Brent Holtz, author of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine’s monthly Almond Tasks column, grew up on the farm his grandfather bought in the 1940s, six miles north of Modesto at the time. By the 1970s, the land was on the urban edge of the city, surrounded by houses. Holtz’s family had to farm differently, and they could no longer burn their brush. Holtz was a UC Berkeley plant pathology graduate student in the late ‘80s. “I felt a responsibility to help my family find a solution for ag burning,” he says now.
One idea was to turn clippings, brush and even whole trees into wood chips and recycle them into the soil. Holtz and his father first tried it with garden clippings, grinding prunings into wood chips and watching the rich mulch help their trees. Holtz expanded to a small scientific trial in his own orchard, then to a full-blown commercial trial recycling almond trees into the soil just before replanting a new orchard.
“I have to admit, I was nervous,” Holtz says. He funded some of the work from his own pocket. Over 13 years, he and other researchers examined the data. “We saw increased soil organic matter, we saw increased water holding capacity, we saw less water stress, and ultimately – what growers want to know the most – we saw increased yields with Whole Orchard Recycling.”
The inspiring story of Brent Holtz’s journey to help his family, his industry and his community is the subject of a six-minute documentary produced by the Almond Board of California (ABC) called, “RESILIENCE: The Whole Orchard Recycling Origin Story.”
It’s available on YouTube and shows how the power of an idea can change and benefit an entire industry and even the planet. Whole Orchard Recycling (WOR) eliminates burning and keeps carbon in the ground, a goal that world leaders established as part of the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference agreement.
The goal of the short film is to inspire even more growers to recycle their orchards when replanting and to reassure them that there is a long, thorough history of research and scientific trials proving both the value and the benefits of WOR for them and their communities.
Holtz was the principal investigator on the first WOR project – research conducted by UC Cooperative Extension that was initially funded and supported by ABC and later by the California Department of Food and Agriculture. It identified significant advantages of WOR to the soil, crop yields and air quality.
Thanks to Holtz’s vision and dedication to research, WOR has become a widely-adopted best practice among California almond growers. San Joaquin Air Pollution Control District data shows that since 2018, in the San Joaquin Valley alone, more than 500 growers have recycled 26,000-plus acres and diverted nearly 750,000 tons of wood from being burned.
Holtz is now the UC Cooperative Extension County Director and Farm Advisor for San Joaquin County. He says he hopes his story and his research will inspire more WOR and show growers how researchers and growers are on the same team with the same goals – to help almond growers produce more sustainable, better yields.
“My grandfather would be very proud of the solution that came from his farm and his grandson,” Holtz says in the film. “I owe the growers who believed in me and recycled their orchards a great debt and I thank you very much.”
A Whole Orchard Recycling Grower Guide, a “How To” video featuring Holtz, and much more information can be found at Almonds.com/WOR. — Almond Board of California
Elections for the Almond Board of California (ABC) Board of Directors have kicked off for the 2022-2023 crop year with the call to all candidates to file their petitions or declarations of candidacy by April 1, 2022.
There are two independent grower positions and one independent handler position on the ABC Board of Directors to be decided in voting that starts April 21 and ends May 26. Alternate seats for those spots are also open.
To be considered for an independent grower or alternate seat, candidates must be a grower and must submit a petition signed by at least 15 independent almond growers (as verified by ABC). Independent handler and alternate candidates must declare their intention in writing to ABC.
All petitions and declarations must state the position for which the candidate is running and be filed by mail with ABC at 1150 9th St., Suite 1500, Modesto, CA 95354. The deadline for all filings is April 1. Potential candidates who’d like more information can contact Toni Arellano at tarellano@almondboard.com.
“The ABC Board of Directors is such an important and vital part of our industry,” said ABC president and CEO Richard Waycott. “It guides the work of the Almond Board and is key to overseeing the welfare of the industry and of more than 7,600 growers and 100 handlers.”
The ABC board sets policy and recommends budgets in major areas, including marketing, production research, public relations and advertising, nutrition research, statistical reporting, quality control and food safety.
Getting involved provides an opportunity to help shape the future of the almond industry and to help guide ABC in its mission to promote California almonds to domestic and international audiences through marketing efforts, funding and promoting studies about almonds’ health benefits, and ensuring best-of-class agricultural practices and food safety.
ABC encourages eligible women, minorities and people with disabilities to consider running for a position on the Board of Directors to reflect the diversity of the industry it serves.
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Edward Lynn Brown, owner of an almond orchard near Merced, California, for violations of the federal Clean Water Act that impacted more than two acres of rare vernal pool wetlands . The settlement requires Brown to pay $212,000 in civil penalties and restore and preserve 15 acres of wetland habitat.
On March 14, 2019, EPA inspected the site. Inspectors determined that earth-moving activities by Brown had discharged fill material into waters that flow into the San Joaquin River. This work had been undertaken without obtaining a Clean Water Act Section 404 permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
“Grading and filling wetlands of the San Joaquin River Valley without proper permitting impacts water resources and endangers California’s unique native plants and animals,” said EPA Pacific Southwest Regional Administrator Martha Guzman. “In a time of drought and climate change, it is essential to protect these rare and vital water resources and habitats from destruction.”
