Pacific Nut Producer Magazine

Tag: Almond Board of California

  • Incentive Programs Make New Equipment Affordable

    Almond harvest 2020 is upon us in all its hectic glory. As growers in the southern San Joaquin Valley start shaking this week, equipment that has been largely resting for an entire year will be put to work in furious fashion to safely bring in this year’s crop. And while harvest 2020 is understandably the key focus of this time of year, it’s not too early for growers and their equipment operators and custom harvesters to begin considering what old equipment may need to be upgraded or replaced entirely before the following harvest.

    The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (air district) and the federal Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) both provide a range of financial incentives that make the cost of replacing not only shakers, sweepers and harvesters, but also tractors, sprayers and irrigation pumps more affordable. Given the high cost of purchasing new equipment and implementing certain new orchard management practices, these incentives can help growers stretch their budgets and get the most machine for their money.

    By design, there are also important environmental improvement objectives behind each incentive program – objectives that are consistent with the almond industry’s Almond Orchard 2025 Goals that include reducing harvest dust by 25% and achieving zero waste in orchards by putting everything grown to optimal use by 2025.

    “I think these programs are important, and increasing grower applications can play a role in helping the industry achieve all four 2025 goals,” said Jesse Roseman, principal analyst for Environmental and Regulatory Affairs at the Almond Board of California (ABC). “Growers who participate in these programs reduce their out-of-pocket costs for new equipment and cutting-edge practices that act as benchmarks in the industry’s goals.”

    In a recent ABC California Almond Sustainability Program webinar, officials from the air district and NRCS discussed what machinery and practices their programs cover, how the programs work and how growers can apply.

    Covering up to 60% of the cost of a new tractor

    Since 2009, the air district has awarded more than $406 million in funding to growers and ranchers in the San Joaquin Valley to promote healthy air quality, according to Aaron Tarango, the district’s grant supervisor. That investment has been matched by more than $466 million in spending by growers to replace 7,550 tractors as well as thousands of pieces of older equipment and pumps. Tarango estimated that noxious emissions have been reduced by 50,819 tons in the past 11 years through district incentives matched by funds from Central Valley farmers. 

    The air district prioritizes replacing older, lower-tier equipment through their programs. Growers are encouraged to replace tractors and other machinery in tiers 0, 1 or 2 (purchased in or before 2006) with tier 4 equipment, that is, “the latest and greatest technology” available, according to Tarango.

    Funds received are based on the horsepower (hp) of the engine being replaced. Here’s how it works: If a tier 0, 1 or 2 piece of equipment is 100hp, the district will help fund the purchase of replacement equipment with up to 25% more hp. Depending on the piece of equipment and the size of its engine, payments will range from $300 to $650 per hp and can cover up to 60% of the cost of a new model. 

    In 2019, the district piloted the Low Dust Harvester Replacement Program, which will cover 50% of a grower’s cost to replace older harvesting equipment with newer, low-dust models. That year, the air district funded 29 projects worth $1.9 million, Tarango said. The program was so popular that in June 2020 the Environmental Protection Agency set aside another $10.3 million to extend the program into 2021.

    Tarango said that money “might not help [growers] with this year’s harvest, but it will be available for subsequent harvests down the road.”

    Beyond harvest itself, another air district incentive program – the Alternative to Agricultural Open Burning Incentive Program – offers funds to growers who grind up old orchards, rather than burning their trees, and then incorporate that woody biomass back into the soil (a.k.a., Whole Orchard Recycling). Growers participating in this program are eligible to receive $300-$600 per acre, with a maximum of $60,000 per grower. Incentive recipients are typically paid four-to-six weeks after their completion of Whole Orchard Recycling, and after an invoice has been sent to the air district.1

    Tarango strongly encourages growers with older equipment or older orchards to take advantage of the district’s incentive programs.

    “We’re still going,” he said. “The money is still there.”

    More information is available at www.valleyair.org/grants/ and applications can be submitted at grants@valleyair.org. Growers who would like to speak with Tarango directly may contact him at aaron.tarango@valleyair.org or (559) 230-5873.

    NRCS programs have broad reach

    Similar to the District, NRCS offers two programs to help growers achieve and maintain their growing goals. The Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) helps participants cover the cost of planning and installing conservation practices. The Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) offers additional opportunities for those already meeting a baseline level of stewardship. Projects might include improving irrigation systems, planting a cover crop for bees or soil health, or integrating better pest management systems. Growers can apply at any time of the year for either program.

