Almond Journey

In this episode, we meet four impressive members of the California Future Farmers of America (FFA) who were awarded scholarships this year by The Almond Board of California (ABC). Since 2016, ABC’s fundraising efforts have been led by the Almond Leadership Program who has helped to raise more than $250,000 through donations, an annual golf tournament, and a live and silent auction during The Almond Conference every year. In 2023, sixteen FFA members were awarded these scholarships, including the four you will hear from in today’s episode: Olivia Bruns, Brennan Elszy, Christina Moitozo and Heather Hodges. “These scholarships are really allowing people to get their foot in the door and have the opportunity to get that higher learning and really bring back more value than what's being put into them into the actual industry.” - Brennan Elszy In Today’s episode:Meet the 2023 ABC Scholarship Recipients including Olivia Bruns from Woodland, Brennan Elszy from Hanford, Christina Moitozo from Gustine and Heather Hodges from Kerman.Discover their backgrounds and what the future holds for these up-and-coming industry leadersAlmond industry members interested in partnering with the Almond Board in donating to the California FAA Foundation can visit calaged.org/AlmondLeadershipProgram to learn more or to make a donation. To learn more about the Almond Leadership Program, please visit Almonds.com/AlmondLeadershipProgram or contact Rebecca Bailey at [email protected] Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

June's Marketing Bulletin from the Almond Board of California. Almonds Take Over Mexico CityDuring the first two months of 2023 and around National Almond Day efforts, California almonds took to the streets of Mexico by driving two mobile billboard trucks, covered with almond advertising creative, to top locations in Mexico City. The billboard trucks visited nine shopping malls, 20 supermarkets and 15 gyms. And at each stop, ABC hosted interactive events like snack workshops, giveaways, and yoga and meditation classes.ABC partnered with popular influencers for the special events – which included podcast host Romina Sacre, Lifestyle and foodie influencer Soulfood Luz Colsa, and fitness trainer Ceci Aguilera. Colsa held a snack workshop showing how to add almonds to cultural Mexican foods, Aquilera hosted a fitness boot camp and Sacre hosted a meditation workshop. Sacre also invited a select few lucky consumers to her podcast recording studio where she recorded an episode about almonds. Through the different activities and mobile advertising, the campaign reached over 360 million impressions in the Mexico market.Almond Health Ads Running on Facebook and Instagram During the month of July, the Almond Board will run ads featuring the positive gut health attributes associated with eating almonds. Ads will run on Facebook and Instagram encouraging consumers to learn more about this area of nutrition research funded by the Almond Board. Ads seek to reach people interested in health. They are people that express interest in topics such as specific diet trends (e.g., paleo, keto), nutrients, or visit health websites like WebMD, Eating Well, and more. The ads will run in the U.S., India, Mexico, France, Italy, Germany, Japan and South Korea. LA Times Features Almonds as Climate Change “First Responders”The Los Angeles Times, in partnership with the Almond Board of California, published an article and video that explores the growing trend of sustainable farming practices in modern agriculture, and how that helps with climate change. The article highlights two key approaches: precision agriculture and regenerative agriculture, as well as Mallvinder Kahal, a second-generation Madera-based almond farmer and his family. California Secretary of Agriculture Karen Ross is also featured in the article. With the increasing frequency of drought and other extreme weather, something that ABC's target audiences and farmers are both experiencing, the article emphasizes the importance of collaboration among farmers to drive the adoption of sustainable practices. To amplify this partnership, the LA Times promoted the article and video through display banners on their website and Apple News as well as paid social media running across their extensive digital network. In addition, the partnership took over the LA Times homepage on Tuesday, June, 27. The combined outreach helped showcase how farmers are actively working towards a more resilient and environmentally conscious agricultural industry for a brighter future.

Tanya Gemperle-Goncalves of Gemperle Farms has taken a particular interest in finding ways to improve their almond operation over time. She joined the Journey to share some of her experiments including cover crops, compost, whole orchard recycling and more.“There are these practices that we want to implement, and what I'm trying to figure out is where can I reduce the risk? Where can I reduce the amount of effort on our part and make it as practical on our farm and as efficient as possible?” - Tanya Gemperle-GoncalvesIn Today’s episode:Meet Tanya Gemperle-Goncalves of Gemperle FarmsExplore how Gemperle-Goncalves defines sustainability and the role it plays on their operationDiscover the progression of implementing new technologies and practices at Gemperle FarmsABC Update:Many almond growers have navigated the challenges of adopting new practices such as cover crops and have added flowering cover crops and monarch habitat around their ranches. A few years ago, the US Fish and Wildlife Service made the decision that it is warranted for the monarch butterfly to be listed as an endangered species. While this hasn’t officially happened yet, the timeline for doing so is by the end of 2023.An endangered listing for any pollinator creates concern for almond growers who have planted pollinator habitat in and around their orchards. Almond Board of California Chief Scientific Officer Josette Lewis talks about those concerns for growers and protections being put into place with Industry Communications Senior Specialist Taylor Hillman.“We've seen a really great response in terms of the number of farmers who've registered as bee friendly farms who are putting in flowering cover crops and have worked with organizations like Monarch Joint Venture to specifically put in Monarch habitat around their ranches. And so for those growers, we wanna make sure that they are protected if the monarch is listed as an endangered species.” - Josette LewisFor more information regarding butterfly habitats visit the growers tools page at the ABC website or email the field outreach team at [email protected] with any questions.The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

USTR Chief Ag Negotiator Visits CaliforniaAfter speaking at the recent Agri-Pulse Conference, ABC was able to arrange orchard visits for USTR Chief Ag Negotiator Doug McKalip. The almond and walnut orchards outside of Sacramento were the perfect venue to discuss the impact of tariffs and technical issues on the shipment of almonds. An important point that was highlighted was the fact that despite increases in shipments to several key markets, growers are operating at a considerable economic loss. Ambassador McKalip was keen to learn more about the impact on rural communities in the area, as well as the competitive situation with Australian and European production. USTR is focusing on IPEF negotiations, which stands for the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity and involves India, Japan, South Korea, and the US. The U.S. is also in parallel discussions for a trade agreement with Kenya. ABC will be holding further discussions with USTR on specific market access issues during the industry delegation trip to DC taking place later this month. Highlights from MRL Harmonization Workshop Several GTRA staff attended the annual MRL seminar put on by the California Specialty Crop Council that was held this year in San Diego. Participation included attendees from overseas, regulatory agency staff, chemical registrant companies, and commodity and trade associations. A big focus was on EU Farm-to-Fork policies, specifically, Sustainable Pesticide Use Directive, applying environmental factors to MRL settings, which contravene existing WTO norms, and applying Mirror Clauses to imported products.There was a growing understanding among attendees that in addition to building alliances with EU businesses and trade groups, stakeholders who rely on exports to the EU must also liaise with each other and respective government agencies to counter the EU’s growing ambitions and attempts to influence policies in international fora such as CODEX and the WTO, as these would have a far-reaching impact on international food trade. For more information, please contact [email protected]/Labor Union UpdateDue to lower container freight volumes coming into the United States, some west coast ports have been dropping shifts and slowing productivity. Additionally, International l Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) has continued to undertake sporadic “job actions” as a leverage mechanism in the ongoing labor negotiations. Previously, these had been limited to actions at the Ports of LA/Long Beach, however, this tactic spilled over to Oakland in early June leading to a closure for a shift. Negotiations between the two sides have continued to drag on, with some progress being reported despite the occasional disturbances at the port. For more information, please contact [email protected].

Michael Kelley is the president and CEO of the Central California Almond Growers Association. With four shellers in two locations, the association is the largest huller/sheller of almonds in the world. Kelley shares several insights about the current state of the industry, including economics, logistics, technology, supply chain, and drivers of past, present and future success. “We're on track to have the largest return we've ever had to our members at a time that they really need it; so, it's a really nice way to celebrate the 60th anniversary.” - Michael Kelley In Today’s episode:Meet Michael Kelley, the president and CEO of the Central California Almond Growers AssociationDiscover how Kelley’s experience in the cotton industry has helped him in his role in the almond industryExplore the current state of the almond industry from Kelley’s perspective and the new technology he has implemented on their operationsThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

May's Marketing Bulletin from the Global Market Development and Reputation Management teams at the Almond Board of California. Leveraging Nutrition Research The Almond Board is currently running ads on Facebook and Instagram encouraging consumers to learn more about the benefits of eating almonds before meals. Ads seek to reach people that express interest in topics such as specific diet trends (e.g., paleo, keto), nutrients, or visit health websites like WebMD, and more. The ads just aren’t running in the U.S. but have been translated into local language and are running in seven other markets around the world. They will run through mid-May in an effort to support two new research studies that have been published in recent months and are featured in the press release Eating Almonds Before Meals Improved Blood Sugar Levels in Some People with Prediabetes. A First-of-its-kind German Partnership The Almond Board of California has formed an editorial partnership with Brigitte, a popular German women’s lifestyle magazine, to educate Germans on how California almonds are grown sustainably and are nutritious. The partnership includes online and print articles, and videos emphasizing the industry's water and zero-waste practices. In the messaging, almond grower Christine Gemperle discusses how almond farmers use water efficiently, reducing water consumption per pound of almonds by 33% between the 1990s and 2010s. The articles also cover the health attributes of almonds – which include 13 grams of unsaturated fat (only 1 gram of saturated fat) and 6 grams of protein pers serving – and include comments from German nutritionist Rebecca Kunz. The efforts are the first editorial partnership designed specifically for the German market. Expo West and Award The Almond Board of California attended the Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural, organic, and health products trade show, to keep up with the latest trends and innovations in the food industry. ABC staff prioritized interacting with companies that include almonds in their products as part of their ongoing effort to support food makers who incorporate almonds in their recipes. Sustainability was a dominant theme at the event, with companies supporting regenerative and organic agriculture, upcycling food, and utilizing sustainable packaging. Consumers expect brands to be transparent about their sustainability initiatives, and companies are including consumers on the journey to make informed purchasing decisions that align with their values. The Expo West also focused on the slogan "real food and local communities," and how brands add value to the local community. The event highlighted the health and wellness of food products, and how consumers want to know how foods and specific ingredients can benefit their personal health. Also at the conference, The Almond Project, a multi-year, farmer-led project by Treehouse California Almonds, was honored with the Regeneration & Sustainability Award for their sustainability program. ABC Board Member Joe Gardiner accepted the award on behalf of Treehouse California Almonds.

