Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Category: Featured Post

  • Four Steps for Planting Containerized Almond Trees

    The USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service recently reported a record 1.25 million acres of almonds across California’s landscape, up 5.9% from 2019. More almond orchard continue to be planted as we speak, due in part to the reduce labor needs associated with this crop and a healthy global market for this versatile product.  With increased almond acreage anticipated to be planted this year, we wanted to share this brief interview with Tia Russell from Duarte Nursery who shared and demonstrated for steps for planting containerized almond trees.  Watch this video and read more about growing almonds in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine. Don’t currently receive the publication? Subscribe for free today at PacificNutProducer.com.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Report Shows Significant Economic Impact of Pistachios

    The western pistachio industry has a much bigger impact on the nation and world than people may realize.  In addition to providing a healthy and nutritious snack to consumers across the world, the US Pistachio industry has a significant impact on the economy as well, as recently measured in a study by economist Dennis Tootelian.  Watch this brief interview as he shares the results of his study, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • High Density Planting of Hazelnuts: Considerations and Precautions

    High or double-density planting is becoming more common in the Pacific Northwest hazelnut industry, but there are some important things to know when considering this practice. Watch this brief interview with hazelnut grower and nurseryman Rich Birkemeier as he briefly provides some considerations and precautions in adopting this practice.  Read more about growing hazelnuts in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • USDA Announces New & Expanded Pandemic Assistance for Farmers

    Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that USDA is establishing new programs and efforts to bring financial assistance to farmers, ranchers and producers who felt the impact of COVID-19 market disruptions. The new initiative—USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers—will reach a broader set of producers than in previous COVID-19 aid programs. USDA is dedicating at least $6 billion toward the new programs. The Department will also develop rules for new programs that will put a greater emphasis on outreach to small and socially disadvantaged producers, specialty crop and organic producers, timber harvesters, as well as provide support for the food supply chain and producers of renewable fuel, among others. Existing programs like the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) will fall within the new initiative and, where statutory authority allows, will be refined to better address the needs of producers.

    USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers was needed, said Vilsack, after a review of previous COVID-19 assistance programs targeting farmers identified a number of gaps and disparities in how assistance was distributed as well as inadequate outreach to underserved producers and smaller and medium operations.

    “The pandemic affected all of agriculture, but many farmers did not benefit from previous rounds of pandemic-related assistance. The Biden-Harris Administration is committed to helping as many producers as possible, as equitably as possible,” said Vilsack. “Our new USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers initiative will help get financial assistance to a broader set of producers, including to socially disadvantaged communities, small and medium sized producers, and farmers and producers of less traditional crops.”

    USDA will reopen sign-up for CFAP 2 for at least 60 days beginning on April 5, 2021. The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) has committed at least $2.5 million to improve outreach for CFAP 2 and will establish partnerships with organizations with strong connections to socially disadvantaged communities to ensure they are informed and aware of the application process.

    The payments announced today (under Part 3, below) will go out under the existing CFAP rules; however, future opportunities for USDA Pandemic Assistance will be reviewed for verified need and during the rulemaking process, USDA will look to make eligibility more consistent with the Farm Bill. Moving forward, USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers will utilize existing programs, such as the Local Agricultural Marketing Program, Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach, and Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, and others to enhance educational and market opportunities for agricultural producers.

    USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers – 4 Parts Announced Today

    Part 1: Investing $6 Billion to Expand Help & Assistance to More Producers

    USDA will dedicate at least $6 billion to develop a number of new programs or modify existing proposals using discretionary funding from the Consolidated Appropriations Act and other coronavirus funding that went unspent by the previous administration. Where rulemaking is required, it will commence this spring. These efforts will include assistance for:

    • Dairy farmers through the Dairy Donation Program or other means:
    • Euthanized livestock and poultry;
    • Biofuels;
    • Specialty crops, beginning farmers, local, urban and organic farms;
    • Costs for organic certification or to continue or add conservation activities
    • Other possible expansion and corrections to CFAP that were not part of today’s announcement such as to support dairy or other livestock producers;
    • Timber harvesting and hauling;
    • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other protective measures for food and farm workers and specialty crop and seafood producers, processors and distributors;
    • Improving the resilience of the food supply chain, including assistance to meat and poultry operations to facilitate interstate shipment;
    • Developing infrastructure to support donation and distribution of perishable commodities, including food donation and distribution through farm-to-school, restaurants or other community organizations; and
    • Reducing food waste.