    In addition, growers who have participated in the Market Facilitation Program or in the new Coronavirus Food Assistance Program – both of which are provided via USDA’s Farm Service Agency – have a leg up in filling out NRCS applications as their confidential information is accessible to the NRCS. This means that during the application process, growers have already completed the first step in qualifying for the NRCS incentive program because of the eligibility for other USDA programs.

    Ted Strauss is NRCS’s air quality resource conservationist for California. He said the NRCS programs target a range of environmental issues, from air to soil health to water quality.

    “Our primary role is conservation planning,” he said. “Participation is totally voluntary and always confidential. We’re not a regulatory body.”

    For growers, EQIP funding can be used to help replace a diesel-powered piece of equipment, with incentives based off horsepower and ranging from $325.61 to $507.17 per horsepower. That amount translates to $32,000 for a 100hp tractor or $114,000 for a 200hp tractor, Strauss said. The same rates apply to all self-propelled equipment.

    In addition, almond growers who hire out their harvesting each year can collect $39.98 per acre for up to three years if low-dust harvesting equipment is used.

    “Some producers have used those funds to purchase their own equipment, which is great because it helps with permanent reduction of emissions,” Strauss said. “So even if you don’t own the equipment currently being replaced, you’re still a good candidate for this program.”

    Like the air district, NRCS offers CSP incentive funds to growers who find alternatives to burning old trees, providing $238.36 per acre if the chips are sent to a biomass power plant or $766.94 per acre if the chips are recycled back into the soil, used for animal bedding or applied as mulch on another piece of ag land.

    NRCS also provides EQIP incentives ranging from $3,238.13 to $39,734 to replace motors on pumps. Funds are also available to help treat unpaved roads with lignin derivatives, oil or polymer emulsions.

    More information on NRCS’s CSP may be found on this handout and growers can submit applications year-round at local USDA service centers. Those looking to speak with Strauss may reach him at ted.strauss@usda.gov or (559) 490-5129. — Article Courtesy of the Almond Board of California

  • Almond Board of California 2020 Election Results

    The Almond Board of California has released election results for the Board of Directors positions whose terms of office will run from August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021. 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: Joe Gardiner, Earlimart
    Independent Handler:
    Member Position One (three-year term): Alexi Rodriguez, Caruthers
    Alternate Position One: Ron Fisher, Modesto
    Member Position Three (one-year term): Darren Rigg, Le Grand
    Alternate Position Two: Chad DeRose, McFarland
    Cooperative Grower:
    Member Position One (three-year term): George Goshgarian Jr., Fowler
    Alternate Position One: Christine Gemperle, Ceres
    Cooperative Handler:
    Member Position Two (three-year term): Bill Morecraft, Sacramento
    Alternate Position Two: Alicia Rockwell, Sacramento

    ABOUT THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA
    Almonds from California are a healthy, natural, wholesome and quality food. The Almond Board of California promotes almonds with a research-based approach to responsible farming, production and marketing on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of whom have third- and fourth-generation 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, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.

  • Pacific Nut Producer May Issue

    Pacific Nut Producer May Issue[btn btnlink=”https://malcolmmedia.com/order-a-back-issue/back-issue-pacific-nut-producer-magazine/” btnsize=”full” txtcolor=”#ffffff” color=”#FFF” bgcolor=”#492500″ btnnewt=”1″ nofollow=”1″]Order A Back Issue[/btn]

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    Contents of the May Issue:

    Bellareese Farms Excels with Innovations
    Science and Skill Lead to Successful Farming
    American Pistachio Conference Brings Pride
    Health Studies Verify Pistachios are a Super-Food
    California Almond Acreage Increases in 2019
    Almond Board Plans for Future Record Production
    Orchard Tasks
    Almonds, Hazelnuts, Macadamias, Pecans, Pistachios, Walnuts

    [/three_fifth_last]

  • Almond Board of California 2020 Election Underway

    Voting will begin April 29 to select one independent grower member and alternate position and two independent handler member and alternate positions on the Almond Board of California (ABC) Board of Directors. These positions will serve terms beginning on August 1, 2020.

