Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Category: Industry News

  • US Pistachio Exports Increase Despite International Trade Issues

    After the US pistachio industry brought in a record high pistachio crop last season, there were concerns as to how recent international trade issues would impact movement of this record crop; however, at the annual conference of American Pistachio Growers, Executive Director Richard Matoian shared positive news on recent domestic and export shipments. Watch Matoian’s brief interview and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Future Industry Leaders Begin Yearlong Almond Experience: Almond Leadership Program Welcomes its 11th Class

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) today announced its 2019 Almond Leadership Program class. These 19 promising leaders represent diverse backgrounds across multiple industries, from almond growers, processors and food safety specialists to marketing experts, sales representatives and even a dentist who has a passion for farming.
    Almond Leadership Program participants will spend the next year growing in their roles as the future generation of California almond industry leaders. They will learn from volunteer mentors who will help equip program participants with the knowledge and experience necessary to improve their leadership skills, the industry and their communities.
    The class will complete specialized training in a wide variety of topic areas, many of which are tied to ABC activities in marketing, trade stewardship, scientific research, food safety and more.
    As a kickoff to the program, Leadership class members participated in a two-day orientation, which included a State of the Industry address from ABC President and CEO Richard Waycott and Chair of the Board of Directors Holly King. Waycott and King highlighted the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals and the almond community’s commitment to continuous improvement, which are cornerstones of this year’s Almond Leadership Program.
    As they progress through the program, Leadership members will gain a stronger understanding of how the social, economic and scientific issues facing our world today — combined with the current political climate — affect the almond industry. They’ll also learn how all sectors in the almond supply chain work together to provide a safe, sustainable product. Through monthly seminars that span topics reaching all aspects of the industry, Leadership members will sharpen their communication skills while building relationships that will span their careers.
    Each participant will also select an area of interest to explore as part of a yearlong self-directed project. These projects will all focus on ways to help advance industry knowledge, andsome past projects even led to important breakthroughs for the industry.At the end of the year, one participant will be selected to present their project at The Almond Conference 2019, held this year at Cal Expo in Sacramento.
    “This program helps mold great people into even greater leaders — the leaders we will one day look toward to shape the future of the almond industry,” said Jenny Nicolau, senior manager, Industry Relations and Communications, ABC. “Each graduate from the Almond Leadership Program has gone on to be a leader of change in the industry or their community in some capacity, and this group will be no different. They are bright and talented, and obviously problem-solvers, and we are honored to be partners on this yearlong journey.”
    Over the past ten years, the Almond Leadership Program has graduated more than 150 participants and supported many key initiatives benefiting the industry. This year’s class will continue the tradition of raising funds for California Future Farmers of America (FFA) and has pledged to raise more than $20,000 in scholarships for high school students interested in pursuing agriculture in college.
    Members of this year’s class include: Maria Gabriela Chavarria, Harris Woolf California Almonds; Louis Brichetto, L.F. Brichetto Farming; Dominique Camou, Famoso Nut Company; Rocky Dhaliwal, Valley Pride Farming; Brian Erickson, Erickson Orchards; Haley Fields, Ali Cox & Company Marketing; Purnima Gupta, K&G Ranches; Joseph Jackson, Hillside Orchards; Falastine “Fill” Munoz, Grizzly Nut, LLC; April Nuckles, HarvestPort; Kristina Qualls, South Valley Almond Company, LLC; Brett Richesin, Alliant Insurance Services, Inc.; Dylan Rogers, AgroLiquid; Lucas Schmidt, Grow West; Victor Thao, Bank of America Merrill Lynch; Jerrett Thomason, Wells Fargo Food and Agribusiness; Chris VanderStoel, VanderStoel Farm; Connor Wagner, Wagner Land Company; and Chandler Wilson, NutriAg Group Ltd.

  • USDA Offers Flood Impacted California Farmers and Ranchers Immediate Disaster Assistance

    California Farm Service Agency Stands Ready to Assist Agricultural Producers Slammed by Recent Heavy Rains 

    California Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers across the state of federal farm program benefits that may be available to help eligible producers recover from recent heavy rains and flooding.

    FSA offers disaster assistance and low-interest loan programs to assist agricultural producers in their recovery efforts following floods or similar qualifying natural disasters. Available programs and loans include:

    • Non-Insured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) – provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters (includes native grass for grazing). Eligible producers must have purchased NAP coverage for 2019 crops.
    • Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) – offers payments to eligible producers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather. Eligible losses may include those determined by FSA to have been caused by hurricanes, floods, blizzards, wildfires, tropical storms, tornados lightening, extreme heat, and extreme cold. Producers will be required to provide verifiable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is apparent.
    • Tree Assistance Program (TAP) – provides assistance to eligible orchardists and nursery tree growers for qualifying tree, shrub and vine losses due to natural disaster.
    • Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP) – provides emergency relief for losses due to feed or water shortages, disease, adverse weather, or other conditions, which are not adequately addressed by other disaster programs. ELAP covers physically damaged or destroyed livestock feed that was purchased or mechanically harvested forage or feedstuffs intended for use as feed for the producer’s eligible livestock. In order to be considered eligible, harvested forage must be baled; forage that is only cut, raked or windrowed is not eligible. Producers must submit a notice of loss to their local FSA office within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent.

