California Ag Network

Tag: The Almond Board of California

  • Almond Board of Directors Election Around the Corner

    The Almond Board of California is gearing up for the 2022 Board of Directors Election. While formal election announcements will be distributed next month, the Almond Board wanted to provide an update on open positions for this year’s election. This year, there are four open positions: two independent grower positions, one independent handler position and one cooperative handler position. Along with these four positions are also four corresponding alternate positions open for the election. (To note: Only independent positions are part of the general election, as the cooperative selects its own representatives.)

    The Board of Directors guide the work of the almond industry’s federal marketing order (the Almond Board) and has led the California industry in the adoption of innovative research programs, expanding demand-building initiatives ahead of increasing supply, and leading through challenges to the industry’s reputation. Representing over 7,600 growers and approximately 100 handlers across the state, the Almond Board is responsible for establishing policy, recommending budgets and programs to the Secretary of Agriculture for approval, and reviewing program results and effectiveness.

    Currently, nearly 200 active almond industry members volunteer to serve on ABC’s Board, Board-appointed committees, subcommittees and working groups. Getting involved provides an opportunity to help shape future successes, ensuring consumers and stakeholders support the industry’s vision that California almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow.

    If you are interested in learning more about running for a position on the Board of Directors, please contact ABC’s Toni Arellano at tarellano@almondboard.com. — Almond Board of California

  • Almond Board of CA 2021 Election Results

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) has released election results for the Board of Directors positions whose terms of office begin August 1, 2021. As a governing body for the industry, the ABC Board of Directors is comprised of five handler and five grower representatives who set policy and recommend budgets in several major areas, including production research, public relations and advertising, nutrition research, statistical reporting, quality control and food safety. 

    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:                                         

    Brandon Rebiero, Modesto

    Member Position Three (three-year term):                

    Joe Gardiner, Earlimart

    Alternate Position Three:                                           

    Chris Bettencourt, Westley     

    Independent Handler

    Member Position Two (three-year term):                   

    Bob Silveira, Williams 

    Alternate Position Two:                                              

    Dexter Long, Ballico                           

    Member Position Three (one-year term):                  

    Darren Rigg, Le Grand 

    Alternate Position Three:                                            

    Chad DeRose, McFarland      

    Cooperative Grower

    Member Position Two (three-year term):                  

    Christine Gemperle, Ceres     

    Alternate Position Two:                                              

    Kent Stenderup, Bakersfield  

    In addition, Lisa Giannini, Hickman, has been named to fill the Cooperative Grower Alternate Position One role.

  • 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.

  • Almond Board Fueling Farm of the Future with $5.9 Million Research Investment

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) today announced an investment of $5.9 million dollars in 85 independent research projects exploring next-generation farming practices. With this commitment, the California almond community has invested $89 million in research since 1973 to build a foundation of knowledge on responsible farming practices, food quality and safety and almonds’ impact on human health.

    A tangible example of the almond community’s commitment to continuous improvement, the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals, launched in January 2019, will leverage this research as farmers strive to meet measurable objectives with the goal of growing almonds in better, safer and healthier ways. The Almond Orchard 2025 Goals Roadmap, released today, outlines the almond community’s sustainability journey in four goal areas, as well as the metrics that the industry’s progress will be measured against.

    “The California almond community takes a long-term view of success based on respect for the land and local communities. Earlier this year, the California almond community set four ambitious goals aligning with our vision to make life better by what we grow and how we grow,” says Holly King, chair of the Almond Board of California. “The Almond Orchard 2025 Goals build on decades of progress, fueled by research. Fulfilling these commitments will require hard work, dedication and resources, including funding independent research to test new technologies and sharing the results as these approaches are proven.”

    Further Reducing the Water Used to Grow Almonds  

    Of this year’s projects, ten focus on water with an investment of $678,000. Since 1982, California almond farmers have committed $8.1 million dollars to 221 different water research projects spanning irrigation efficiency, groundwater recharge and water quality. Together this investment has helped reduce the amount of water needed to grow each pound of almonds by 33 percent over the past 20 years.[1] By 2025, the California almond community commits to reducing the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by an additional 20 percent.

    Progress towards this goal is being measured against almond farmers’ annual irrigation water applied per unit of crop yield. While 77 percent of almond farms utilize efficient microirrigation,[2] nearly double the 42 percent average for California farms, further improvements are underway. ABC is working with farmers to support their progress up the Almond Irrigation Improvement Continuum, a roadmap created by irrigation experts that outlines key irrigation management practices and how to achieve increasing levels of precision in each area.