     

    Candidates for the independent grower position are:

    Position One, Member (One-year term):                         Position One, Alternate:

    Paul Ewing, Los Banos (petitioner)                                 Joe Gardiner, Earlimart (petitioner)

    Louie Ott, Modesto (petitioner)                                       Brad Klump, Escalon (petitioner)

    Mike Mason, Wasco (petitioner)

    Candidates for the independent handler positions are:

    Position One, Member (Three-year term):                       Position One, Alternate:

    Terry Boone, Modesto (petitioner)                                  Ron Fisher, Modesto (incumbent)

    Alexi Rodriguez, Caruthers (petitioner)

    Micah Zeff, Modesto (petitioner)

    Position Three, Member (One-year term):                       Position Three, Alternate:

    Jonathan Hoff, Denair (petitioner)                                   Chad DeRose, McFarland (petitioner)

    Darren Rigg, Le Grand (petitioner)                                  Dave Phippen, Manteca (petitioner)

    Ballots and instructions have been mailed to all independent growers whose names are on file with ABC. The Almond Board must receive ballots by May 27, 2020, for them to be counted. If an independent grower or a handler does not receive a ballot, one may be obtained by contacting ABC’s Bunnie Ibrahim, senior analyst, Government Affairs, at (209) 343-3228.

    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.

     

    About the Almond Board of California

    Almonds from California are a healthy, natural, wholesome and quality food. The Almond Board of California promotes almonds with a research-based approach to responsible farming, production and marketing on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of whom have third- and fourth-generation 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, Instagram and the California Almonds blog.  – Article and photo courtesy of the Almond Board of California

  • Meeting Nutritional Needs Key to Almond Orchard Productivity

    In April and May, once new shoots start to grow, growers will be able to identify trees that are potassium deficient as their leaves will be pale, rolled into a boat shape and have developed tip and marginal scorching. Photo courtesy of UC IPM

    By Almond Board of California — Almond trees need a variety of different nutrients to thrive, though one of the most important among them is nitrogen. From proper management to understanding the relationship between nitrogen and yield, it’s imperative that growers understand how this element benefits tree health and their productivity each crop year.

    Comprehensive nutrient management improves many aspects of tree growth, yield and kernel quality during an orchard’s lifespan. Balanced nutrition, experts say, takes place over many months and should be timed to when the tree most needs it – typically, that’s in mid-March, when at least 70% of leaves are on the tree, and continues in phases throughout the growing season.

    Beyond nitrogen, though, two other key nutrients trees are also necessary to maximize trees’ productivity – zinc and potassium. As with nitrogen, growers always are advised to keep the four R’s in mind when applying any nutrient or fertilizer:

    • Right rate: Match supply with tree demand from all inputs (fertilizer, water and soil)
    • Right time: Application must coincide with tree demand and root uptake
    • Right place: Delivery must be to active roots, not below the root zone
    • Right source: Maximize uptake and tree response and minimize waste

    Zinc

    Zinc helps trees when cells are dividing and growing, and also is important for next year’s bud set, according to Univeristy of California (UC) Davis professor Patrick Brown, an expert on almond nutrient management. Typically, it is applied via foliar sprays or micro-drip irrigation in the spring.

    “Zinc needs to be ‘fed’ to the tree when it is hungry so that it can reach the buds,” Brown explained.

    Leaf and soil analysis are important in monitoring zinc needs, Brown said. Leaf values should be at least 20 parts per million (ppm) in the summer, though orchards with readings of less than 30 ppm “will frequently respond to zinc.” In addition, a soil pH level of more than 7.2 can impede zinc uptake. Reducing the soil’s pH from 5.5 to 7.0 via acid injections or ammoniacal nitrogen sources will help with trees’ zinc uptake, and frequent zinc applications via micro-irrigation are the most effective.

    Trees that are suffering from a lack of zinc will have small, pale leaves, Brown said. Other symptoms include late bud emergence and erratic flowering. Deficiencies often occur when cold, wet weather in early spring is followed by a warm period, which drives up trees’ zinc demand.

    More on zinc demand and foliar application can be found in this published research paper written by Brown, the Almond Board’s Sebastian Saa and UC Davis professor Claudia Negron in March 2018.

    Potassium

    Potassium is important for development of the hull, shell and kernel. As with nitrogen, Brown recommends applying potassium in multiple smaller applications throughout the growing season. The rate, he said, should be 80 pounds per 1,000 pounds in yield.

    Potassium deficiency symptoms often appear in early-to-midsummer and are worst on older leaves of current shoots. Trees also typically show slow growth and smaller leaves, and may produce yields below potential. Low potassium levels often carry over into the following year, “decreasing the number of flowering spurs where trees will set nuts,” as noted by Brown and UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors Katherine Jarvis-Sheen and Joseph Connell in the article “Potassium management for sustained almond yields.”