Highlights from the May 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Economic Impact Analysis of Retaliatory Tariffs on Exports of California AlmondsCalifornia almond exporters have been increasingly frustrated about favorable tariff conditions for Australian almonds while U.S almonds continue to suffer under retaliatory tariffs. Australia has a free trade agreement with China, reduced tariff treatment with India, and may soon have a zero tariff going into the E.U. Dr. Steinbach of UC Davis, using demand elasticity analysis, concluded that retaliatory tariffs cost the U.S. almond industry almost $875 million in exports or more than 325 million pounds of shipments between April 2018 and April 2022. He estimated that the withdrawal of retaliatory tariffs imposed by China, India, and Turkey could increase U.S. almond exports by about $175 million or 90 million pounds annually. Recently, ABC analyzed trade data to determine the impacts of retaliatory tariffs in key markets combined with Australian trade advantages. Based on that analysis, it was determined that if US market share had stayed the same before the implementation of retaliatory tariffs in China, India, and Turkey in 2018, and Australia’s trade agreements with China and India, the value of US almond exports to those countries from 2018-2022 would have been higher by more than $550 million equating to an additional volume of 155 million pounds. This analysis will be summarized into a white paper that will be shared with policymakers for ABC’s annual trip to DC coming up in June. For more info, please contact Keith Schneller.Transportation UpdateThe International Longshore and Warehouse Union negotiations continue with the two sides announcing a tentative agreement on a number of significant issues. However, there are still issues that will need to be resolved before a deal is signed. Additionally, dock workers at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continue to undertake “job actions”, including those leading to a previous shutdown of the ports for a few shifts. There may also be separate negotiations underway with ILWU Local 13 (LA/LB) with the Local seeking to double the manning on container handling equipment. The uncertainty of the situation continues to cause consternation among importers as more and more shift operations to the East Coast. However, there is optimism that the sides are inching closer to a deal, and many of the imports are expected to return to West Coast ports. The California Air Resources Board unanimously approved a new rule to phase out sales of diesel-powered medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2036. This is the first such combustion-truck sales ban in the world. Drayage vehicles with internal combustion engines (ICE) that are on the road now can continue to operate through their “useful life.” Those limits mean that when a drayage truck hits 800,000 miles, it can no longer be listed in the registry of drayage vehicles. The alternative is if it reaches 18 years after its model year, even if it has not reached 800,000 miles. The Advanced Clean Trucks rule aims to reduce California's GHG emissions by 40 percent and reduce petroleum use by 50 percent by 2030. Please contact Brock Densel.China Facility Registration Update On April 14, FDA resumed managing the General Administration of Customs China’s (GACC) CIFER portal for U.S. facility registrations and has helped clear the CIFER queue of several handlers’ change requests. These were waiting for FDA review before moving them on to GACC for final review and approval. An estimated 15 of the 70 handlers initially approved by GACC at the end of December 2021 still need to upload mandatory documents in CIFER in order to finalize their accounts. Firms have until the end of June 2023 or risk being delisted. ABC continues to explore ways to help those “new” companies waiting to register their facilities so they can also export products to China. Be sure to confirm that any products being shipped to China are included under your facility’s GACC account. If not, the shipments will not be cleared without the inclusion of the specific product under your account which can take days or weeks to finalize. Please note GACC sent out a notice recently warning facilities from registering on “fake” online portals. It seems there are many companies offering assistance to register, but the only official portal is cifer.singlewindow.cn. USDA’s most recent update on Decree 248 is here. For more info, please contact Keith Schneller.

Mackey Violich is part of the ownership team at Capay Farms, a 13,000-acre almond and walnut farming operation. As sustainability manager, Violich has explored a variety of innovative solutions like solar, cover crops, composting, carbon credits, electric equipment, whole orchard recycling and more. “There's a lot of green washing out there. But if you have the data and the numbers to back it up, it makes it easier because it's the whole industry. If we all make a change it's gonna make a big impact, not only in our environment, but as a marketing tool.” - Mackey Violich In Today’s episode:Meet almond grower and sustainability manager Mackey ViolichExplore the many factors Violich takes into consideration as she approaches her job as sustainability manager for their 13,000 acre orchard operationABC Update:The California Almond Stewardship Platform (CASP) is an important education and marketing tool for the almond industry to tell its stewardship story to consumers. Now over a decade old, CASP has gone through a major update to be even easier to use for growers and more effective for handlers. Almond Board Senior Manager of Field Outreach and Education Tom Devol sat down with Industry Communications Senior Specialist Taylor Hillman to discuss these changes. “When CASP was first envisioned, it was predominantly an education tool. Over time, there's been a lot more pressure from the market. How are you growing your crops? Are you exhibiting good stewardship? Are you using current practices? So for the handler, they're the ones that get faced with those questions...By completing your grower self-assessment, you're assisting your handler and marketing your product.” - Tom DevolThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Almond grower Dennis Yotsuya has a small orchard in Cortez, California. Through winter sanitation and mass trapping, he has been able to avoid hull sprays for navel orangeworm in recent years. Yotsuya describes his approach and the benefits he has seen in reducing damage from the pest.“Even though I didn't spray much, what intrigued me was that once you put a trap out, it works all the time. Whereas the people that are spraying, you had to hit these certain windows of time to be effective. So, I thought that was an interesting idea. I knew it was more advantageous to use a product like that.” - Dennis YotsuyaElonce Peterson created a trap that monitors and traps navel orangeworm females during first flight. The idea came while counting eggs as a field scout for Integral Ag. Peterson wanted an easier way to monitor navel orangeworm activity while providing more accurate and reliable data to growers.In today’s episode:Meet almond grower Dennis Yotsuya; and Elonce Peterson, creator of the female navel orangeworm trapExplore the experiences Yotsuya has had with managing navel orangeworm without having to sprayDiscover Peterson’s process in developing the female navel orangeworm trap and the advantages his system offersThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Third generation farmer Keith Yamamoto and his family farm a variety of crops including almonds in Westley, California. Diversification in crops, markets and approaches has been an important part of the Yamamoto family’s business strategy. Yamamoto joined the Journey to share how he found his role in the family operation and how he looks at risk management, growth, and value-added opportunities. “My dad had a saying I remember from when I was a little kid, ‘You have to farm like you're going to farm forever, or you need to get out of farming.’ Because if you're trying to do things from a short-term perspective, well that's when you go downhill really fast. - Keith Yamamoto In Today’s episode:Meet third generation farmer and almond producer Keith Yamamoto from Westley, CaliforniaExplore how he found and cultivated his interest in the business of the farm and his perspective on expanding their operationUnderstand the priorities Keith and his family focus on to successfully farm their operationThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

Highlights from the April 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Decree 248 Update Food and Drug Agency has stopped managing China’s CIFER portal. China’s General Administration of Customs, also known as the GACC, uses the portal for U.S. facility registrations. This recent action creates great uncertainty for those companies waiting to finalize their GACC registrations or for “new” companies waiting to register their facilities so they can also export products to China. USDA, FDA and USTR are currently discussing next steps regarding Decree 248. Until the U.S. government decides which agency will take over the CIFER portal, be sure to confirm that the products being shipped to China are included under your facility’s GACC account. If not, GACC is refusing to add “new” products without approval from the US competent authority in the CIFER system. ABC is in touch with both FDA and USDA regarding this issue. 35 of 70 almond facilities have finalized their registrations. If you have not finalized your registration, please upload the mandatory documents and submit them on GACC’s cifer.singlewindow.cn portal for future review after the USG decides how to proceed in sending these “change requests” to China. For more info, please contact [email protected] and Logistics Update On March 24, over 100 agriculture and business groups including the Almond Alliance of California sent a letter to President Biden calling for intervention to resolve the protracted West Coast port labor negotiations between dockworkers and port facilities owners. In the letter the groups wrote, “It is imperative that the administration work with the parties to quickly reach a new agreement and ensure there is no disruption to port operations and cargo fluidity. Significant cargo flows have shifted away from the West Coast ports because of the uncertainty related to the labor negotiations.” The letter which was coordinated by the National Pork Producers Council, further requested the Biden Administration appoint a new administration point person given the departure of Marty Wash from the post of Secretary of Labor. The letter comes on the heels of “job actions” taken by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union which caused congestion of trucks trying to enter the Ports of LA/LB. Please contact Brock Densel for more info.The Turkish Nut Association Coming to California ABC will be working with the California Walnut Commission to host a delegation of the Turkish Nut Association in June. Turkey is one of the countries we are looking at as part of a global trade strategy. The Turkish government lowered tariffs on imported almonds on Jan 1, 2018, from 43% down to 15%; Turkey then implemented retaliatory tariffs of 20% on US almonds after the US announced Section 232 tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. In 2019, Turkey lowered the retaliatory tariff by 10%, and that remains today. The current applied tariff for US almonds in Turkey is 25%. ABC will be providing more information on the delegation visit as it is confirmed. For more information, please contact Keith Schneller.

A banker and CPA – who both also grow almonds – join the Journey to talk about farm finance and accounting. Ted Reimers is the vice president in the agribusiness group at American Ag Credit in Turlock and owns an orchard in Orland. Robert Holtermann farms near Wasco and is also a certified public accountant. Today’s episode highlights both their farming operations and how their perspectives as a banker and CPA have informed the decisions they’re making for their farm businesses. “I grew up in it, but until you actually see how it flows through your checkbook and the struggles that you go through, it just helps you relate a lot better.” - Ted Reimers In Today’s episode:Meet Ted Reimers, almond grower and vice president in the agribusiness group at American Ag CreditMeet Robert Holtermann, a certified CPA and almond producer near WascoDiscover how Reimers and Holtermann apply their knowledge of credit and accounting, respectively, to their farming operationsExplore almond production from a financially focused perspective including lending, operations and the industry’s futureThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Highlights from the March 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. ABC participation in the Gulfood Show ABC exhibited in the USA Pavilion at the Gulfood show in Dubai during the week of Feb 20. The USA Pavilion included 158 U.S. companies and associations including nine almond exporters. The show hosted over 5,000 exhibitors from 125 countries and was attended by over 2 million commercial visitors. Many of them expressed interest in almonds! It seems almond demand in the Middle East and across Africa is higher than ever. We had visitors from the beginning to end of the show waiting in line to ask us questions about the industry, particularly related to finding suppliers and technical information. The entire region continues to grow, with California almond shipments to UAE increasing from $193 m in CY2020 to $310 m in CY2022. The FAS offices in Pakistan and Turkey sent delegations by our booth to discuss the market, market access issues and future cooperation opportunities. Other visitors included buyers and processors from Russia, Ukraine, Algeria, Cyprus, India, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, etc. A logistics company from Dubai’s Al Ras wholesale market shared a google map link that shows how product moves from Dubai to Afghanistan and other ports in the area. Check it out here. FAS/Dubai also led a tour of the DMCC Tea and Coffee Processing Center at the local Port’s FTZ. DMCC is partially owned by the UAE government and has years of experience in trading/processing gold and diamonds. DMCC plans to expand its operations to provide services to other sectors, including tree nuts, in the future.ABC – India Trade Conference During the week of February 14, the annual ABC trade conference was held in India. More than 240 importers and processors attended the meeting this year. Starting with a regulatory update, discussions focused on the greatest impediments to the market which were identified through a survey of Indian trade. Retaliatory tariffs and FSSAI regulation were among the key concerns. The need to form alliances and engage through Indian partners was highlighted as an important means of addressing concerns. Considerable interest was expressed in the crop status, particularly insights from a California handler panel. While everyone is waiting to see how the California crop progresses, there was considerable optimism related to the long-term growth potential of the India market. This carried into the presentation of ABC marketing initiatives in India. Building on a strong tradition and culture, programs are expanding to encompass more health influencers. Other opportunities exist in ingredients, which are a growing sector for almonds, as well as expanding into rural India.Great Britain PEC CertificateGreat Britain (GB) is in the process of reviewing/revising regulations that it retained from the European Union (EU) post-Brexit. This includes EU regulation 2015/1949, which governs the Pre-Export Check (PEC) program that recognizes California Almonds for a reduced inspection rate upon arrival in the EU. ABC has been made aware of a GB-specific version of the Pre-Export Check certificate to accompany California almond exports to Great Britain. ABC contacted both UK Port Authority and FAS staff to ensure no shipments are detained pending an agreement between GB and USA. USDA has advised that UK authorities have agreed to accept the current PEC certificate while the situation is being reviewed. Optimally, UK import control authorities will agree to use the existing PEC system with slight modifications to satisfy GB requirements. We will update the industry once a final decision is agreed upon. If any handlers have their shipments impacted, please reach out immediately to Abhi Kulkarni at ABC.

