estimate for total bearing acreage in 2021 – which reflects standing acreage that will be productive during the 2021/2022 harvest – is 1,323,722 acres.  This estimate takes into account both young orchards coming into production and orchards removed or estimated to be removed.

    “California almond bearing and non-bearing acreage continues to increase indicating almond production will also rise in coming years. Demand has consistently been very strong during this crop year with global shipments YTD (August 2020 – March 2021) up 17.7%, as production crossed the 3 billion pound threshold for the first time,” said Richard Waycott, president and CEO of the Almond Board.

    All export regions of the world have reported strong numbers, with shipments to China/Hong Kong up 59% year to date (YTD), South Korea up 45% YTD, India up 51% YTD, and Western Europe up 12% YTD, as compared to a year ago.

    USDA-NASS’s acreage report is the first of three annual reports, including the Subjective Estimate released in May and Objective Report in July. These reports are commissioned by the Almond Board to provide statistical transparency to industry stakeholders around the world.

    Each USDA-NASS California Almond Acreage Report includes estimates on bearing, non-bearing and total acreage, in addition to data organized by variety, year planted and county. A major source of data for this survey is almond growers’ voluntary responses to mailed questionnaires distributed by USDA-NASS, with consecutive telephone and field follow-up. To arrive at the estimated almond acreage, USDA-NASS compares its almond acreage database with the 2017 Census of Agriculture, pesticide application data maintained by County Agricultural Commissioners and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation, in addition to data collected on the 2020 Almond Nursery Sales Report, which this year USDA-NASS released in conjunction with the California Almond Acreage Report, and Land IQ assessment.

    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 nearly a decade of research, and because Land IQ’s approach does not rely on surveys or extrapolation, it has an accuracy of 98% or greater. Beginning in 2019, ABC began a mapping process with Land IQ in which two acreage estimates will be released annually: the initial estimate of bearing acreage in the spring and the final estimate, with both bearing and non-bearing acreage for the same production year, delivered in the fall. In addition to the acreage estimates, Land IQ will annually produce an estimate of removed acreage.

    This year, Land IQ’s spatial analysis shows that between September 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021, 44,303 acres were removed and estimates that an additional 3,500 acres will be removed from April 1 to August 31, 2021, for a total estimate of 47,803 acres removed.

    Starting in 2020, Land IQ annually provided its initial estimate to USDA-NASS to fine-tune the official California Almond Acreage Report and other forecasts. The USDA-NASS reports and estimates remain the official Almond Board statistics provided for the California almond industry.

    On Wednesday, May 12, 2021, USDA-NASS will release the 2021 Subjective Estimate, which provides an initial forecast of the upcoming crop. Data within the Subjective Estimate is based on opinions obtained from almond growers in a survey sent by USDA-NASS. Almond growers will soon receive the USDA-NASS survey and are encouraged to participate. On Monday, July 12, 2021, USDA-NASS will release the 2021 Objective Report. This report collects data later in the growing season, closer to harvest, and is based on an actual count of nuts on the trees. — Almond Board of California

  • CA Almond Industry Roadshow Coming Soon

    Next month, starting May 4, the Almond Board of California’s Field Outreach and Education team will be embarking on our previously postponed, long-awaited Industry Roadshow! The team is loading up Fritz, the almond van, with 3,000 informational packets featuring the latest ABC resources and traveling to 20 locations throughout the state with the purpose of:

     