Brown’s earth-moving activities from 2016 to 2020 involved building a retention basin and access roads and planting a new almond orchard. The impacts from these activities resulted in the degradation of over two acres of vernal pool wetlands adjacent to Parkinson Creek, a tributary of the San Joaquin River that bisects the ranch. This work violated provisions of a previous 2014 EPA Order, which had required Brown to notify the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of any proposed activity that may impact local water systems.
To mitigate these negative environmental impacts, under this settlement Brown has agreed to develop a plan for removing 1.9 acres of fill material, restoring, and enhancing 2.44 acres, and preserving 12.66 acres within an 81.39-acre area within the orchard.
For more information on enforcement of Clean Water Act Section 309 visit: https://www.epa.gov/cwa-404/clean-water-act-section-309-federal-enforcement-authority.
To view information on the 2014 Clean Water Act enforcement action, visit: https://archive.epa.gov/epapages/newsroom_archive/newsreleases/f7437d2c778475d685257d94006344bc.html.
To view the 2014 public notice, visit: https://19january2017snapshot.epa.gov/www3/region9/enforcement/pubnotices/pubnotice-merced-ranch.html.
To view the proposed settlement, visit: https://www.epa.gov/publicnotices/edward-lynn-brown-merced-ca-proposed-settlement-cwa-section-309g-class-ii
To view the Consent Agreement and Final Order, visit: https://www.epa.gov/ca/cwa-09-2022-0007-edward-lynn-brown-merced-ca-proposed-settlement-cwa-section-309g-class-ii
Learn more about EPA’s Pacific Southwest Region. Connect with us on Facebook and on Twitter.
The Almond Alliance is happy to see the Senate take the next steps in addressing the supply chain crisis, and thank the bill sponsors for their leadership. We continue to work with partners and members of the Senate as this bill moves to address unreasonable ocean carrier practices that are undermining U.S. export competitiveness, and having a direct effect on our farmers, food supply, and communities.
Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and John Thune, R-S.D., on Thursday introduced the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (S. 3580), the Senate response to the House version (H.R. 4996) passed by a wide bipartisan vote (364–60) in December.
Farm groups and other industries have complained bitterly that ships coming to the West Coast from Asia are going back to China and other countries empty to pick up more consumer goods to be sold in the United States, while not picking up the U.S. products that they would normally take to Asian consumers.
A trade association executive said the Senate bill “in some instances, is stronger than the House bill; however, aspects of it remain weaker as well. If passed, it will improve the overall supply chain situation in the future and help to build greater resilience against bottlenecks.”
Both Klobuchar and Thune are members of the Senate Commerce Committee.
In a news release, Klobuchar said the Senate bill “would address these supply chain challenges by making it harder for ocean carriers to arbitrarily turn away goods at ports that are ready to be shipped abroad. It would also give the Federal Maritime Commission, the federal agency responsible for the regulation of oceanborne transportation, greater authority to regulate harmful practices by carriers.”
In her summary of the bill, Klobuchar said it would:
In his summary, Thune said the bill would:
Also joining as original cosponsors of the bill were Sens. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis.; John Hoeven, R-N.D.; Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.; Roger Marshall, R-Kan.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; Jerry Moran, R-Kan.; Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.; Todd Young, R-Ind.; Mark Kelly, D-Ariz.; Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.; Cory Booker, D-N.J.; and Joni Ernst, R-Iowa.
To View Full Press Release, Click Here.
The Almond Board of California (ABC) is proud to announce the Almond Leadership Program class of 2022, a group of 17 exceptional professionals expected to help lead the industry into the future.
This next generation of leaders comes from diverse backgrounds across the full range of the industry, from almond growers and processors to sales representatives, consultants, operations managers, pest control advisors and more. They were chosen from a highly qualified pool of nearly 50 applicants.
The Almond Leadership Program began in 2009 and has graduated more than 200 people, with dozens now serving on ABC workgroups, committees and even the Board of Directors. This 13th class will become immersed in every aspect of the industry, guided by volunteer mentors – many of them graduates of the program – who will help the new class further develop the skills, knowledge and perspective to improve their industry and their communities.
“This program helps mold great people into even greater leaders who continue to guide our industry forward,” said Jenny Nicolau, ABC’s senior manager of Industry Relations and Communications. “The industry is now seeing the enormous benefits from more than a decade of this program, and the 2022 class looks brighter than ever. I am certain that these talented, passionate people will continue to be great assets and advocates for our industry for years to come.”
Leadership class members – while still working at their jobs – will complete specialized trainings on all aspects of the industry, much of it tied to ABC activities in global marketing, production and nutrition research, food safety and more. They’ll also sharpen their communication skills and build lasting relationships with each other, ABC staff and other industry leaders.
“Nothing compares to hands-on experience and I look forward to tangibly learning more about aspects of the almond industry outside of my current reach and knowledge,” said Bethany Couchman, a manager at Eagle’s Rest Ranches in Merced County and a 2022 participant. “I’m grateful that the Almond Board is providing us the opportunity to gain specialized insight and training so we can give back to our communities as better equipped leaders.”