Mohnish Seth is the president and owner of Farmers International. He and his wife Versha Seth joined the Journey to share their incredible story of migrating to California from India in the early 1990’s to find a new source for high quality almonds. Their experiences offer real insights into how India – which doesn’t have any domestic production of almonds – has become such a massive consumer. “The way things are done in California especially, everything is counted, everything is accountable. The university system is there, the agriculture department is there, the Almond Board is there. We are so visible, and we are proud to share that information with the people.” - Mohnish Seth In Today’s episode:Meet Mohnish and Versha Seth of Farmers International as they share their journey in growing the almond industryExplore how India has developed such an affinity for almondsDiscover the major obstacles facing California almonds getting to more international markets ABC Update:India remains the top export market for California almonds. In fact, shipments to the country more than doubled in volume between 2016 and 2021. Almond Board of California Vice President of Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs Julie Adams says India remains a top priority for growing demand for California almonds, but there are still some real challenges to be addressed. “We have to keep working with our partners across governments in trade to really look at the longer-term growth, and I think almonds are going to continue to be a big part of that growth.” - Julie Adams The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.  ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

Third generation almond grower Eric Spycher farms alongside his brother, Curt, and their father near Balico, California. This past year, Spycher was one of a few growers approached by the Turlock Irrigation District to collaborate on a groundwater recharge project. Spycher joins the Journey to share the impressive results they’ve seen from this work, how the project got started, what made his 40-acre field a good fit for this, what reservations he had, and how everything has turned out so far. He also offers some ideas for the future that apply to both growers and irrigation districts throughout the state.“The thing that surprised me is how much the local wells groundwater came up purely from my neighbor and I doing this sample along with the rain. I'm sure it was a portion of both the rain and our project, but I was really surprised at how much the groundwater came up.” - Eric SpycherIn Today’s episode:Meet third generation almond grower Eric Spycher who is working with the Turlock Irrigation District and Sustainable Conservation in an effort to recharge groundwater basinsExplore the process, concerns and effects of banking groundwaterDiscover the potential for almond orchards to recharge groundwater resourcesConsider if groundwater recharge might be an option in your area in the futureABC Update:The Almond Board of California has developed an introductory guide to help inform growers who might be considering whether groundwater recharge could be an option for them. Almond Board principal analyst Jesse Roseman says the guide seeks to answer basic questions about whether groundwater recharge might be a fit for your orchard and to provide considerations about how the process might impact your operation.Learn more by viewing the Introduction to Groundwater Recharge guide. Roseman said the resource is a great place to start learning about the practice before communicating with your local irrigation district.  The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Highlights from the February 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Algeria Requires FumigationABC sent out a note to handlers on January 26 stating that Algeria does not require fumigation per USDA/APHIS. However, after further follow-up, it has been confirmed that a fumigation requirement implemented in late 2022 only allows Aluminum or Magnesium Phosphide fumigation of products intended for export to Algeria. The fumigation information must be included on the mandatory phytosanitary certificate. APHIS updated its online PCIT/PExD database accordingly on January 30. For more information, contact [email protected] on French and Spanish Environmental Packaging Measures In January, ABC received some disconcerting reports about France and Spain separately implementing new measures related to environmental packaging laws that still have not been fully implemented by the EU. Spain was the first to implement a new plastic tax (Spanish Law 7/2022) that went into effect on Jan 1, 2023 which levies a tax of 0.45 euro per kilogram on the proportion of non-recyclable plastic in the packaging material. Spain has not published any official guidance yet to assist stakeholders in compliance. We are advising industry members to work with their buyers in providing the requested information. It is our understanding that some buyers have provided templates, while others have requested a packing list on company letterhead or a declaration on invoices. Where claims about recycled plastic % have been made, you may be asked to provide a copy of the certificate from your packaging suppliers. But at this point, we are not aware of any specific requirements for how the information is to be provided. We will provide more guidance as soon as we receive it from the USDA office in Madrid. The other issue is related to a proposed new environmental labeling scheme in France that will go into effect at the end of 2023. The purpose of the labeling is to “inform consumers about the environmental qualities and characteristics of waste-generating products”, and will mainly apply to textiles, electronics, toys, etc. While this labeling is not targeted at food products, it is unknown if this could change in the future. Neither of these initiatives are part of the EU’s proposed Green Deal but were instead developed a few years earlier and are slowly being implemented in various EU member states. For more information, contact [email protected] Trade Policy Forum Yields Some Results for PecansOn January 11, 2023, the U.S. and India held the 13th Ministerial-level meeting of the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum (TPF) in DC. A joint statement published after the meeting indicated many issues were discussed including remaining work on finalizing access for certain agricultural products of interest to both sides, increased dialogue on food and agricultural trade issues, reestablishment of GSP, and potential targeted tariff reductions. On February 2, Senator Jon Ossoff from Georgia issued a press release that India was cutting tariffs on imports of pecans from 100 percent to 30 percent. This was confirmed in the Indian Finance Ministry’s proposed annual budget, released on Feb. 1. This is excellent news for U.S. and Mexican pecan growers but does not address the retaliatory tariffs on several U.S. agricultural commodities going to India. We are hopeful that further market access issues and tariff reductions in India will be addressed again in the near future, given the fact that California Almonds are the largest U.S. agricultural export to India.

In this episode, we revisit The Almond Conference 2022 with Almond Board President and CEO Richard Waycott to recap his message on the state of the almond industry. Waycott discusses grower profitability, water and biomass all while reflecting on his 20 years in the almond industry and his hope for what he has announced will be his final year leading The Almond Board of California. “On the agricultural side, on the marketing side, on the regulatory side, there are just tremendous and innovative things going on.” - Richard Waycott In Today’s episode:Reflect on the 2022 Almond Conference and the 2022 almond industry with Richard Waycott, Almond Board of California president and CEOExplore the opportunities, challenges and optimistic future of almonds with one of the industry’s leadersLearn about further innovation in almond production and by-product useThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In this episode of the Almond Journey Podcast, we sit down with nine different almond industry leaders to hear about their hopes for 2023 and beyond. This group shares an acknowledgment of the current challenges, but also optimism for the future ahead for almonds. Our guests include:Richard Waycott, Almond Board of California president and CEODick Cunningham, grower and Almond Alliance board memberMonish Seth, president and owner of Farmers International in ChicoRobert Holterman, fourth-generation almond growerBikram Hundal, manager of Custom AlmondsJonnalee Dunn, almond grower and growth and development manager for Henderson FarmsKeith Yamamoto, third-generation almond growerTed Reimers, grower and vice president at American Ag CreditBrian Ezell, vice president of the almond division for Wonderful Almonds and Pistachios “If anybody's gonna win, we're gonna win in this deal. Is it gonna be painful in the short term? Yes, it's already there. But I don't see how you have any choice but to be optimistic. Otherwise, people will just give up and I've never seen this industry being willing to give up.” - Brian EzellIn Today’s episode: Reflect on the 2022 almond industry with some of the leading industry stakeholdersDiscover what is keeping people throughout the industry resilient and optimistic about the future aheadHear nine different perspectives about the current state of the almond industryThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

January's Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California in today's Almond Byte.Ag Trade Leaders are Confirmed by SenateAfter being nominated for leadership positions by the Biden administration last spring, Alexis Taylor was confirmed by the US Senate as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs at USDA on Dec 21. In addition, Doug McKalip was confirmed as Chief Agricultural Negotiator at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative on Dec 22. Alexis Taylor was sworn in on Dec 29 at USDA. The confirmations came after a flurry of political brokering at the end of a lame-duck session after several senators lifted their holds. Alexis has a good understanding of the issues facing almonds and other ag commodities, after having been in USDA for several years. ABC has already reached out with congratulations and will be organizing meetings as soon as possible.Update on UK PEC CertificateIn late December 2022, ABC was made aware of Great Britain (GB) requiring a GB-specific version of PreExport Check (PEC) certificate to accompany California almond exports to Great Britain. ABC contacted both UK Port Authority and FAS staff in London to ensure no shipments would be detained pending an updated PEC certificate. Further, ABC also reminded the UK Port Authorities that PEC is not a condition of import. UK authorities have agreed to accept the current PEC certificate while the situation is being reviewed. Currently, ABC is working with USDA/FAS and AMS to find an agreement with UK import control authorities to modify the existing PEC system to satisfy GB requirements. We will update the industry once the modified PEC is rolled out. If any handlers have their shipments impacted, please reach out immediately to [email protected] Hull Market Access Update for ChinaOn December 21, 2022, China’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) provided a written response to ABC’s application to include Almond Hulls in MARA’s official feed ingredients catalog. Inclusion in the catalog is required before firms can bring almond hulls into Chinese feed channels. The response came after the initial application was submitted in November 2021 along with several revisions made in 2022. MARA is requesting additional information needed to establish domestic standards for almond hulls in the feed catalog including parameters for NDF and mold counts among other details. ABC staff will continue to work with our consultant in Beijing and colleagues at the Almond Alliance to make sure that the final “standards” to be published in MARA’s feed catalog are reasonable and least restrictive for US suppliers. For more information, please contact [email protected] Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) Entered into force on December 29, 2022According to a recent Australian government press release, ECTA has entered into force. It states that, “Over 85 percent of Australian goods exports by value to India are now tariff-free, rising to 90 percent in six years, and high tariffs have been reduced on some additional products. In addition, 96 percent of imports from India are now tariff-free, rising to 100 percent in four years.” For almonds, the new annual Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) allows 34,000 MT (about 75 million lbs) of inshell/shelled almonds to enter India at 50% of the current Most Favored Nation (MFN) tariff levels. This more than covers current Australian shipments to India. Imports above the TRQ are at the full MFN rate:Within TRQ: 17.5 Rps/kg inshell and 50 Rps/kg kernel.Above TRQ: 35 Rps/kg inshell and 100 Rps/kg kernelAccording to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade website, “To access a TRQ, exporters will need a TRQ certificate. Under ECTA, Australia will issue TRQ certificates to exporters or producers and share them with Indian Customs authorities. The importer in India will lodge a request letter, along with the reference for the certificate, to Indian Customs authorities. The authorities will in turn issue a No Objection Certificate to the Indian importer for each TRQ certificate received from Australia.”India currently maintains retaliatory tariffs of 41 Rps/kg on U.S. inshell almonds and 120 Rps/kg on U.S. shelled almonds. ABC will be monitoring how the implementation of the TRQ impacts U.S. shipments.