     Achieving Zero Waste by Using Everything the Orchard Grows

    Almonds grow in a shell, protected by a hull, on a tree, and the California almond community ensures that each of these coproducts is put to beneficial use. Since 1977, ABC has funded 79 research projects totaling $3.5 million exploring the best ways to utilize these materials, establishing traditional uses such as dairy feed, livestock bedding, and electricity generation. Thirteen new studies have been funded this year with a commitment of $607,000 dollars to determine how almond coproducts may address needs in other sectors, with promising leads in strengthening recycled plastics, creating biofuel and more. By 2025, the California almond community commits to achieving zero waste in orchards by putting everything grown to optimal use.

    Given that almond coproducts are widely utilized already, progress toward this goal focuses on reducing the industry’s environmental footprint and adding value – economically and environmentally – via three key measures. These include: 1) significant increases in recycling trees into the soil when an orchard is removed, using the trees’ woody biomass to build healthier soils and address climate change via increased carbon sequestration, 2) diversifying applications for hulls and shells beyond current uses in the California dairy industry and 3) the effective elimination of open burning as a means to dispose of woody biomass.

    Additional Opportunities for Innovation

    In addition to water sustainability and coproduct utilization, investing in research has also resulted in significant advancements in the areas of nutrient management, air quality and honey bee health. For example, farmers work closely with beekeepers and follow research-based best practices to ensure the safety of honey bees, essential to pollinating almonds. ABC has funded more research related to honey bee health than any other crop group,[3] with 125 projects funded to date. This year, California almond farmers have added to that investment with five new research projects totaling $336,000.

    “I often think of us as surfers,” said ABC chair, Holly King. “Surfers are strategic about where to catch a wave, and we’ve done that over the years with our research investments, catching the wave that will bring the greatest return. Today’s investment will not only help farmers grow almonds more efficiently, but also ensures we’re solidly riding the wave to a more sustainable farm of the future.”

    ABC research projects are funded through an assessment placed on each pound of almonds grown in California. After review by third-party research advisors and workgroups focused on distinct almond farming topics, projects are selected by a committee of almond farmers and processors based on strategic alignment to industry needs and anticipated impact of the research.

    For more information about ABC’s 46 years of almond farming and environmental research, and to explore how this research supports the California almond community in growing the farm of the future, visit Almonds.com/GrowingGood.

     About the Almond Board of California

    California almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational 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, Pinterest, Instagramand the California Almonds blog.

  • Creating A Safe, Clean Home For Stockpiled Almonds

    Once harvest kicks off, stockpiles of in-hull almonds become a favorite spot for Aspergillus mold as the moisture in almonds, combined with larger swings in air temperature from day to evening, result in elevated moisture levels and create a hospitable environment for the damaging mold to thrive.

    Aspergillus mold produces aflatoxin that causes significant food safety concerns that can put export shipments at risk as there are stringent maximum limits for aflatoxin contamination in key markets. High moisture levels in stockpiles can also lead to black mold on hulls and concealed damage of kernels – a condition in which nuts develop off-color and off-flavors after roasting.

    Proper moisture control before stockpiling, and regular monitoring and adjusting of moisture levels in stockpiled almonds can help to limit the amount of moisture build-up and prevent these issues. Prior to stockpiling, field samples should be taken either before sweeping or in the windrow. Because there can be great variability in the moisture levels of crop that is drying on the ground, growers should sample from areas where the moisture content is likely highest. The highest moisture levels prior to sweeping can typically be found in almonds on the north side of the canopy next to the trunk. For windrows, moisture levels are higher in the bottom layer of almonds. Moisture content for almonds should be below 6% for the in-shell kernel, less than 9% for the total fruit (in-hull almond) and less than 12% moisture content for hulls. If moisture exceeds these recommended levels, growers should hold off on stockpiling and take the crop to a dry area where the nuts can be turned and spread to reduce moisture. Machine drying is also an option.

    Once almonds are ready for stockpiling, the orientation and shape of the stockpile plays an important role in moisture management. Stockpiles should be placed on a firm surface in an area that encourages optimal drainage – either with a raised or sloped bottom. Creating drainage channels can further prevent water or rain from affecting stockpiles. Since condensation and mold growth are typically worse on the north end of a pile, it’s recommended to position the long side of the stockpile on a north-south axis to minimize that effect. Finally, one should ensure that each stockpile has an even, flat top to reduce the number of areas where condensation can build up on the underside of the tarp.