    Leaf analysis is the best way to measure potassium levels and detect concerns early. Brown, Connel and Jarvis-Sheen recommend collecting leaf samples in July because they are “relatively stable at that time.” Potassium levels about 1.4% are “considered adequate.” The trio also states that “higher-than-adequate levels will also help provide ‘back-up’ for heavy set years, which may be especially important to sprinkler irrigated orchards where in-season fertigation to meet higher than usual potassium needs is not effective.”

    A balanced approach

    Something all growers should recognize, Brown said, is that the right balance of many key nutrients is necessary to optimize a tree’s use of nitrogen. The way to detect balance, he said, is through regular leaf analysis and other monitoring methods (sap analysis, trunk measurements, carbohydrate analysis and soil nutrient status). 

    “Optimizing nitrogen use efficiency requires optimal management of all inputs,” Brown said. “If any nutrient is undersupplied, yield is lost and response to other elements cannot occur. And if any nutrient is oversupplied, money is wasted.”

    And, unlike the weather, nutrient management is something growers can directly impact.

    “Nutrient and water management are items that growers control that impact profit, the value chain and protection for the planet,” said Steve Petrie, director of agronomic services for Yara North America. “Nutrient and water management are intertwined. You can’t do one properly without the other.”

    For more information on optimal nutrient management, check out this presentation on nutrient management given by Brown, Petrie and others at The Almond Conference 2019 in December.

  • Pollinator Partnership Equips Almond Growers with Greater Tools to Prove Sustainability

    Almond growers sometimes get a bad rap in the general public as being abusive to bees or sucking too much water out of the ground, but it is quite the contrary.  Almond growers are stewards of the land, and with the help of the Almond Board of California, and a new ties with the Pollinator Partnership, growers are going to be equipped with great tools to prove their environmental and sustainable practices in the orchard at bloom.  Watch this brief video with the Daren Williams from the Almond Board of California for more details, and read more about it in Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

     

    Please thank our sponsor Duarte Nursery for their industry support and see them at their booth at the APG Conference in Monterey, March 2-4 (Booths 20-21).

  • How to Achieve Zero Waste — Almond Orchard 2025 Goals

    There are byproducts in any industry; but is it possible to eliminate waste and make use of it all?  The Almond Board of California believes so, and growers are working together to achieve this by 2025.  But how does this work at the grower level.  Watch this brief interview with local almond grower Christine Gemperle as she shared her experience in doing so at the recent Tree & Vine Expo at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds. Read the full report in the coming issue of Pacific Nut Producer Magazine.

    Please thank our sponsor Duarte Nursery for their industry support and see them at their booth at the California Almond Conference in Sacramento, December 10-12.

  • California Almond Growers Vote to Continue Almond Board of California

    The Almond Board of California (ABC) is pleased to announce that California almond growers recently voted to continue their almond federal marketing order program for five more years. The vote, held from August 5-16, 2019, resulted with 95 percent of eligible growers who voted, and 97 percent of the volume represented by those voting in the referendum, favoring continuation of the marketing order.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is required to conduct a continuance referendum every five years (see USDA release). The last referendum was completed in 2014 and resulted in 91 percent of eligible growers who voted, and 94 percent of the volume represented, favoring continuation of the marketing order.

    The vote represents the California almond industry’s confidence in the Almond Board and the many programs it administers and funds with industry assessment dollars. Those programs include an extensive production and environmental research program coupled with education and outreach that has been funded to help growers continue to meet the challenges facing agriculture. This research was also fundamental to the launching of the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals, which demonstrate the California almond industry’s commitment to continuous improvement in four areas: reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 20%, increase adoption of environmentally friendly pest management tools by 25%, achieve zero waste in orchards by putting everything grown to optimal use and reduce dust during harvest by 50%.

    The 2025 Goals are only one of the innovative programs undertaken by ABC. The Honey Bee Best Management Practices, released in 2014, continue to educate industry members and affiliates on how to best protect and improve honey bee health. ABC has funded more than 120 research projects supporting honey bees since 1995. And, speaking of health, ABC’s commitment to human health and nutrition remains strong and is demonstrated through its over 100 projects funded to investigate almonds in relation to heart health, diabetes and metabolic syndrome, weight management, satiety and gut health, and even skin health and cognition.

    Other key program areas for ABC include domestic and international marketing, the collection and dissemination of industry statistics, and food quality and safety programs. The Almond Board, along with the growers and handlers who fund and support ABC through assessment dollars and by participating in committees and workgroups, has enabled the industry to develop the tools needed to assist growers, to build demand ahead of supply and to achieve the considerable success experienced over the years.