This special episode was recorded in-person at The Almond Conference in early December 2022. Almond Achievement Award winner Brian Ezell shares his almond journey, the importance of volunteerism, and what he’s given and gained by serving the industry over the years.  Ezell is the vice president of the almond division for Wonderful Almonds and Pistachios. His primary role is to make sure that the company markets and sells their almonds every year to customers around the world. Ezell has served on numerous Almond Board committees over the past 20 years, including serving as chairman of the Global Market Development Committee (GMDC) for the past six years. “I’ve gotten way more out of volunteering than I know I contributed, so when you get an award like this you feel very humbled because you feel like you’re the one that got all of the benefit.” - Brian Ezell In Today’s episode:Meet Almond Achievement Award winner Brian Ezell, and discover his almond journeyHear why Ezell was surprised to be the recipient of the awardUnderstand why Ezell is so committed to volunteerism in the almond industryExplore why Ezell is hopeful for the next generation of volunteers  The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

Bill Brush is a wealth of knowledge about soil and crop fertility. After years of farming and working in ag retail, Brush became fascinated by the world beneath the soil’s surface, and that led to him becoming a full-time independent consultant. In this episode, Brush discusses what can be done to continue to build structure, biology and water holding capacity over time.“The three major components of science are physics, biology, and chemistry. It's like a three-legged stool. You have to have all three of those components to put together a successful fertility program.” - Bill BrushIn Today’s episode:Meet crop consultant Bill BrushLearn about Brush’s journey from a generational farmer to an independent crop consultant.Discover how Brush and his farmer clients manage soil physics, biology and chemistry to create successful fertility programsABC UpdateFor several years, the Almond Board of California has supported the Seeds for Bees program which provides free seed to growers who want to try cover crops for the first or second year. Almond Board of California Chief Scientific Officer Josette Lewis said the practice is proving beneficial for some growers, improving their soils, their pollinator health and their bottom line. Growers have already received their cover crop seed from Seeds for Bees for the 2022-2023 season and Lewis says the growth of the program speaks volumes about the value of cover crops. “Our focus is on the role that cover crops can play in solving soil quality problems in the orchard. So that might be compaction, which impacts water infiltration… It also plays a role in pollinator health. The honeybees that every grower brings into the orchard are a pretty expensive part of growing almonds and research shows that having a blooming cover crop around the time of almond pollination can improve bee health.” - Josette LewisYou can find more information about cover crops by downloading the Cover Crop Best Management Practices and by visiting the Almond Boards cover crop and forage web page. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.  

In this episode, pest control adviser (PCA) Robert Sylvester joins the journey. Sylvester has worked for Wilbur Ellis for over 12 years focused on almonds he grew up working in almond orchards with his father. While at Cal Poly, Sylvester interned with Wilbur Ellis which led to a full time position and a PCA license. This background has greatly influenced the way he approaches his almond producer clients.“I work with the grower and I say, this is where I see the issues and this is where I think we can improve with this program or with this material I think we can do better. If I wouldn't do it for Dad, I'm not doing it for them.” - Robert Sylvester In Today’s episode:Meet Robert Sylvester who has worked as a PCA in almond orchards for over 12 yearsHear how pest management strategies have evolved over the years, and what issues he and his farmer customers dealt with this past seasonDiscover how Sylvester and other PCAs work as critical team members for California almond growersABC UpdateA few years ago, the Almond Board of California looked for opportunities to provide tangible tools that would help growers and PCAs. This led to a family of identification booklets with pictures and descriptions to reference throughout the year. Almond Board of California Senior Manager of Industry Relations and Communications Jenny Nicolau announces that there is a new tool that will be available for the first time ever next week at The Almond Conference – the Almond Disease and Nutrient Deficiency Identification Cards.“It empowers the farm managers and the laborers in the orchard to really learn and really start to have a better idea of what they're seeing, like they're part of it when they can work with their PCA thanks to these identification booklets…I'm really excited about this. third ID set because it rounds out the family.” - Jenny Nicolau Register now to attend The Almond Conference at www.almonds.com/conference.   The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.  ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.  

Almond grower Jarred Greene didn’t always know he would end up pursuing farming as a career. In 2013, Greene took a summer internship with his current employer, San Juan Ranch, part of Nickel Family Farms. That led him on a journey from washing shop windows to irrigation scheduling to farm management. In this episode, Greene shares insights on where automation fits into an almond operation, especially in the areas oof irrigation and spraying.“We have irrigators out there. We’re not trying to replace them. We’re trying to achieve more with less. So how can you keep that person but enable him to do a little bit more with his time than he was able to do five or ten years ago?” - Jarred Greene In Today’s episode:Meet almond grower Jarred Greene and discover his journey to almond production in Firebaugh, CaliforniaExplore the opportunities, benefits and perspectives of implementing automation in an almond orchardLearn about the increased efficiency and the many benefits Greene has found with irrigation and spraying automationABC UpdateAlmond Board Associate Director of Agricultural Research Sebastian Saa has assembled a group of researchers on behalf of the industry to coordinate a collaborative effort called Tree Crop Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration Experiment (T-REX). Along with this effort to give growers a clear picture of actual ET, the Almond Board is supporting research on yield prediction and estimation. The hope is that this can help to make sure growers are meeting the water needs of the tree efficiently and precisely.“What our portfolio will focus on is to define when to irrigate, how much to irrigate, where to irrigate – and at the end of the day – how to irrigate…They are developing and enabling the technology to visualize how much our trees are actually transpiring at a high-resolution level.” - Sebastian Saa Register now to attend The Almond Conference at www.almonds.com/conference.   The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

November's Global Update includes the latest on the European Union, engagement in the Indian market and new pesticide and trade strategy development.EU Regulatory & Trade UpdateThe EU continues to grapple with the fallout from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in the form of delayed implementation of some of the Green Deal/Farm-to-Fork proposals and higher energy costs. ABC is monitoring proposals that may impact the export of California almonds to the EU. As part of stakeholder consultations, ABC has provided comments on the implications of applying EU environmental standards to imports without taking into consideration the differences in geographical, climatological, and consequently, pest pressures of different growing regions. ABC also provided input to another stakeholder consultation on sustainable food systems, highlighting the work the California almond industry has already done related to water conservation and pollinator health. ABC is also monitoring the EU’s consideration of Front-of-Pack nutritional and sustainable labeling, as well as harmonized handling of rejected shipments.Industry members are encouraged to attend the trade panel discussions during the upcoming Almond Conference in December 2022, where a representative from Prospero (our regulatory monitoring consultant in EU), will provide updates on EU regulatory issues. For more information, contact [email protected]. Continued Engagement with FSSAI ABC staff recently met in Delhi with the Indian Food Safety and Standards authorities (FSSAI). The previous CEO recently moved into a new position; the Delhi meeting was an opportunity to introduce the Almond Board to the new CEO as well as to continue discussions with the Director of Imports. Unfortunately, a November visit to California by the two officials was postponed but is anticipated to be rescheduled to the first half of 2023. ABC plans to follow up on discussions with FSSAI and almond industry members in February, in conjunction with the annual India trade conference.Clay Hamilton (USDA/FAS), who will be posted in India next summer and has been invited to participate in the trade panel session at the upcoming December Almond Conference. For more information, contact [email protected], Trade Strategies being DevelopedTrade and regulatory challenges, including pesticides, have been priorities for the almond industry. Following on Board strategic priorities, ABC staff have been defining new strategies to better deal with complex regulatory issues at home and abroad. The trade strategies have included deeper dives into the tariff and technical barriers (such as complex facility registration or overly burdensome labeling requirements) impacting trade in both established and horizon markets, with the intent to better focus resources on opening new and expanding existing markets in the future. One common theme is the impact of stricter pesticide requirements stemming from the EU’s efforts to restrict the use of chemical tools — in the EU and by elimination of import tolerances supported by international standard-setting bodies like Codex. Better definition of the actual barriers will enable ABC to work more effectively with USDA, USTR, and industry partners to resolve these barriers ultimately increasing future export opportunities.