    • Handing out new ABC resources, as well as resources that industry members would have picked up at the ABC booth during an in-person Almond Conference
    • Offering industry members an opportunity to meet ABC staff and leadership. We have missed spending time with industry members, and as things begin to normalize we look forward to connecting with the industry, answering their questions, hearing updates from the field, etc.Roadshow Details:The Almond Board of California’s Field Outreach and Education team, in addition to industry and ABC leadership, will kick off the first-ever Industry Roadshow on Tuesday, May 4. The Almond Board team will visit 20 locations (details attached). Industry members are invited to drive up to the location nearest them and look for Fritz,the almond van, as well as the Field Outreach team and ABC/industry leadership. Industry members will have the opportunity to meet the Field Outreach team members who are responsible for providing them with ABC resources, hands-on assistance in the orchard, California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) support, and more. In addition, they will have the opportunity to pick up latest ABC resources, including:
      ·         2020 Research Update
      ·         NEW: Nitrogen Best Management Practices
      NEW: Application Quick Tips – in English and Spanish
      ·         NEW: Whole Orchard Recycling Grower Guide
      ·         NEW: Almond Production Resource Cards: Pests, Water and More!

  • New CA Pollinator Coalition Pledges to Increase Pollinator Habitat on Working Lands

    Spearheaded by the almond industry, a new coalition of agricultural and conservation groups was announced today to encourage more voluntary, grower-friendly efforts to protect the state’s native insect pollinators and managed honeybees.

    The California Pollinator Coalition includes a broad array of more than 20 of the state’s leading agricultural organizations and conservation groups (complete list below). The Coalition will focus on increasing grower participation in projects to provide habitat and forage for pollinators and other beneficial insects across the state’s agricultural landscape.

    “California’s almond industry has a long record of continuing improvement in the area of Integrated Pest Management and protection and stewardship of managed bees,” said Dr. Josette Lewis, Chief Scientific Officer for ABC. “This new coalition helps us expand on our work to benefit California’s many native pollinator species. We’ll also get more results by collaborating within the agriculture and conservation communities on voluntary efforts that benefit both growers and the environment. Improving the health or our ecosystems is not something we can do alone, so we are glad to have many strong allies in this.” 

    “It’s a simple fact that without honey bees, there would be no almonds. The Almond Alliance strongly supports this collaborative effort to increase habitat for pollinators on working lands,” said Alliance Chairman Mike Curry. 

    Convened by Pollinator Partnership, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Almond Board of California, the Coalition’s goal is to increase habitat for pollinators on working lands to benefit biodiversity and food production through on-farm and in-orchard projects, supported by technical guidance, research, and documenting progress toward increasing healthier pollinator habitats.

    “What we are doing in California is acknowledging the urgency to address the critical issue of protecting all pollinators, including native and managed species,” said President and CEO of Pollinator Partnership Laurie Davies Adams. “Agriculture and conservation must work together to achieve this goal.”

    “The outcome will not be a tidy report that sits on a shelf, but rather a metric of acres, projects, and species added to the landscape while agriculture continues to profitably feed the nation,” Adams said.

    Objectives of the Coalition
    Extending the California almond industry’s commitment to protect honeybees during almond pollination, the Coalition plans to address habitat issues on an unprecedented scale for the benefit of the state’s beneficial insects, which include 1,600 species of native bees, managed honeybees, butterflies, beetles, wasps, and more. Populations of many California pollinators are declining and often suffer from the same challenges as California’s agriculture. 

    The Coalition will work together on a variety of fronts to support pollinators: 

    • Preparing grower-friendly guidance to build and maintain pollinator habitat on farms and ranches
    • Conducting research and disseminating relevant science
    • Monitoring outcomes (adoption rates and effectiveness of practices)

    “Collaborative action can mitigate risks to California’s pollinators, and that’s exactly why this coalition has come together,” said Karen Ross, Secretary of California Department of Food and Agriculture. “We need urgent action, yet the first step in the process is building trust that encourages, enables, and enhances the result. The California Pollinator Coalition is a big step forward in a journey of grower and conservation groups voluntarily demonstrating leadership.” 

    “This will not be an easy or quick fix,” Lewis said. “It will require a robust and sustained effort, but we are determined to be part of the solution. Almond growers and many other farmers depend on pollinators to produce a crop and pollinators depend on us to provide safe habitat. Working lands can and should be part of the solution.”