    Part 2: Adding $500 Million of New Funding to Existing Programs

    USDA expects to begin investing approximately $500 million in expedited assistance through several existing programs this spring, with most by April 30. This new assistance includes:

    • $100 million in additional funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, administered by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS), which enhances the competitiveness of fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops.
    • $75 million in additional funding for the Farmers Opportunities Training and Outreach program, administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) and the Office of Partnerships and Public Engagement, which encourages and assists socially disadvantaged, veteran, and beginning farmers and ranchers in the ownership and operation of farms and ranches.
    • $100 million in additional funding for the Local Agricultural Marketing Program, administered by the AMS and Rural Development, which supports the development, coordination and expansion of direct producer-to-consumer marketing, local and regional food markets and enterprises and value-added agricultural products.
    • $75 million in additional funding for the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, administered by the NIFA, which provides funding opportunities to conduct and evaluate projects providing incentives to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers
    • $20 million for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to improve and maintain animal disease prevention and response capacity, including the National Animal Health Laboratory Network.
    • $20 million for the Agricultural Research Service to work collaboratively with Texas A&M on the critical intersection between responsive agriculture, food production, and human nutrition and health.
    • $28 million for NIFA to provide grants to state departments of agriculture to expand or sustain existing farm stress assistance programs.
    • Approximately $80 million in additional payments to domestic users of upland and extra-long staple cotton based on a formula set in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 that USDA plans to deliver through the Economic Adjustment Assistance for Textile Mills program.

    Part 3: Carrying Out Formula Payments under CFAP 1, CFAP 2, CFAP AA

    The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, enacted December 2020 requires FSA to make certain payments to producers according to a mandated formula. USDA is now expediting these provisions because there is no discretion involved in interpreting such directives, they are self-enacting.

    • An increase in CFAP 1 payment rates for cattle. Cattle producers with approved CFAP 1 applications will automatically receive these payments beginning in April. Information on the additional payment rates for cattle can be found on farmers.gov/cfap. Eligible producers do not need to submit new applications, since payments are based on previously approved CFAP 1 applications. USDA estimates additional payments of more than $1.1 billion to more than 410,000 producers, according to the mandated formula.
    • Additional CFAP assistance of $20 per acre for producers of eligible crops identified as CFAP 2 flat-rate or price-trigger crops beginning in April. This includes alfalfa, corn, cotton, hemp, peanuts, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat, among other crops. FSA will automatically issue payments to eligible price trigger and flat-rate crop producers based on the eligible acres included on their CFAP 2 applications. Eligible producers do not need to submit a new CFAP 2 application. For a list of all eligible row-crops, visit farmers.gov/cfap. USDA estimates additional payments of more than $4.5 billion to more than 560,000 producers, according to the mandated formula.
    • USDA will finalize routine decisions and minor formula adjustments on applications and begin processing payments for certain applications filed as part of the CFAP Additional Assistance program in the following categories:
      • Applications filed for pullets and turfgrass sod;
      • A formula correction for row-crop producer applications to allow producers with a non-Actual Production History (APH) insurance policy to use 100% of the 2019 Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Option (ARC-CO) benchmark yield in the calculation;
      • Sales commodity applications revised to include insurance indemnities, Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program payments, and Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus payments, as required by statute; and
      • Additional payments for swine producers and contract growers under CFAP Additional Assistance remain on hold and are likely to require modifications to the regulation as part of the broader evaluation and future assistance; however, FSA will continue to accept applications from interested producers.

    Part 4: Reopening CFAP 2 Sign-Up to Improve Access & Outreach to Underserved Producers

    As noted above, USDA will re-open sign-up for of CFAP 2 for at least 60 days beginning on April 5, 2021.

    • FSA has committed at least $2.5 million to establish partnerships and direct outreach efforts intended to improve outreach for CFAP 2 and will cooperate with grassroots organizations with strong connections to socially disadvantaged communities to ensure they are informed and aware of the application process.

    Please stay tuned for additional information and announcements under the USDA Pandemic Assistance to Producersinitiative, which will help to expand and more equitably distribute financial assistance to producers and farming operations during the COVID-19 national emergency. Please visit www.farmers.gov for more information on the details of today’s announcement.

    USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. In the Biden administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, ensuring access to healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate-smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean-energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

  • Managing Crown Gall in Walnut May Reduce Incidence of Thousand Cankers Disease

    As the pandemic precluded an in-person UC Tri-County Walnut Day this year, we’d like to share this informative video from Walnut Days past, as Thousand Cankers Disease continues to be an issue for California walnut growers.  If your walnut orchard is suffering from Thousand Cankers Disease, chances are that you may have other pathogens infecting your trees as well.  Watch this brief interview with UCCE Farm Advisor Elizabeth Fichtner and the late UC Davis Entomologist & Chemical Ecologist Steven Seybold as they share some key insights on disease management and prevention. Read more walnut IPM in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Satellite Imagery Reveals Startling Difference in Pistachio Bearing Acreage

    Knowing how much acreage of a crop has been planted is a very important factor in preparing to bring it to market, and the pistachio industry has recently invested in satellite imagery to get a better picture of how many acres of pistachios and bearing-pistachios are actually out there.  The analysis has recently come in and revealed some interesting adjustments in the stats that growers should know about.  Watch this brief interview with Richard Matoian, President of American Pistachio Growers, as he shares some of the results, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • Have Pistachios Chilled Enough for the 2021 Season?

    As California pistachio growers head into another season with insufficient rainfall, they are hoping at least that winter will have provided sufficient cold weather to meet the chill requirements their trees need in order to put on a solid crop.  Watch this brief interview with Richard Matoian, President of American Pistachio Growers, as he shares where the industry is at to date, and what they can expect at this point for the 2021 crop.  Read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • California Farmland Trust Announces Matching Support to Protect Fiorini Ranch

    Thanks to support from the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation, California Farmland Trust (CFT) is embarking on a conservation fundraising campaign to protect Fiorini Ranch.

    Located in Merced County, the 60-acre almond operation is owned and operated by a multi-generational farming family, the Fiorini’s. Currently operated by a third-generation family member, Randy Fiorini, the fourth and fifth generation family members are now engaged, and becoming more involved, continuing the family’s legacy. The Fiorini family reached out to the California Farmland Trust to ensure the land and their legacy will remain in agriculture, forever.

    The California Farmland Trust has partnered with farmers for over 16 years to protect farmland from being subdivided and developed into homes and shopping centers, while contributing to agriculture’s unique role in climate benefits. “Working with the Fiorini family to ensure this land will provide food, open space and climate benefits is essential,” said Charlotte Mitchell, CFT Executive Director. The Fiorini family has adopted and embraced sustainable farming practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the biodiversity of beneficial insects, and further reduce soil erosion.

    In the coming months, CFT will be pursuing a grant that will provide some of the funding needed to purchase the development right and protect the land with an agricultural conservation easement. CFT is required to source matching funds when pursuing grant funding, which is where the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation (Foundation) support is focused. In late 2020, the Foundation provided CFT with nearly half of the matching funds needed to meet this requirement. Funds from the Foundation will be leveraged by CFT to raise the remaining $85,000.

    “The support from the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation really made this project achievable,” shared Mitchell. “It’s difficult to obtain the match requirement needed for a grant and the Henry Mayo Newhall Foundation provided funding that will essentially double every other donation we receive for the project, helping us achieve the match requirement.”

    The first step will be launching a campaign that leverages the Foundation’s $80,000 donation to raise the remaining $85,000 needed to obtain the match required. CFT will simultaneously pursue a grant for the remaining seventy-five percent needed to fund the easement. Once secured, the easement will ensure the farmland will never be subdivided and will no longer be subject to development pressures from nearby communities for housing or commercial development.

    “Our family has farmed this land sustainably, and productively for over 100 years. It is threatened by the potential of urban development and our family wishes to preserve the ability to continue to contribute to our nations healthy food needs,” shared Randy Fiorini.

    If you would like to learn more or become involved in this project, please visit: www.cafarmtrust.org/protect-fiorini-ranch.

  • Whole Orchard Recycling and Its Impact on Future Plantings

    Whole orchard recycling is really catching more interest among farmers recently, particularly in the almond industry; and leading the charge in the research/outreach of this practice is UC Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor Brent Holtz.  Watch this brief interview with Brent as he discusses benefits and considerations for implementing this practice in the orchard; and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.

  • How US Pistachio Shipments are Keeping Up After Record Crop

    After bringing in a record billion pound pistachio crop amidst a global pandemic and a continued international trade dispute, growers may be concerned about the global market for pistachios and whether shipments are keeping up with the increased supply.  Watch this brief interview with Richard Matoian, President of American Pistachio Growers, as he shares some optimism in that regard, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.
    Please thank this video’s sponsor Trece for their industry support.