The 50th Almond Conference will host over 3,500 attendees and 270 exhibitors this December in Sacramento. Jim Jasper, Ladd Hackler, Bob Curtis and Rebecca Bailey have each attended the annual event several times throughout the years. They share some of their experiences in this episode as we hear how far the event has come in the last half-decade. “It's the super bowl of the almond industry. Once a guy does go, you're probably gonna see him the next year too because he did learn something. But you just gotta break that ice and get him to go once.” - Jim Jasper In Today’s episode:●     Meet industry leaders Jim Jasper, Ladd Hackler and Bob Curtis, who have found great value in attending the yearly meeting●     Explore the evolution of The Almond Conference, the benefits it offers growers and the relationships it facilitates●     Discover the activities, events and opportunities participants will have access to Register now to attend The Almond Conference at www.almonds.com/conference.   The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.  ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

EU Regulatory & Trade Update The overall aflatoxin rejections for California almonds in Europe have trended down, from 32 in 2017-18 to 2 so far this year. However, the industry continues to face other challenges associated with aflatoxin rejections, namely, denial of goods returned to origin for rejected shipments in some EU countries such as Spain and Denmark. This is an issue ABC has been actively working with EU regulators to harmonize across all member states so shippers can opt to bring rejected shipments back if they choose to do so. The ongoing discussions on revising Articles 66 and 67 import control procedures promise to harmonize the handling of rejected goods across EU member states. ABC will keep the industry updated on any developments in this regard.In other EU regulatory news, the implementation of some of the Farm-to-Fork-related regulatory proposals has slowed down, but not completely paused, as the EU grapples with the fallout from the Ukraine-Russia war. ABC has responded to stakeholder consultations and shared industry viewpoints on important issues such as the possibility of applying EU environmental and health regulations to imported products and creating a mutually acceptable sustainability framework. ABC has received inquiries from industry members regarding European Commission Recommendation 553/2022 related to monitoring alternaria toxin levels in foods, including tenuazonic acid (TeA) for tree nuts. According to Dr. Jim Adaskaveg, Professor of Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the University of California, Riverside, there is very low concern about Alternaria on almond-producing inoculum levels to reach detectable mycotoxin levels. Primarily, the almond tree may be affected with “Alternaria leaf spot” disease but there is rarely any evidence of hull infections. In general, the kernels are well protected by the shell and hull and spore contamination would have to be extremely high to detect mycotoxins. ABC has initiated testing of infected samples to generate baseline data.ABC has invited our EU regulatory affairs consultant, Prospero, to provide updates on the current EU status in implementing its Green Deal strategies during an international trade panel at the Annual Conference coming up in December. For more information, contact [email protected]. USDA Tree Nut Annual Reports - Highlights for India and the EUUSDA recently published its annual Tree Nuts Reports for the EU and India. The EU imported more than $1.4 billion of almonds from the U.S. in MY 21/22 (93% market share) and only $82 million from Australia, its second-largest supplier. USDA forecasts predict that the EU’s two largest almond producers, Spain and Italy, will see significant decreases in production in MY 2022/23. For India, USDA forecasts a slight decrease in Indian almond imports to 148,000 metric tons (MT) for MY 2022/23. The U.S. is the largest almond supplier to India with 84% market share, followed by Australia at 8%. Domestic production is predicted to decrease by 4% to 4,000 MT.USTR Chief Ag Negotiator On Hold Last month we reported that Doug McKalip’s nomination for chief agricultural negotiator at USTR was moving along smoothly, but since then citing transparency concerns, a Democratic Senator placed a hold on his nomination. This hold may delay McKalip’s confirmation. However, Alexis Taylor’s Senate Ag confirmation hearing held on Sept 22 went very well. Ms.Taylor is the current Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture and was nominated to be the USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs. There is optimism that she will be confirmed soon after Congress returns after the November elections.

Daniel Bays is a sixth-generation California farmer who also happens to be a former California State FFA Officer. In today’s episode, Bays shares about his farming operation, how the FFA has impacted his career and life, and why decades after wearing the blue jacket himself, he’s still passionately supporting the organization. We’ll also hear from Katie Otto of the California FFA Foundation and Rebecca Bailey at the Almond Board of California (ABC) about how the almond industry is supporting tomorrow’s leaders. “The regulations that we deal with on a daily basis, that voting base needs to have an appreciation and understanding for what it takes to get food on the table. I think programs like FFA are one of our best opportunities to help with that educational process.” - Daniel BaysBays is one of many in the almond industry whose lives have been positively impacted by the California FFA Association. Once known as the Future Farmers of America, the youth leadership organization is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of high school students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Through ABC and the Almond Leadership Program, the almond industry is the largest source of annual donations to California FFA academic scholarships.In Today’s episode: Meet Daniel Bays, sixth generation farmer from Patterson, California.Explore Daniel’s journey from growing up on a farm to running an operationDiscover the value participating in the FFA provided him, both expected and unexpectedCelebrate the support the almond industry is able to provide to the California FFA FoundationTo donate an item for the silent auction at The Almond Conference 2022 (TAC) that supports the FFA, fill out the form here. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Updates on transportation and Logistics, a new USTR Chief Negotiator and China's Decree 248 challenges in this month's Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at ABC. Transportation/Logistics Update The number of container ships headed for the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — a traffic jam that once symbolized American consumer vigor during the pandemic — declined to the lowest level since the bottleneck started to build two years ago. According to data from the Marine Exchange of Southern California & Vessel Traffic Service Los Angeles and Long Beach, eight vessels were in the official queue at the end of August. That’s an all-time low, officials said in a statement, down from a record of 109 set in January and about 40 lined up a year ago. As a result, LA port officials want ships that diverted around the congestion to return. Long-term box freight rates continue to climb but are finally showing signs of coming under pressure. Data from the online platform Xeneta shows that long-term rates increased 4.1% in August, standing 121.2% higher than this time last year. Nevertheless, there are signs that new long-term contracted rates are actually starting to drop on key trading corridors. But given that they’re replacing expiring agreements with considerably lower rates, the average paid by all shippers is still climbing. The Almond Alliance has worked with carriers and railroads in order to expand service options to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. CMA/CGM has announced the opening of weekly services to India and Asia via Union Pacific rail from the Oakland Ramp to the Port of Los Angeles. MSC is currently adding the Oakland Ramp as an export option in their online booking system. Evergreen has confirmed core services available via Oakland Ramp to Los Angeles and working towards LB. OOCL will rail direct to ship from Oakland to LA & LB or by truck to LA & LB. Services currently include China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, and Vietnam. All of these services are now available both by booking direct or through SCTC contracts. For more information please contact the Almond Alliance [email protected] or Brock Densel at ABC, [email protected]. USTR Chief Ag Negotiator Moving ForwardThe Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously to advance the nomination of Doug McKalip for chief agricultural negotiator at USTR. McKalip is currently serving as a senior advisor to the agriculture secretary and is a longtime agriculture department official. His confirmation hearing and following questions for the record had a major focus on market access in trade negotiations, particularly the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. McKalip pledged that he would push for market access, for IPEF’s trade pillar to be a core piece of the framework, and for trade to be “a much larger percentage of the results” than the other pillars. He now awaits a confirmation vote from the full Senate. Meanwhile, there has been no further movement on the nomination of Alexis Taylor for the Undersecretary for Trade position at USDA. Update on China’s Decree 248While most handlers were able to take advantage of the fast-track registration of their facilities and corresponding raw inshell and shelled almonds for shipment to China back in December 2021, China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) has become very slow in helping firms clear products that weren’t approved in the initial registrations. Please be advised that if you are shipping products that have not been approved under your GACC registration, you may experience long delays in clearing products stuck in Chinese ports even with assistance from US FDA and USDA offices in Beijing. If you need help confirming which products are already covered under your GACC account or need assistance registering additional products or with the initial registration of your facility with GACC, please contact [email protected].

Almond grower Patrick Abercrombie farms with his family in Kerman, California. In 2007, after about a decade of growing almonds, it became difficult for local hullers to keep up with the increase in deliveries. That paired with a year of untimely rains prompted the Abercrombie family to start stockpiling.“What's happened now with the almonds is we've gotten to the point where they cannot process the almonds as fast as we can deliver them so therefore, we're all going to have to start storing them on site so that we can then get them processed.” - Patrick AbercrombieInitially born out of necessity, Abercrombie has since become well-versed on the technique of storing almonds. In this episode, he shares a variety of tips, lessons and advice for others who may find themselves in the situation of needing to stockpile.“Currently at the almond huller that we're at they give a 2 cent incentive for every pound that we stockpile. That basically covers the plastic and most of the labor to cover the piles and seal them.” - Patrick Abercrombie In Today’s episode:Meet Patrick Abercrombie, almond grower in Kerman CaliforniaExplore Patrick’s journey and process for storing almonds onsiteDiscover the obstacles and lessons Patrick has learned during his 16 years of storing almonds in pilesABC UpdateWith the extra carryover in the crop this year, stockpiling can be a very practical way to extend almond storage if it’s managed properly. If not managed properly, growers risk product loss from mold growth or aflatoxin contamination, quality degradation or pest infestation. Almond Board associate director of food research and technology Guangwei Huang says this means it’s absolutely critical that the industry get this right. To help facilitate this, the Almond Board has a stockpiling guide available to help producers. The updated guide includes 3 sections: the first is the fundamentals of moisture management and other impact factors, the second to answer questions on harvest timing and drying, and the third to address area preparation, how to make a stockpile, and proper stockpile monitoring and management.“This will require great effort and coordination from both growers and huller/shellers…. The keys to success in stockpiling are very simple: control moisture and control infestation.” - Guangwei Huang For more information about this or any of the topics we discuss on this podcast, reach out to the Almond Board’s Field Outreach Team directly at [email protected].   The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

While exports got off to a slow start at the beginning of the marketing year, record monthly shipments during the last quarter resulted in the second largest volume of exports on record, despite a multitude of ongoing challenges including logistical problems, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a strong dollar and ongoing, pandemic-related lockdowns in China.Trade has remained front and center! We continued to monitor global tariff and technical barriers, even though this Administration maintains its focus on climate, sustainability, and worker-related issues. In addition, we’ve been addressing a wide variety of market access issues in key markets (new and never-ending) including China’s Decree 248 and the EU’s drive to push their environmental and agricultural policies on trading partners via the proposed Green Deal and Farm to Fork mirror policies.The GTRA team has been working across global markets, leveraging partnerships and fact-based data to mitigate issues that could disrupt almond shipments. As we look to FY 22/23, we are also working to identify new markets and find ways to lower barriers to trade in order to boost almond exports in the future.

Almond grower and pest control adviser (PCA) Patrick Romero shares some of the issues he has been seeing with plant bugs in orchards, including leaffooted bugs and stink bugs. Mel Machado, Blue Diamond Growers vice president of member relations, has been seeing this problem show up at the processor in brown spot damage. In some cases, the economic losses have been significant.“We had deliveries that were rendered as oil stock, and it was entirely because of brown spot as a result of plant bugs. Oil stock means there is no value to that crop. Those loads were literally discarded…. That’s a huge economic loss. It is a couple thousand dollars an acre.” - Mel MachadoTo remain proactive with brown spot, Machado says it’s important to be vigilant in your scouting and monitoring and work closely with your PCA. Romero advises growers on both row crops and tree crops throughout five counties in the San Joaquin Valley, and has 200 almond acres of his own that he considers his “weekend hobby”. Over the past 40 years, Romero has seen acres of row crops turn to tree crops. The changing pest and disease landscape that comes with that transition sets the scene for the recent problems with plant bugs and brown spot.“When you have that kind of degree of acreage you're also creating a climate, or call it a predisposer, for disease or pathogens that hit those crops. You are going to have a problem with not only diseases, but insects. The insects will build up over time because you've got a lot of hosts….. Everything spreads across the board when you've got that many acres of tree crops.” - Patrick RomeroThere’s a lot of nuances in the scouting, monitoring, and managing of pests like leaffooted bugs, stink bugs and other plant bugs. Adding to the challenge is that tools to control these insects are gradually being phased out.“If you don't bring the processor a clean crop, you tend to lose more money than the drop in the price. You're going to get paid less per pound for your commodity because you didn't spend another hundred or two hundred dollars an acre trying to control an insect or a disease.” - Patrick Romero In Today’s episode:Meet Patrick Romero, an almond grower and independent PCA, and Mel Machado, Blue Diamond Growers vice president of member relationsExplore the ever-increasing threat of brown spot and pest pressure on almond orchardsLearn about different measures that can be taken to monitor and mitigate pest levels and the obstacles producers face with added regulations For more information about this or any of the topics we discuss on this podcast, reach out to the Almond Board’s Field Outreach Team directly at [email protected].   The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices. 