    “Farm Bureau supports voluntary, farmer-friendly efforts to improve habitat for native pollinators, and we have long advocated improved research on pollinator health,” said President of the California Farm Bureau Jamie Johansson. “We will work with the coalition for the benefit of native pollinators and managed bees, and to assure stability for the domestic bee business.”

    Almond Alliance Sponsors AB 391

    In addition to the efforts of the new coalition, the Almond Alliance of California is sponsoring AB 391 California Pollinator Conservation Funding, authored by Assemblymember Carlos Villapudua (D-Stockton). This bill will provide critically needed funding for activities that accelerate the adoption of conservation practices designed to integrate pollinator habitat and forage on working lands.  “California almond farmers know that every almond exists because a honey bee visited an almond blossom,” explained Alliance Chairman Mike Curry. “Honey bees and other pollinators need a varied and nutritious diet. This bill will help growers implement those important conservation practices that benefit honey bees as they forage for pollen and nectar in the orchard. The Almond Alliance is proud to sponsor this bill and looks forward to working with its partners for the bill’s successful passage in the California legislature.”

    Assembly member Villapuda noted the importance of protecting pollinators. “Pollinators are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food,” he explained. “They also sustain our ecosystems and produce our natural resources by helping plants reproduce. Working lands offer an opportunity to expand habitat and forage for pollinators which will help sequester carbon and contribute to climate risk reduction. To further engage growers in delivering solutions that benefit pollinators, state investment is critical for activities that accelerate the adoption of conservation practices that integrate pollinator habitat and forage on working lands.”

    AB 391 will appropriate $5 million dollars to provide funding to a variety of agencies to deliver technical assistance, outreach and grants to incentivize participation in state and federal conservation programs where pollinator habitat and forage is established.

    California Pollinator Coalition Partners

    While just beginning its work, the Coalition is continuing to recruit partners who understand the urgency and share the common goal of supporting both the health of pollinators and agriculture. Current California Pollinator Coalition membership includes: 

    • Agricultural Council of California
    • Almond Alliance of California
    • Almond Board of California
    • California Alfalfa and Forage Association
    • California Association of Pest Control Advisers
    • California Association of Resource Conservation Districts
    • California Cattlemen’s Association
    • California Citrus Mutual
    • California Department of Food and Agriculture
    • California Farm Bureau Federation
    • California State Beekeepers Association
    • California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance
    • Environmental Defense Fund
    • Monarch Joint Venture
    • Monarch Watch
    • Pollinator Partnership
    • Project Apis m.
    • University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources
    • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service of California
    • Western Growers
    • Dr. Neal Williams, University of California, Davis

    About the California Pollinator Coalition 
    The California Pollinator Coalition, convened by Pollinator Partnership, the California Department of Food and Agriculture and the Almond Board of California, is made up of a diverse group of agricultural and conservation organizations with the shared goal of providing enhanced habitat for pollinators. The Coalition and its members have pledged to increase habitat for pollinators on working lands. Additionally, the group plans to promote research and track its progress toward healthy and abundant habitats.

  • Leaffooted Bug Species May be Changing

    Almond Board of California — Insect pest management in almond and pistachio orchards largely focuses on reducing damage from navel orangeworm (NOW). Yet, after navel orangeworm, large bugs such as leaffooted bugs (LFBs) and stinkbugs are considered to be among the most damaging insects.

    Leaffooted bug species of particular concern in the past have included Leptoglossus clypealis, Leptoglossus occidentalis, and Leptoglossus zonatus. Leptoglossus clypealis is occasionally noted to be numerous: In 2013, L. clypealis was a particularly abundant LFB in orchards; however, since that time, L. clypealis seems to be less common than another LFB, L. zonatus.

    Recognizing and understanding the differences between these two LFB is key to effective management.
    L. clypealis is shown on the left and L. zonatus on the right. Photo courtesy of Dr. Joyce.

