California Ag Network

Tag: Almond Shells

  • Artefact, ABC Partner to Turn Shells into Bio-Based Materials

    Materials and manufacturing company Artefact and the Almond Board of California announced the launch of California almond shell composite materials for use in consumer and home products, as well as building and vehicle interiors. This partnership aims to support the reshoring of clean manufacturing with U.S. sourced regenerative materials. Demand has been fueled by new design possibilities for product brands and new choices for consumers with unique new products.

    With California producing nearly 80% of the world’s almonds, the state’s almond industry represents one of the nation’s most reliable agricultural supply chains. Artefact’s technology transforms the shells leftover after almond processing into engineered materials. Historically, almond shells have been used for livestock bedding. This new technology offers the almond industry a path to higher value uses while providing manufacturers and consumer brands access alternatives to petroleum‑based plastics.

    “California is a global leader in both agriculture and product innovation. Finding meaningful, environmentally friendly uses for our almond co-products is part of ensuring that nothing in the orchard goes to waste,” said Natalie Henderson, Director of Global Communications at the Almond Board of California. “This work builds on a historic portfolio of almond board research focused on creating value for our industry and the surrounding communities.”

    Establishing the First Pilot Production Facility

    Artefact is also working with growers and processors to locate a pilot production facility in California’s Central Valley. This facility is intended to reduce logistics costs, minimize environmental impact, and embed manufacturing directly within the rural agricultural region.

    Artefact Cofounder and CEO, Ethan Escowitz, comments, “We envision a future where sustainability is not a product compromise, but a catalyst for creativity in product design. A future in which regenerative materials become the new standard that reestablishes manufacturing on U.S. soil with materials grown on U.S. soil. California is the global leader in almonds, both in production volume and processing technology, making California almond shells the ideal material to enable a major shift in this direction.” — Story Contributed by Almond Board of California

  • Black Soldier Fly to Support Almond Industry

    With a growing almond industry and an increasing supply of coproducts, such as hulls and shells, researchers are searching for new and resourceful ways of utilizing the extra material as an asset.  Breaking these coproducts down to a form that may be utilized back in the soil or as a feed supplement has been a challenge in the past; but this may all change with the introduction of a new helpful fly on the block.  Watch this brief interview with Eric Tilton from Hermetia Pro Inc. regarding this Black Soldier Fly, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

     

    Please thank our sponsor Duarte Nursery for their industry support by visiting them at their booth at the following November Events: Tree & Vine Expo, the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo & Blue Diamond Growers Annual Membership Meeting.