Today we head east of Modesto to the town of Denair to visit with Brian Wahlbrink of Sperry Farms. Brian grows almonds with his brother-in-law, Wes Sperry, on their 5th generation farming operation. As many of you know, Brian is also the current chairman of the Almond Board of California (ABC). Wahlbrink shares about the unique journey that led him to almonds, his long tenure on the global market development committee, keeping up with marketing a rapidly growing crop, and an exciting new partnership with Marvel that positions almonds with the health and wellness journey of Thor in the recently released movie Thor: Love and Thunder. “Thor is actually one of the larger characters in Marvel with a huge following. And he goes on a journey, kind of a health and wellness journey. So we just thought the fit was perfect with almonds.” - Brian WahlbrinkCheck out Brian's Instagram and the website to learn more about this partnership! In Today’s episode: Get to know ABC Chairman Brian Wahlbrink and his journey to the almond industryLearn about the evolution of almond promotion programs over timeDiscover ABC’s new partnership with Marvel and why it’s a great fit for almondsUnderstand market development opportunities like the Marvel partnership, and what this means for the almond industryABC Update:Thor: Love and Thunder hit theaters on Friday, July 8th. Almonds had a rare opportunity to be a part of this event. Almond Board of California vice president of global market development Emily Fleischmann shares details of this unique strategic partnership and why this matters for the almond industry. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Transportation/Logistics Update ABC staff attended the Agriculture Transportation Coalition (AgTC) annual conference in Tacoma that focused on ongoing transportation disruptions and touched on many aspects of the logistics crisis. Numerous discussions focused on how and when things may begin to improve; the consensus among those presenting was that things will continue to improve throughout the calendar year with something like a return to normalcy being realized in 2023. Carrier rates, however, are expected to continue to be significantly higher than their historical average.While things continue to improve, there was also much discussion regarding the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA) which was recently signed into law. While formulation of exact regulations for carriers will be ongoing through the year, many of the law's provisions immediately went into effect, including those requiring carriers to provide justification for detention and demurrage fees, as well as the provision barring carriers from unreasonably declining cargo bookings. For more information, contact [email protected] Bill Proposes Port Priorities for Exports The American Port Access Privileges Act (H.R. 8243, introduced June 29 by Rep. Garamendi, D-Calif.) would build on OSRA by encouraging ocean carriers to ship U.S. exports to foreign markets. ABC will be evaluating the legislation and working with our partners at AgTC to ensure they have any information needed to assist almond exporters. According to information from Garamendi’s office, this bill would: reward ocean carriers that serve multiple ports in the U.S. or with significant cargo bookings of U.S. exports (i.e., those accounting for at least 51 percent of the vessel’s carrying capacity by weight or container volume) by moving those vessels to the front of the queue for unloading and loading; require export-carrying vessels seeking preferential berthing to report cargo bookings at least seven days in advance to port operators; authorize the Department of Transportation to collect data on berthing and cargo practices at U.S. ports to evaluate carriers’ practices for port calls and cargo bookings and the impact of preferential berthing; and codify current preferences for military, Jones Act, and other U.S.-flagged vessels in place at many major U.S. ports. Update on China’s Decree 248 ABC staff continues to work with U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in finding ways to finalize facility registrations initially fast-tracked by General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China (GACC) back in December. It’s still not clear how FDA and GACC will sort out the review and approval of registrations submitted more recently including the addition of products that were not requested in the initial registrations. The United States Agricultural Trade Office (ATO) based in Guangzhou, China, held a webinar on July 6 featuring GACC experts on self-registration for those products that don’t require support from the competent authority. Although these facilities do not require assistance from FDA, much of the documentation required is the same such as production process flowcharts, signed enterprise statements, and the proposed “licensed production certificate (business license?)” requirement. ABC is working with FDA and USDA/China to address many of these outstanding issues. If you have questions about the registration process, please contact [email protected].

Farmers Kyle Nichols and Rory Crowley discuss the benefits and tradeoffs of planting cover crops. They examine the economics and agronomics of the practice, and what this means for water management. Crowley is also the habitat program director for Project Apis m., running the Seeds for Bees program. Seeds for Bees encourages growers to support honey bee habitat and soil health by planting cover crops. “Everything on the market seems to be more and more difficult so growers are having a really hard time. It's because of that, that Seeds for Bees is pushing out more free seed allocations this year.... At Project Apis m., we believe that cover cropping is important and even more so when we're having difficult times and difficult weather to plant in” - Rory CrowleyIn Today’s episode: ● Meet Rory Crowley, almond grower and the habitat program director for Project Apis m., and Kyle Nichols, farm manager at Cinderlind Farms● Explore the Seeds for Bees program, the benefits it provides and the process for applying to participate● Discover the compost technique Kyle Nichols has used on his operation along with cover crops to enhance the biological activity in the soils of his orchard“You can help keep that soil open and allow the drainage to happen, allow that water to get there and then leave. And that's what I've noticed as we implement cover crops... it brings that water over and it disperses that water across the entire row. I call it kind of making a water bank. It's going to hold all that water.” - Kyle NicholsFor more information about this or any of the topics we discuss on this podcast, reach out to the Almond Board’s Field Outreach Team directly at [email protected]. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Transportation-Logistics UpdateThe Almond Alliance, along with other agricultural export leaders, has met with significant ocean carriers such as CMA/CGM, OOCL, MAERSK, the Ports of LA, LB, and Oakland, and railroads - UP & BNSF, to find immediate solutions to current industry shipping logjams. Using ABC data, the Almond Alliance was able to show that there is the demand to warrant alternatives to shipping out of the Port of Oakland. As a result of these meetings, the Alliance was able to bring the parties together to offer a viable alternative. The new route would have shippers directly book with the ocean carrier OOCL for drop-off at the Oakland ramp. The product would be railed directly to LA/LB for final loading and shipment to various Asian markets (currently, service to India is not being offered). Concurrently, an additional rail service from the Central Valley directly to LA/LB is under development. More information on that rail service will be provided as details become available. Additional information will be released by the Almond Alliance. Visit their website here to stay up to date. Additionally, the gridlock surrounding the Ocean Shipping Reform Act in Congress is expected to be resolved in the next few weeks. The House is planning on taking up the version of the Bill passed by the Senate earlier this year. While this version does not include as strong of provisions that bar carriers from “unreasonably” declining export bookings, it includes stronger provisions related to reining in detention and demurrage fees.MRL Conference Highlights More Challenges for AgIndustry members attending the annual Minor Crops MRL Conference discussed challenges related to import tolerances, risk assessments and sustainable ag production. Increasing efforts to define “sustainable” food chains and acceptable processes and production methods will impact not only producers but also ag trade. It was highlighted that consumers generally do not appreciate the importance of chemical tools in mitigating food loss in the field resulting from insect pressures, drought, etc. – which impacts developing countries.Concern was expressed over the need for expedited approvals and reviews for chemical tools, to reduce the burden on industry and agency reviews. It was pointed out that about 14% of global noncompliance would “go away” if science-based Codex MRLs were followed. A presenter from Mexico raised awareness that there is a number of shifts in how pesticides are to be regulated within Mexico. Those shifts include a ban on imports of glyphosate thus precluding its use by Mexican growers, along with efforts to increase organic production and reduce pesticide use within Mexico. To date, it’s not clear if these changes will impact MRLs and thus imports, but if the outlined changes take effect, then Mexican growers will likely push for import MRL changes.Pakistan Bans Imports of AlmondsOn May 19, Pakistan announced a formal import ban on various products, including agricultural products, in an effort to lower its trade deficit and preserve foreign currency reserves. Imports of nearly all products under Chapter 08, including almonds and all other nuts, are banned. In 2021, the U.S. exported 2,714 MT of shelled almonds and 1,698 MT of in-shell almonds to Pakistan.More information can be found in a recent USDA GAIN report. ABC staff are following up with USDA/FAS offices in Pakistan and USTR.

Richard Waycott is the president and CEO of the Almond Board of California (ABC). Over the past 20 years he has seen almond production triple from one billion to three billion pounds. Recent travels to Spain, Portugal, India, and Duba have informed Richard’s perspective on the global supply and demand drivers impacting almonds. Richard shares some takeaways from these trips and how emerging trends will inform ABC’s strategies going forward.  “I'm focused on the industry and the importers and the manufacturers, to make sure that they understand who we are, what we're doing, that we want to help them develop new products and innovation.” - Richard WaycottIn Today’s episode: Richard Waycott is the president and CEO of the Almond Board of California.Explore the almond market on a global scale and the obstacles the market may be facingDiscover the actions by the Almond Board of California to grow international demand and market shareLearn about a new venture with Marvel and how this partnership will promote almond consumption“The board of directors really works hard to make sure we're focused in the right areas and putting resources behind issues in the industry be they on the farm or globally where we can move the needle” - Richard WaycottFor more information about this or any of the topics we discuss on this podcast, reach out to the Almond Board’s Field Outreach Team directly at [email protected].  The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.  ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

On April 25, a group of agricultural stakeholders, led by the Almond Alliance of California (AAC), sent a letter to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Department of Transportation and other Federal agencies requesting they convene a meeting between agricultural exporters and ocean carriers to address the current trade imbalance. Other signatories included California Farm Bureau; Western Growers Association; National Milk Producers Federation; U.S. Dairy Export Council; Western United Dairies; and the California Walnut Handlers Alliance.Working with the Alliance, the Almond Board contributed to the letter by developing data regarding the economic impacts of the present situation and the current state of the industry.On May 4, California Senators Feinstein and Padilla referencing the AAC-led effort, sent a letter, to 13 ocean carriers requesting they provide the necessary equipment for exports and for them to engage with the affected industries to develop a resolution to the export delays.