    L. zonatus is a larger LFB than L. clypealis and has longer mouthparts that allow it to feed on developing fruits longer into the growing season. Prior to 2013, L. zonatusdid not appear regularly in almonds in California, and it was not noted in University of California Integrated Pest Management manuals as being a pest of almonds – while this species was present in California, perhaps it was not particularly numerous. Since 2013, L. zonatus has frequently been observed in almonds during the growing season and at harvest, and now seems to occur more regularly in orchards than L. clypealis. It may be that the larger LFB L. zonatus is displacing L. clypealis.

    From 2014-2016, researchers identified LFB collections in almond and pistachio orchards from Chico to Bakersfield as consisting of two species: L. clypealis and L. zonatus. A 2017 study by Dr. Andrea Joyce, an entomologist at the University of California, Merced, investigated population genetics of these two species and found that L. clypealiscollections have high genetic diversity and many genetic types (haplotypes). This suggests that these L. clypealiscollections from the Central Valley are within this insect’s native range. However, the insect collections of the other species, L. zonatus, consisted of two genetically divergent types, or strains. One L. zonatus strain was widespread, and occurred through the Central Valley from Chico to Bakersfield, and the second genetic type occurred in the central and southern San Joaquin Valley. Work to geographically map out where the two genetic types of L. zonatus occur is ongoing.

    The presence of two strains of L. zonatus is important for insect pest management. It is highly likely that each insect strain is susceptible to different parasitoids, predators and pathogens. Two insect strains can also vary in their response to insecticides, as well as their attraction to pheromone lures.

    Currently, pheromone attractants are being developed for this LFB. It is vital to determine if the same pheromone blend will equally attract the two strains of L. zonatus. Dr. Joyce and colleagues will continue research on the two strains of L. zonatus this year, comparing their biological parameters, examining whether the two strains are cross attracted in lab bioassays, and if they cross mate in the field. The hope is that any pheromones and attractants developed for L. zonatus can be used to manage both strains of this species. A monitoring tool such as a pheromone trap for these insects would be particularly useful in a grower’s IPM toolbox.

    Growers can support researchers in determining the distribution of the two strains by collecting any LFBs they identify or notifying Dr. Joyce when large numbers of LFBs are observed. Growers may email Dr. Andrea Joyce if they sight LFBs or have questions about this pest at      ajoyce2@ucmerced.edu.

    Note: Additional Almond Board-funded research is being conducted by Dr. Jocelyn Millar to identify pheromones and related attractants for the two major LFB pests in California nut crops. These tools could potentially be utilized for monitoring or control of these species.

  • Almond Board of CA Announces 2021 Election

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) Board of Directors election for the 2021-2022 crop year has begun.

    There are two independent grower member positions and two independent grower alternate positions available on the ABC Board of Directors. To be considered for these positions, each candidate must be a grower and must submit a petition signed by at least 15 independent almond growers (verified by ABC). The petition should state the position for which the candidate is being nominated and be filed with Almond Board of California at 1150 9thStreet, Suite 1500, Modesto, California 95354. The filing deadline is April 1, 2021.

    Additionally, two independent handler member positions and two independent handler alternate positions are available. Handlers must declare their candidacy, in writing, to ABC no later than April 1, 2021 to be considered for these positions.  

    A cooperative grower member and alternate nominee will be selected through their cooperative association.                   

    The Almond Board was established in 1950 to administer the Federal Marketing Order for almonds. ABC assures industry compliance with marketing order regulations and is responsible for administering all aspects of the marketing order. It also serves the almond industry in other major areas, including production research, global advertising and public relations, and accumulation, compilation and dissemination of statistical information.  

    The ABC encourages eligible women, minorities, and people with disabilities to consider running for a position on the Board of Directors as it believes this committee should reflect the diversity of the industry it serves. 

    For further information, call Bunnie Ibrahim, senior analyst in Government Affairs, at (209) 343-3228.