    Industry members with questions about the Almond Board’s programs or how assessment dollars are spent are encouraged to
    attend one of ABC’s many public committee and Board of Directors meetings held throughout the year. A meeting schedule may be found at Almonds.com/Events. Also, all industry and allied industry members are invited to join ABC at The Almond Conference 2019, held this year at Cal Expo in Sacramento on December 10-12. Register today and book your hotel at AlmondConference.com.

    ABC looks forward to continuing to work with and represent California almond growers and handlers!

    Courtesy of the Almond Board of California

     

  • Want a Strong Start to the Crop Year? You Need To Mummy Shake

    Even though growers are just completing this year’s harvest, it’s never too early to start thinking about winter sanitation.

    Winter is the time to remove and destroy mummy nuts that harbor navel orangeworm (NOW) larvae, which can hatch in the spring and wreak havoc in the orchard. By removing the nuts, growers are eliminating both a shelter and food source for these overwintering pests. This practice falls in line with the strategic and effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for NOW, one that includes different tactics depending on the time of the year.

    “Winter sanitation is the core of IPM programs,” said David Haviland, a UCCE farm advisor in Kern County who specialist in entomology and pest management.

    Here are some quick tips growers should keep in mind when preparing to remove mummy nuts from their orchards, a.k.a. “mummy shake”:

    • Mummy nuts become most obvious after trees have shed their leaves, and growers should look to knock all the mummies off the trees no later than Jan. 15.
    • A good time for winter sanitation is when dew has formed or after it’s rained because mummy nuts will have absorbed some moisture, making them heavier and more likely to fall. In addition, a wet orchard floor helps to increase NOW mortality rates.
    • Growers can remove mummy nuts by bringing the shaker through their orchards or hiring crews to knock mummies to the ground using long poles.
      • To note: Both hard- and soft-shell varieties can harbor overwintering NOW, so growers must be sure to remove mummies in both types.
    • Growers should aim to have fewer than two mummers per tree before bud swell (around Feb. 1). However, growers in the San Joaquin Valley should aim for less than one mummy per tree.
    • Once on the ground, mummy nuts should be swept into windrows and destroyed, either with a flail mower or by disking them into the soil, by March. 15.

    Removing mummy nuts and reducing NOW levels using environmentally friendly techniques is key to helping the California almond industry achieve its Almond Orchard 2025 Goals, one of which is to increase adoption of environmentally friendly pest management tools by 25% by 2025.

    Josette Lewis, the Almond Board’s director of Agricultural Affairs, said growers must realize that in the end the cost of efficient winter sanitation pays for itself.

    “It is important to recognize that the return on investment comes from both a higher yield after shelling and a higher price premium at the handler,” Lewis said. “In other words, without good winter sanitation, yield loss occurs due to rejection of mummy nuts from the previous year and heavily NOW-damaged nuts from the current season.”

    To help remind growers to break the link between mummy nuts and NOW, the Almond Board of California created a parody song that’s sure to be an “orchard smash.” It’s “The Mummy Shake” — and if you and your family dance and sing along, you’ll be in the running to receive tickets to a luncheon at The Almond Conference 2019 in Sacramento in addition to either tickets to Disneyland or a $500 Amazon gift card! Visit Almonds.com/NOW to learn more.

    Courtesy of the Almond Board of California

  • 2019 Market Facilitation Program Workshops

    USDA’s Market Facilitation Program (MFP) is continuing for the second year, providing almond growers with an opportunity to apply for direct payments to help alleviate the damage resulting from the global trade situation. Unlike the 2018 program when payments were based on delivered pounds, the 2019 MFP program is based on bearing acreage. To learn more about the changes to the 2019 program, and how you can also apply for 2018 payments, the Almond Alliance of California and Almond Board of California are co-hosting workshops with local USDA Farm Service Agency offices.  Pacific Nut Producer Magazine will also be hosting workshops at our annual Tree & Vine Expo at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds on November 12th and the Grape, Nut & Tree Fruit Expo at the Big Fresno Fairgrounds on November 19th, featuring Chris Keeler, California District Director with the USDA Farm Service Agency.

    Come learn about the program and how you can apply!

    For more information contact Toni Arellano tarellano@almondboard.com regarding Almond Board workshops or Matthew Malcolm at matthew@malcolmmedia.com regarding the Ag Expo workshops.