    With stockpiles in place, hullers/shellers should implement proper management practices to keep moisture in check. While covering stockpiles with tarps is important, tarp selection is just as important to keep humidity minimized. White-on-black tarps work best as they minimize temperature fluctuations. Clear tarps allow the greatest temperature fluctuations, but are fine to use on dry, in-hull almonds that are below the moisture threshold. And white tarps fall somewhere in the middle in terms of their ability to minimize temperature fluctuations. When ongoing moisture monitoring indicates that moisture levels are too high, hullers/shellers should open up the tarps during the day to allow moisture to escape and cover again at night.

    Additionally, it’s important to manage trash, dust and other potential contaminants, particularly pests like insects and rodents who can spread bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli. When disease-carrying pests are found they should be treated, as needed, keeping detailed records if fumigants are used.

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) is committed to continued research into best practices around almond storage and processing. You can learn more about stockpile management in ABC’s “Stockpile Management Best Practices” guide. This resource provides valuable information on creating and managing stockpiles in ways that help our industry deliver a safe, high-quality product to the U.S. and around the world.

  • ABC Funds $1 Million in Navel Orangeworm Research

    The Almond Board of California recently approved funding of $1 million dollars of a Navel Orangeworm Sterile Insect Technique research project. This is the single largest production research project ever funded by the Almond Board.

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) has been funding Navel Orangeworm (NOW) research for over twenty years and has made great progress in determining various production practices growers can implement for NOW control, including mating disruption and winter sanitation. While these practices have proven effective, this pest problem is still growing in some regions. Through the funding of this project the Almond Board is ramping up efforts in finding solutions by exploring all possible options for NOW control and providing growers with additional tools to combat this pest. Orange worm research

    “We’ve been funding Navel Orangeworm research since 1973 – that’s nearly half a century of scientific findings focused on one pest and its impacts,” said Richard Waycott, Almond Board of California President and CEO. “Putting $1 million of growers’ dollars towards Navel Orangeworm research demonstrates our seriousness in combating this pest. We want to explore all available options to find effective controls for NOW.”

    The concept around the sterile insect technique (SIT) is simple: Researchers use radiation to sterilize male insects and then release them into the orchard when the first generation of mating occurs. While the physical aspect of mating still takes place, the female is not fertilized, resulting in an unproductive mating process and, overtime, reducing the NOW population.

    However, using SIT to reduce the NOW population in almonds alone would only bring short-term success; controlling NOW requires solutions that work beyond almonds. Even if NOW damage is reduced on an annual basis in almonds, the pest will still be flying to other crops, such as pistachios and walnuts, and replenishing its population there. Therefore, the Almond Board’s big-picture approach to NOW control involves a collaborative effort with other nut industries. By working together, each industry will be able to establish new options for pest management that can be applied across the various crops.

    “Together, the California almond industry and other crops will test the viability of  the sterile insect technique to determine how this control method will work across the various commodities,” said Josette Lewis, director of Agricultural Affairs at the Almond Board.

    Federal funds may also be available to support SIT research and the facilities where the sterile insects will be raised prior to being released and tested in almond and pistachio orchards. Almonds growers and other industry members who want to learn about the process to obtain federal funding for this project can contact Elaine Trevino (etrevino@almondalliance.org) at the Almond Alliance for more information.

    “The Almond Board has spent decades researching NOW to better understand how growers can combat this pest and better protect their crop, and through that research we’ve had great findings,” said Lewis. “Still, there’s more work to be done and the Almond Board looks forward to partnering with researchers, the almond industry and the broader ag community in exploring this sterile insect opportunity for NOW control.”

    Those interested to learn more about the SIT project, as well as the almond industry’s research in NOW and its effects, should attend the Almond Board of California’s NOW Summit on June 18 at the Modesto Junior College Agricultural Pavilion. During this event nut growers, PCAs and others involved in California agriculture can gather to learn more about ABC’s current NOW research, what problems remain and what potential solutions lie on the horizon. Speakers and the agenda are still being finalized, but one of the items that will be discussed is the NOW SIT project. Visit Almonds.com/Events for more information about the summit.

    About the Almond Board of California

    California Almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 6,800 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational 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, Pinterest, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.