  • $12.5M Now Available for Low-Dust Nut Harvester Replacement Program

    Almond Board of California — Starting February 9, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (District) is offering $12.5M total in state and federal funding to Central Valley nut growers through its Low-Dust Nut Harvester Replacement Program. This program aims to improve air quality in the valley by helping growers fund the purchase of harvesting equipment that achieves at least a 40% reduction in particulate matter (PM) emissions or, simply put, harvest dust.

    This program comes roughly three years after the District allocated $2M toward a Low-Dust Nut Harvester Pilot Program, supported by the Almond Board, which allowed for the replacement of 29 older, conventional nut harvesters with new, low-dust harvesters throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Through that program, growers and custom harvesters had the opportunity to provide feedback on the performance of low-dust equipment, feedback that the District said, “has been overwhelmingly positive” and accordingly “interest in the program significantly exceeded available funding.”

    Based on feedback and growing demand for low-dust equipment, the District secured funding to launch the new Low-Dust Nut Harvester Replacement Program, which provides funding to growers via two separate categories:

    • The District received $10M from the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s Targeted Air Shed Grant. These funds may be allocated to nut growers within the entire District basin, which covers seven counties from San Joaquin to Kern.
    • Additionally, the District received $2.5M in funding through the state’s Community Emission Reduction Program for the deployment of low-dust nut harvesting equipment operating within the community of Shafter. This means there is $2.5M allocated specifically for nut growers operating within a seven-mile radius of Shafter, as defined by California Assembly Bill 617.1

    “The California almond industry is driven by family farmers, many who have a vested interest in improving air quality during harvest as they themselves live, work and raise their families in these local communities,” said Jesse Roseman, principal analyst in Environmental and Regulatory Affairs at the Almond Board of California (ABC).

    “This program allows the industry to continue moving the needle toward a future with reduced harvest dust and improved air quality, an objective outlined in the industry’s Almond Orchard 2025 Goals. These goals not only encourage innovation to improve industry practices and ensure profitability, but also to protect our communities and environment by continuing to grow almonds in better, safer, and healthier ways,” said Roseman.

    The following guidelines detail how the District will allocate program funding between the two sources of capital:

    Environmental Protection Agency (federal): $10M

    • Eligible Entities: Growers and customer harvesters in the San Joaquin Valley Air basin.
    • Eligible Equipment for Purchase:
      • Equipment, such as qualified pick-up machines, that achieve a minimum 40% PM2.5 reduction compared to standard equipment, as demonstrated by available peer-reviewed information and/or District-approved methodology
      • Funding available to replace a maximum of five machines
        • Maximum of $150,000 awarded per machine.
    • Funding Available:
      • Funds will cover up to 50% of the cost of eligible equipment.
    • Funding Allocation: Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, based on submittal of complete applications.
    • Old Equipment Disposition: Participants must agree to destroy or render existing old equipment permanently inoperable in accordance with established District criteria.

    Community Emission Reduction Program – Shafter: $2.5M

    Growers and custom harvesters within a seven-mile radius of Shafter are heavily encouraged to apply for equipment replacement funding as the District will cover up to 75% of the cost to purchase each new piece of equipment, and there is no limit on the number of eligible pieces of equipment for which applicants may receive funds.

    • Eligible Entities: Growers and custom harvesters operating within a seven-mile radius of Shafter, as defined by the Shafter AB 617 community boundary.
    • Eligible Equipment for Purchase:
      • Equipment, such as qualified pick-up machines, that achieve a minimum 40% PM2.5 reduction compared to standard equipment, as demonstrated by available peer-reviewed information and/or District-approved methodology.
      • There is NO LIMIT on the number of pieces of equipment for which an applicant may receive funding. In addition, there is NO maximum amount awarded for each individual piece of machinery.
    • Funding Available:
      • Funds will cover up to 75% of the cost of eligible equipment for those operating within a seven-mile radius of Shafter, as defined by the Shafter AB 617 community boundary.
    • Funding Allocation: Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis, based on submittal of complete applications.
    • Old Equipment Disposition: Participants must agree to destroy or render existing old equipment permanently inoperable in accordance with established District criteria.