Kirk Pumphrey grows 160 acres of almonds on Westwind Farms in Yolo County. He has been on a seven-year journey to finetune his operation, especially in the areas of irrigation efficiency and distribution uniformity. “In ‘13 and ‘14 the market was down, and a piece of property became available. I got through the planning of the orchard probably moving, I would say a bit quick in not doing as much research as I probably should have…. I quickly learned and understood the deficiencies of those decisions and reached out for help. - Kirk Pumphrey Through this process he has developed close relationships with researchers at UC Davis, local resource conservation districts (RCDs) and others. Pumphrey has been driven to find the latest research and best practices that work for him on his farm. Not only is he collaborating with UC Davis on multiple research projects, but he has also worked with Kevin Greer at the Tehama County Resource Conservation District to run distribution uniformity tests, and has found a way to remove boron from his water and sell it as a fertilizer to areas that are deficient. Given the last few years of severe drought, Pumphrey has explored flowmeters and the impact they have had on his water efficiency. “We'll find at the beginning of the year, the output of that well is “x.” We've already noticed by the end of this month of April that we're in right now, a difference that our well output already has. Consequently, runtimes are a bit longer and I'm sure as we progress through the season, the same thing's going to happen, and the water volume will change. You can't use anything that's theoretical. You've got to base it on gallons.” - Kirk Pumphrey In Today’s episode:Meet Kirk Pumphrey, an almond grower on Westwind Farms in Yolo County.Explore the journey he has taken towards collaborating with researchers and RCDs to best use the resources he has availableDiscover Pumphrey’s use and recommendation of flowmeter sensors to increase his water efficiencyLearn about his best practices in timing and application for pursuing grant money to help your operation be as efficient as possible without incurring extra expense “The volume of water in the world is not going to change tomorrow. It's a closed system and we have a management problem of that water. And we, as a society, need to understand how we are going to manage this better.” - Kirk Pumphrey ABC UpdateThere’s no easy year when it comes to farming in California, and as you just heard from Pumphrey, the journey to get it right doesn’t really have a final destination. Since 1973 the almond community has supported more than $89 million in research to improve farming practices. One of the many deliverables from this investment is a number of helpful research-backed resources that growers can access for free. Almond Board Senior Manager of Industry Relations and Communications Jenny Nicolau says a good place to start is almonds.com/growertools, where you’ll find a whole irrigation section with each tool listed separately and east to access. The page also contains educational videos from the irrigation station series that the Almond Board produced a few years ago. Growers can get more information about the tools and topics by accessing the “Orchard Management” section of the “Almond Industry” tab and search by topic.  For more information about this or any of the topics we discuss on this podcast, reach out to the Almond Board’s Field Outreach Team directly at [email protected].   The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.  ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Australia and India ink new Trade AgreementIt has been in the works for a long time, but it appearsAustralia and India have finally concluded their Economic Cooperation and TradeAgreement (IndAusECTA) on April 2, 2022. The agreement provides for competitivetariff elimination or reduction on a wide range of goods including Australianalmonds. The aim is to enhance bilateral trade to $54 billion in the next fiveyears which is currently at $27.5 billion. As soon as the Agreement is ratifiedby both parliaments, India has agreed to create a combined annual tariff ratequota up to 34,000 MTs for shelled and inshell Australian almonds. From the information available, it appears importers will berequired to obtain import licenses to utilize the TRQ. The in-quota rate willbe 50% of the current MFN rate which would equate to 17.5 rps/kg for inshelland 50 rps/kg for shelled almonds. Meantime, the U.S. duties, given retaliatorytariffs, remain at 41 rps/kg for inshell, and 120 rps/kg for kernels. This isonly the second agreement that India has signed in the last 10 years. The lastagreement India signed was with Japan in 2011 followed by the UAE and nowAustralia in 2022. The deal with India removes tariffs on more than 85% ofAustralian goods exported to India, worth US$9.4 billion, rising to almost 91%over 10 years. Tariffs will be eliminated on sheep meat, wool, copper, coal,alumina, fresh Australian rock lobster, and some critical minerals andnon-ferrous metals to India. It will see 96 percent of Indian goods importsenter Australia duty-free. Australia is currently negotiating nine FTAsincluding bilateral agreements with three of its largest trading partners,China, Japan and South Korea. Meanwhile, the United States is waiting to engagein talks related to the proposed Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. Transportation-Logistics Update The Senate unanimously approved the Ocean Shipping ReformAct in a vote last week. The bill’s support comes at a time of peakcongressional concern over the resiliency of American supply chains, which hasbecome an even more critical issue in light of the Ukraine/Russia conflict. Thebill, which aims to ease maritime supply chain issues, “is designed to supportthe growth and development of U.S. exports and promote reciprocal trade in thecommon carriage of goods by water in the foreign commerce of the UnitedStates.” The bill now goes into a process to work out the differencesbetween the House and Senate versions. Once the differences are worked out, thebill will need to pass both chambers a second time. Have logistics updates youwant to share? Please contact: [email protected] EU hits “Pause” on its Sustainable Food Strategy The war in Ukrane has “pressed the pause button” on theEU’s flagship food policy, the Farm to Fork strategy, but the long-termambition for the sector remains unchanged, according to the EU Health CommissionerStella Kyriakides. Between skyrocketing food prices and shortages of key inputssuch as fuel and fertilizer, the war has sent the EU agri-food sector reeling.“We’re working hard to address global food security and for food affordabilityin the EU, including finding alternative feed sources for the short term,” saidEU Health Commissioner Kyriakide. EU Commission and European industry have beenmeeting frequently to identify those temporary measures and policy implicationsbrought about by the war and disruption to food supply systems. Severalshort-to-medium term measures are being considered to minimize disruption,which includes allowing farmers to plant crops on marginal/set-aside lands,packaging label changes, etc.

Devin Clarke has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to crop fertility, and is conducting some interesting trials at YARA’s Incubator Farm. The farm consists of 40 acres that they lease from an almond grower to compare various full season nutrition management strategies. In this episode, Devin discusses what they’re learning at the incubator farm, what’s going on with the volatile fertilizer market, and what insights he can share that might help growers get the most out of their fertilizer programs. “If you're able to generate a more consistent year over year net return by employing a strategy that is focused on crop demand and uptake, then it's going to put you in a better position long-term to be able to cover some of (your) fixed costs.” - Devin Clarke Devin began his career as a pest control advisor (PCA) with a local independent ag retailer. He soon found his biggest interest was on the agronomic side of the business, and was attracted to YARA’s focus on nature-positive solutions. Devin is also a graduate of the Almond Leadership Program and the chair of the Almond Board’s Strategic Ag Innovation Committee. “We've been able to generate about 13% greater ROI net return on investment here with the My Almond Strategy compared to the baseline strategy over the last two years. So that represents about $752 an acre each year.” - Devin Clarke In Today’s episode:Meet Devin Clarke YARA North America permanent crops managerDiscover Devin’s journey to managing trials at the YARA Incubator Farm and the many strategies they are testing to improve titrated nutrition to trees and increase yields for producersExplore what Devin means by “on demand feeding” for the trees and the impact this research can make on input needs and yield valuesLearn more about YARA’s efforts towards providing education and incentives for nitrogen use efficiency by visiting the BetterSoil Alliance“You're working with this unknown element of the soil, and you're trying to figure out how to not only get materials applied in a way that is most accessible to the plant, but also going to provide the most value to the plant….it's a really rapidly growing space. And so that's where I've found a lot of interest in exploring that more and essentially turning that into a career.” - Devin Clarke   ABC UpdateOne of the trickier aspects to dialing in your fertilizer program is yield estimation. Almond Board of California associate director for agricultural research Sebastian Saa says yield estimation is a critical variable in determining your crops nitrogen needs. Saa also is part of the CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program where he reviews proposals in research and outreach in the areas of fertilizers. He says yield estimation, like any prediction, is not an exact science. It takes effort and often experience to do well. For more information about this or any of the topics we discuss on this podcast, reach out to the Almond Board’s Field Outreach Team directly at [email protected].   The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.  ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

 Darren Rigg is a field buyer and sales representative for Minturn Nut Company and a member of the Almond Board of California Board of Directors. Rigg, like other handlers in the industry, sees firsthand how transportation disruptions are impacting the almond supply chain. In this episode of the Almond Journey Podcast, Rigg talks about the current logistics, transportation, and shipping challenges that the industry is facing while trying to execute on the global demand for almonds. “I feel like it’s a death by a thousand cuts. It’s not any one thing that is causing it…. And anytime we feel like we get a little momentum, something occurs that takes us back down to square one.” - Darren Rigg Rigg grew up in Escalon and started his career in 2008 after graduating from Chico State. He joined Minturn Nut in 2017 where he manages sales and procurement of almonds including managing call pools, buyer and seller accounts, and developing new business. “A big part of it is being that conduit to the grower and having that market discovery…. Understanding the nuances and the intricacies in every market and position Minturn and also our growers best into those markets so we can try to have success.” - Darren Rigg In Today’s episode:Meet Darren Rigg, a field buyer and sales rep with Minturn Nut and Board Member for the Almond Board of California.Discover what impacts handlers are experiencing from transportation disruptionsExplore the global almond market and how the industry is getting through the challenges they are facing. “It’s made us be a lot more in tune with who are logistics partners are…. If things get smoothed out, if anything, we should be more equipped…we should be able to get ourselves out of pickles a little more quickly the next time. We hope there will be some residual value from this, even though it has been miserable as hell.” -Darren RiggABC UpdateAround 70% of all California almonds are exported, and there are a number of factors causing backlogs and working against the handlers who are trying to get those almonds shipped. Almond Board of California Senior Analyst for Government Relations Brock Densel said to understand the economic impacts of these issues at the handler level, they conducted a handler survey. He said the survey results can be summed up in three categories: shipping costs, administrative costs and storage costs. Resources:●    "Transportation Challenges Continue, Cost Industry in Multiple Ways"●    "Training Tuesday Part Two - Transportation Survey and China Facility Registration"  The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In this episode we visit with almond grower and retired Air Force officer Alec Earle. Alec and his wife each spent over 30 years in the Air Force, first in active duty then civil service. In 2014, they bought 20 acres in partnership with his wife’s sister and her husband to form E&S Farms, LLC. Alec used the skills he had developed in the military to research extensively and organize his small orchard to operate at peak performance. He has fine-tuned his irrigation program and tapped into grants to buy equipment and improve his efficiencies. “I know the Almond Board has a place where they have links to these different websites and different services, but you really have to go out and do some research. There's help out there and there's money out there. If you go out and look for it.” - Alec EarleIn Today’s episode: Meet Alec Earle, an almond grower and retired Air Force officerDiscover Alec’s introduction into agriculture and almond producingExplore the research and grants Alec found and utilized to build and expand his operation“There's a lot of paths to success in farming. There's not one right answer, every farm and every location has its own challenges depending on where you happen to be. So you have to take all the information that you can find, whether it's from the almond board, whether it's from other farmers, whether it's from your PCA…. and make decisions that you feel are best.” - Alec EarleContact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] ABC UpdateAlec shared the benefits he found from soil moisture probes and pressure chambers for irrigation scheduling. Almond Board senior manager for field outreach and education Tom Devol says there’s an even more basic problem many growers could pay more attention to: cleaning and maintenance of irrigation systems. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