    ELAP also covers up to 150 lost grazing days in instances when a producer has been forced to remove livestock from a grazing pasture due to floodwaters. For beekeepers, ELAP covers beehive losses (the physical structure) in instances where the hive has been destroyed by a natural disaster including flooding, high winds and tornadoes.

    • Emergency Loan Program – Available to producers with agriculture operations located in a county under a primary or contiguous Secretarial Disaster designation. These low interest loans help producers recover from production and physical losses due to drought, flooding.
    • Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) – provides emergency funding for farmers and ranchers to rehabilitate land severely damaged by natural disasters; includes fence loss.
    • HayNet – is an Internet-based Hay and Grazing Net Ad Service allowing farmers and ranchers to share ‘Need Hay’ ads and ‘Have Hay’ ads online. Farmers also can use another feature to post advertisements for grazing land, specifically ads announcing the availability of grazing land or ads requesting a need for land to graze. www.fsa.usda.gov/haynet.

    To establish or retain FSA program eligibility, farmers and ranchers must report prevented planting and failed acres (crops and grasses). Prevented planting acreage must be reported on form FSA-576, Notice of Loss, no later than 15 calendar days after the final planting date as established by FSA and Risk Management Agency (RMA).

    For more information on disaster assistance programs and loans visit www.fsa.usda.gov/ or contact your local FSA Office. To find your local FSA county office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.

  • How to Identify & Correct Magnesium Deficiencies in Hazelnuts

    With all the new hazelnut acreage coming in in places where hazelnuts have never grown before, it is not uncommon to see some nutrient deficiencies in some of these young hazelnut trees. If you are seeing some interveinal chlorosis in some of the older leaves, you may be experiencing a magnesium deficiency. Check out this brief video interview with Aaron Heinrich from Oregon State University who shares how to identify and correct this deficiency in the orchard. Read more about growing hazelnuts in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Pros & Cons of Trunk Guards vs Painting Young Hazelnut Trees

    Many new acres of hazelnut trees are being planted in the Pacific Northwest, and growers may be wondering whether they should protect these young trees by painting the trunks or using trunk guards.  Oregon State University Extension is currently conducting some research on the topic, as shared back at the Nut Growers Society Summer Tour.  Watch this brief interview with Heather Andrews as she shares some of the pros and cons of using trunk guards vs. painting tree trunks.

  • Nutritional Recommendations for Young Hazelnut Trees

    Noticing some nutrient deficiencies in your newly planted hazelnut orchards? Check out this brief video interview with Aaron Heinrich from Oregon State University who shared some common nutrient deficiencies, and some ways to manage and even avoid it with some tips at planting. Read more about growing hazelnuts in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • How Retaliatory Tariffs are Impacting the Almond Industry

    There has been a lot of talk and concern about the retaliatory tariffs impacting the California almond industry, and as almond production continues increasing, just how is this all going to impact the market? Watch this brief interview with Julie Adams from the Almond Board of California as she responds to these concerns, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • Almond Pollination and Hive Removal Timing

    Almond pollination is underway in California and growers are hoping for another good crop this year.  How can you monitor the progress of your bees during almond pollination and determine when it is time to remove the hives?  Watch this brief interview with Billy Synk from Project Apis m. for some answers, and read more about it in the March issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

  • California Almond Industry Sets Sights High with 2025 Goals

    The Almond Board of California recently unveiled their vision of industry in 2025 and set some ambitious goals on how to get there.  These goals were not just made for the sake of pleasing the consumer and community, but also for the longterm success and viability of the industry moving forward.  Watch this brief interview as Daren Williams from the Almond Board of California explains, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.  Don’t currently receive the magazine?

  • Enhancing Almond Pollination with Cover Crops

    How do you maximize the efficacy of your investment in bees for a successful almond pollination period?  According to Billy Synk, director of Pollination Services with project Apis m., the answer is planting cover crops in the fall that will flower prior to almond bloom to get the bees active early in preparation for a successful pollination period.Watch this brief interview as Synk explains, and read more about it in the February issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Enjoy our Ag video news?  Be sure to let our sponsor Duarte Nursery know & thank them for their industry support!