    To note: Equipment eligible for purchase through the Low-Dust Harvester Pilot Program does qualify for funding through this new program. Off-ground harvesting equipment may also be eligible.

    “This low-dust harvesting program provides a great example of research coming full circle for the California almond industry,” said Roseman. “For over 15 years, the Almond Board has explored opportunities to reduce harvest dust by funding research, producing harvest best management practices for growers and custom harvesters, and gaining a greater understanding of how the industry can contribute to the big picture of improving air quality in the Central Valley.

    “In 2018, the Almond Board supported the District’s Low-Dust Harvester Pilot Program to further help growers and custom harvesters invest in low-dust equipment. Today, with millions of dollars available to the industry, ABC is thrilled to again support the District and the industry as we work together to improve air quality in the Central Valley while simultaneously advancing the use of low-dust harvesting equipment.”

    Those interested in applying for this program should visit the District website for more information. The application will be posted to the website on February 9, so be sure to check the site frequently that day if you wish to submit your application early.

    Growers and custom harvesters should direct all questions to the District’s Supervisor of Strategies & Incentives Aaron Tarango at aaron.tarango@valleyair.org or (559) 230-5873.

    1 The community of Shafter was prioritized by the District and subsequently selected by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) as one of two communities in the San Joaquin Valley to receive clean air resources newly available under California Assembly Bill 617, which requires CARB and air districts to develop and implement measures to improve air quality in disadvantaged communities. One measure identified and prioritized by the Shafter Community Steering Committee was to provide enhanced and dedicated incentive funding for low-dust harvesters operating within the Shafter AB 617 community boundary

  • Almond Ganoderma Butt Rot Spore Survey

    Ganoderma butt rot has been an increasing problem in the almond industry. The disease has been responsible for trees falling over all throughout the Central Valley. Ganoderma butt rot is caused by wood decay fungi that can spread via spores in the air. In order to better focus our management efforts, researchers must conduct a spore survey that will help us determine the times and locations that are at greatest risk of infection and spread by spores.

    The survey will include collecting air samples at almond orchards once a month for 2 years, so it will require long-term cooperation, but will be non-invasive and will not interfere with management practices. Any almond growers interested in volunteering their orchards (any age orchard works) for the research conducted by UC Davis plant pathologists, please contact Daisy Hernandez.

    Thank you all for your time and help.

    Contact:
    Daisy Hernandez, PhD, Student
    David Rizzo Lab,
    UC Davis
    Email: dahe@ucdavis.edu

  • New Almond Board Programs Assist Growers with Pollination


    As almond pollination costs have gone up in recent years, the Almond Board of California has engaged in studies to help growers reduce costs and developed strategic partnerships with other organizations to provide some new services that almond growers should take advantage of.  Watch this brief interview with Josette Lewis from the Almond Board as she explains and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • COVID-19 Impact on the Almond Industry & Future Prospects

    Many have heard initial projections as to how COVID-19 might impact the California almond industry, especially at such a critical time with growers expecting their largest crop ever this year. But how has the market actually been impacted up to this point?  And are evolving consumer habits beneficial to this growing industry?  Watch this brief interview with Emily Fleischmann from the Almond Board of California to find out and read more about it in the coming issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Please thank this video’s sponsor Suterra for their industry support.

  • How to Maximize Groundwater Recharge, Addressed at Upcoming Almond Conference

    Almond Board of California — Ensuring there is enough water from surface and underground supplies to meet all the state’s demands is a complicated and often controversial task. As author Mark Twain famously said, “Whiskey is for drinking. Water is for fighting.”