The leadership program will also offer a thorough look at the ways social, economic and environmental issues, and the regulatory climate, impact the industry. In addition, participants will take on a yearlong, self-directed project – possibly diving into a topic that interests them, or introducing an innovative technology or practice to their operation, or exploring a new idea to advance the industry. All will focus on improving the California almond community, and some past projects have led to important breakthroughs for the industry.
Leadership class members kicked off their training with a two-day orientation last week at the ABC offices in Modesto. It included a state of the industry discussion with ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott and one-on-one talks with their mentors.
“The program offers clear insight into the almond industry as a whole and gives first-hand examples of what it means to lead an industry and to give back,” said Chris Gallo, who has been both a participant and mentor. He is now the U.S. Western Region Sales and Marketing Vice President for Yara North America and is mentoring again in 2022. “It’s clear that this program continues to evolve to build leaders who will take the almond industry into the future. It’s truly a family that grows with every class.”
Once again, class members will raise money for California Future Farmers of America (FFA), pledging to raise more than $25,000 in scholarships for high school students interested in pursuing agriculture in college. Through the years, the leadership program has raised more than $200,000 for FFA.
The 2022 Almond Leadership class members are Jaspaul Bains, Bains Ag LLC; John Bodden III, Bayer Crop Science; Kate Capurso, Blue Diamond Growers; Bethany Couchman, Eagle’s Rest Ranches; Michael Coe, Blue Diamond Growers; Brady Colburn, Agri Technovation, Inc.; Ian Darling, Monte Vista Farming Co.; Jarred Greene, Nickel Family Farms dba San Juan Ranching Co.; Thomas Fantozzi, Synagro Technologies; Matt Morelli, Scientific Methods Inc.; Joe Palomino, Axiom Ag; Ken Peelman, Monte Vista Farming Co.; Carson Pettit, RPAC, LLC; Rodney Ratzlaff, Loveland Products Inc./Nutrien Ag Solutions; Arjun Samran, Bapu Farming Co.; Kaisa Spycher, Spycher Farms, Inc.; Blake Wilbur, Koppert Biological Systems.
Bayer Crop Science is the sponsor of the 2022 class.
California Farmland Trust (CFT) is proud to announce the recent permanent protection of 253 acres of almonds in Merced County, owned by The Myers Irrevocable Flying M Ranch Trust.
Established in the 1950s, Flying M Ranch began farming and ranching in the area of Merced, plentiful with rich agricultural soils and riparian areas. As generations of the Myers family have taken over the operation, they have remained focused on their farming roots and ways to be leaders in facing agriculture’s most persistent challenges, including the preservation of vital natural resources.
This 253-acre property placed in an agricultural conservation easement (ACE) with CFT is one of the many conservation easements protecting the working landscapes of Flying M Ranch. Approximately 5,900 acres of grazing land on their farm has been preserved through other conservation organizations, and the Myers are actively pursuing another ACE with CFT.
“The idea of putting a conservation easement on the property was to keep the ranch in a perpetual state, and we like the idea of keeping it continuous,” said Wes Myers, Flying M Ranch Trust co-trustee. “CFT understands farming and ranching, which is why we chose to work with them on this project.”
Funding for this conservation project was provided through the Agricultural Land Mitigation Program (ALMP), which is administered by Department of Conservation (DOC) on behalf of the California High-Speed Rail Authority.
“The growth pressure from the City of Merced and even surrounding communities like Planada, in combination with the Myers desire to be stewards of the land, are all contributing factors that make this farm a quality project for permanent protection,” said Chelsea Slaton, conservation director at CFT. “Given the resources and geographical features of this farm, protecting this property will help sustain long-term production of agricultural commodities for years to come, and we commend the Myers for their stewardship.”
CFT’s portfolio of protected farmland is most prevalent in Merced County and Flying M Ranch adds to these efforts. CFT has now protected 11,669 acres of farmland on 36 farms in Merced County.
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Almond Board of California — Today, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) issued a Section 18 SPECIFIC exemption for the use of Kasumin 2L to control bacterial blast in almonds. The exemption is effective February 1, 2022 through April 15, 2022. In the announcement, DPR advised operations to use the chemical number for kasugamycin (6197) for their “Restricted Material Permit Program.”
The approval applies to the counties of Butte, Colusa, Fresno, Glenn, Madera, Merced, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba.
Growers interested in this application are heavily encouraged to reference the Almond Board of California’s Honey Bee Best Management Practices as well as the Quick Guide for Applicators (in English & Spanish) to ensure pollinator health is maintained. As stated in these practices, growers should only use applications when absolutely necessary and should only make applications in the late afternoon or evening, when bees and pollen are not present.
Please contact your local County Ag Commissioner’s office for further details if interested in using this product. This emergency exemption may also be viewed on the DPR website at http://apps.cdpr.ca.gov/section18.
Visit the California Department of Food and Agriculture website for a full list of County Ag Commissioners’ offices as well as contact information for each.