    Groundwater usage and potential recharge opportunities are huge points of discussion in the California agricultural industry, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley. Approximately 2 million acre-feet more groundwater is pumped in this valley each year than is replenished to provide drinking water for people and nourishment for an enormous variety of annual and perennial crops, including almond trees.

    In 2014, the state passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), setting deadlines for sustainability in many almond-growing regions by 2040. The act mandated the formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) to oversee management and recharge efforts in specific local groundwater basins.

    Recharge is one of the primary methods to replenish groundwater basins on the supply side of the equation, which is why it again will be the focus of a session at The Almond Conference. This session will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. PT. 

    The session will feature three experts on water issues in California:

    • Stacey Sullivan, policy director for Sustainable Conservation. Sullivan will discuss state water policies that affect recharge, such as water rights.
    • Scott Hamilton, a consultant for San Joaquin Valley Water Blueprint. Hamilton will discuss infrastructure and conveyance as part of recharge efforts, including the availability of canals and pipelines to move water as well as who is responsible to pay for said infrastructure.
    • Laura Ramos, program manager at the California Water Institute at California State University, Fresno. Ramos will focus on how recharge efforts – including those undertaken by the ag industry – can improve drinking water supplies, particularly for those in more disadvantaged areas of the San Joaquin Valley.

    Session explores options for recharge

    Recharge is a serious topic for almond growers, many of whom rely on pumping to augment whatever surface water allocations they receive each year.

    According to the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, intentional groundwater recharge efforts could fill about 25% of the gap between current supply and demand for groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley, putting up to 500,000 acre-feet of water back into aquifers each year. Without mitigation, the San Joaquin Valley Blueprint estimates as many as 1 million acres in ag production today could be fallowed in years to come.

    There are several options for growers who want to try groundwater recharge. The simplest method involves using existing flood irrigation systems in the dormant season, when there is excess available water that can percolate down and replenish the aquifer. If a flood irrigation system isn’t available, the soil doesn’t drain well, or other obstacles stand in the way, growers can consider: 

    • installing a groundwater recharge pond on their property outside the orchard,
    • fallowing an area within in the orchard that is best suited for recharge in order to develop a pond (sandy areas are optimal), or 
    • working with a GSA to develop recharge projects elsewhere in one’s basin.

    Jesse Roseman, principal analyst for Environmental and Regulatory Affairs at the Almond Board of California (ABC), will moderate the session. His hope is that the discussion spurs growers to “think through the factors involved in recharge to better understand if this practice is right for their orchards.”

    Though many of SGMA’s potential restrictions on groundwater pumping won’t take effect for many years, the possibility of consecutive years of below-average rainfall and snowfall years always threatens growers’ access to surface water – and puts pressure on aquifers.

    “Some counties have already tightened up on approving new wells,” Roseman said. “If we have below-average rainfall again this year, reservoirs will be drawn down, impacting surface water allocations.”

    Groundwater guide supports grower decisions

    Beyond the session on recharge, the Almond Board of California (ABC) and Sustainable Conservation are collaborating on a Groundwater Recharge Guide that will be published in early 2021 and distributed via an Industry Roadshow. As part of this roadshow, ABC’s Field Outreach and Education team, along with other staff, will travel throughout the growing region of the Central Valley to meet with industry members and distribute content that would have typically been provided at an in-person Almond Conference. Stops along the roadshow will include locations in your area, including coffee shops, Farm Bureau offices and other places that people can safely gather during the pandemic.

    “The document will give growers a starting point to learn about recharge and how it might not only fit into their farming operation, but also help achieve basinwide sustainability,” Roseman said. “Recharge won’t be an option on every farm or even in every basin, but we want to provide guidance based on research, informing growers on what questions to ask before they try it out.”

    Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Dec. 8 at 10 a.m. to attend the session on groundwater recharge, and check out The Almond Conference 2020 webpage for the event’s complete agenda. As a reminder, The Almond Conference 2020 will be held completely virtually.