This National Almond Day episode travels down to Shafter, California to chat with 4th generation California farmer Jenny Holtermann, who some of you might know from her online presence as Almond Girl Jenny. Holtermann grew up farming almonds in the Chico area, and now raising the fifth-generation family farmers with her husband in Kern County. In this episode Holterman details her journey into industry advocacy, the benefits of sharing your story, and the need for more people from the industry to connect and build trust with consumers. “The more we can share those daily, everyday little things, the better. Right now, the orchards are full of blooms. What a better time to share a little glimpse into what you get to see on a daily basis?” - Jenny Holtermann In today’s episode: ● Meet Jenny Holtermann, 4th generation California farmer, blogger and advocate for the agriculture industry.● Learn why Jenny has made it a priority to engage publicly with anyone who has questions, concerns or misconceptions about the almond industry.● Hear how she deals with negativity online.● Discover how she has turned her online presence into a direct-to-consumer business.● Find ways to get involved in industry leadership through the Almond Board of California, Farm Bureau, the Almond Alliance or other organizations.   ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In today’s episode, independent PCA and crop consultant, Justin Nay, shares advice and experience for your almond orchard’s integrated pest management program. Justin’s company, Integral Ag Incorporated was formed in 2008. Before that Justin earned his Ph.D. in entomology from UC Riverside, where he worked with the carob moth, a cousin to the almond industry’s biggest pest: the navel orangeworm. Justin walks us through a year of pest management in almond orchards beginning with winter sanitation, followed by monitoring during the growing season and finishing with harvest sampling. He has so much knowledge to share as a scientist, business owner, and PCA with many years of almond experience. “We can come up with a population estimate as well as when that population is going to emerge in the field based on the size and the ages of the larvae…And that sets our baseline… Does the farmer have 20 navel orangeworm females per acre or does he have 200 and that's going to set what mitigation we're going to be dealing with for the rest of the season.” - Justin NayIn Today’s episode: Meet Justin Nay, independent PCA and crop consultant with Integral Ag IncorporatedExplore the different practices Justin employs to manage navel orangeworm and what producers can do to be most effectiveDiscover the best times and sampling methods for monitoring population levels“In doing (harvest sampling), we can determine not only how well we did with our program for the season, but we also get to see all the different types of damage that occur…So it allows us to really see firsthand how we did with our pest management for the season. It's probably the most important thing I think that we do.” - Justin NayContact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] ABC UpdateAdvancements in integrated pest management are really an important part of ensuring growers can grow almonds profitably while meeting the highest quality standards. Almond Board Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Josette Lewis says IPM is as much about cost effectiveness as it is about pest control.The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In today’s episode we visit with Carl Evers and Jeremy Olday of AgIS Capital. AgIS Capital is an employee-owned management firm that invests in farmland on behalf of and alongside their investors. AgIS then oversees the management of those farm properties which are located nationwide with the majority being in California and the Pacific Northwest. Carl Evers is the director of sustainability at AgIS Capital, and Jeremy Olday is a farm manager for the company. The two discuss their efforts to make sustainability work in almond orchards on three levels: economically, environmentally, and socially. “Now it’s kind of hard to say no [to Whole Orchard Recycling] if it’s going to cost the same as burning, but you’ve got all of your environmental health benefits, plus probably some slow-release fertilizer that you’ve recovered and been able to put back into the ground.” - Carl EversIn today’s episode:Meet AgIS CapitalCarl and Jeremy’s experiences getting started with cover crops and the Seeds for Bees programHow they have approached Whole Orchard Recycling, how they are making it pay, and some lessons they have learned along the wayTheir involvement with Leading Harvest“If you’re going to spend $20 or $30 to sort of fortify your bee habitat per acre when you’re spending $200+ per acre to rent bees every year, it’s just a hedge that makes sense.” - Carl EversContact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] ABC UpdateAt the end of an orchard’s productive life, almond growers must decide what to do with their old trees: either replant immediately or wait a year. Whole Orchard Recycling is an innovative and sustainable practice that contributes to the success of the subsequent orchard by not only putting everything grown in the previous orchard to optimal use, but also providing value back to the grower by delivering nutrients, improving soil quality and ultimately, potentially, increasing yields. There’s a cool story behind the development of whole orchard recycling, and Almond Board Senior Manager of Industry Relations and Communications Jenny Nicolau says there’s a new mini-documentary coming to share this story. Visit www.Almonds.com/WOR to learn more. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In this episode we visit with almond grower and Hughson Nut Field Representative Donny Hicks. Donny manages a small 18-acre orchard, which helps him keep a grower’s perspective in everything he does. Donny shares how he’s offering up his acreage for experiments in areas such as fumigation, pruning, and subsurface irrigation. Then we talk about his role with Hughson Nut, and what he learns from the growers he works with day to day. “It's really nice to be able to farm and do what I'm doing because I'm going through the same thing that my growers are going through whether it be water issues or price. It really helps me to relate to my growers.” - Donny Hicks In Today’s episode:Meet Donny Hicks, almond grower and Hughson Nut Field RepresentativeExplore the different trials being performed on his farm and some of the preliminary results he has observedDiscover the benefit Donny has as a producer and a field representative and how he brings that to his customers“Farmers, we’re by nature optimistic people. Otherwise I don't think some of us would be doing it if we didn't think that there was something better down the road .” - Donny Hicks Contact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] UpdateIt’s the end of December, which is a great time to take a breath, spend time with family, and reflect on the past year. 2021 has been a challenge for many, but Almond Board chairman and co-owner of Sperry Farms Brian Wahlbrink echoes Donny’s optimism about the future ahead and delivers holiday greetings to the almond industry. The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In this episode we visit with Kyle McClintock. Kyle is the vice president and general manager of San Joaquin Fertilizer. He is also an almond grower at IB Farming, his family’s farming operation. On the fertilizer side, they specialize in crop fertility recommendations and foliar nutrients as well as a couple of proprietary liquid soil amendments. Kyle is also a current participant in the Almond Leadership Program. Kyle shares a little bit about crop fertility in almonds, the current situation with fertilizer prices and what changes he’s seen in his 11 years in both the fertilizer and farming businesses.“I know what it's like to be on one side of the desk and try to come in and discuss with a grower what we can do to help them out and help their operation. And then I also know what it's like to be behind that desk as the farmer and make those decisions on what is best for myself and my operation and how we optimize things. So it gives me a pretty cool perspective about the whole thing.” - Kyle McClintockIn Today’s episode: Meet Kyle McClintock, the vice president and general manager of San Joaquin Fertilizer and also an almond grower at IB FarmingExplore Kyle’s background and the scope of his operations as both a producer and fertilizer managerDiscover the benefits and process of the Almond Leadership Program“In this industry, or anywhere, building relationships and networking is extremely important. You've got to expand your horizons and learn new things and meet new people. And so I figured, this is my opportunity and I should take it and run with it. So that's what we did.” - Kyle McClintockContact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] ABC UpdateYou heard Kyle describe how he waited years before applying for the Almond Leadership Program, because initially he wasn’t sure if it was for him. Almond Board Senior manager of industry relations and communications Jenny Nicolau describes who the Almond Leadership Program is designed for. If you apply and are admitted into the one-year program, you’re in for a tremendous year of learning, meeting new people, and gaining access to new ideas that you can use for the benefit of your work and the industry overall. Register now for the Almond Conference December 7-9The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Today’s episode takes us to Bakersfield, California, where we talk to Bret Sill who you heard from on episode 008. We’re revisiting Bret for a bit of a different story on today’s podcast, one that’s perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday that’s happening this week. We have the chance to share a great story of an almond grower impacting his community. In 2013, Bret felt led to be of service to the people of Bakersfield. He felt called to deliver fresh food directly from growers to people in need of quality food. Since that time, Morning Star Fresh Food Ministry has grown tremendously and served thousands of people. “I knew how to buy, I knew how to pack and I knew how to distribute and just to take that for a food ministry and that we could do everything fresh, and with the growers that I knew and the connections that I had….. it was really just taking what I knew and say let's use it for something better and something for our community.” - Bret SillIn Today’s episode: Meet Bret Sill, founder of the nonprofit Morning Star Fresh Food MinistryExplore the successes and good that Bret is able to share with his communityDiscover how producers and others can contribute to this worthy cause“We want to give a hand up instead of a handout. And then that way they have some skin in the game and they want to contribute back to society.…..So that's what's really exciting to see, a person that was receiving a box and now they're doing so well that they're contributing back to the ministry. ” - Bret SillContact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] ABC UpdateA few years ago the Almond Board created a video called “The Mummy Shake” which was a song about winter sanitation set to the music of the song “Monster Mash”. The popularity of “The Mummy Shake”  led to an annual competition of growers submitting videos of them dancing to the song. Senior manager of industry relations and communications Jenny Nicolau says the contest is back this year, but a little different from years past. The deadline for The Mummy Shake Holiday Song Competition is Friday, December 17th. Register now for the Almond Conference December 7-9The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Today’s episode introduces us to George Goshgarian. George is an almond grower and also the chairman of the Almond Board of California’s Nutrition Research Committee. We unpack the important role nutrition research continues to play in growing the global consumption of almonds. George shares some of the successes and challenges of the past 15+ years that he has been involved with the committee. Through our discussion listeners will gain even more of an appreciation for how important this work is for all almond growers and handlers, and how much effort goes into this by people like George who volunteer their time to serve the industry.“To me that's the only reason this committee exists and should exist is to do research that will assist this industry in promoting sales in almonds.” - George GoshgarianIn Today’s episode: Meet George Goshgarian, an almond grower and also the chairman of the Almond Board’s Nutrition Research Committee.Discover the scope, process and effectiveness of the Almond Board’s Nutrition Research ProjectsExplore what future projects and research efforts are in progress to encourage consumption of almonds“My opinion has been that the work that we have accomplished in nutrition research has been one of the major reasons for the increased sales of almonds over the years.” - George GoshgarianContact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] ABC UpdateTo bring in more perspectives on how the valuable work of the Almond Board’s Nutrition Research gets done, we talk to Dr. Swati Kalgaonkar. She has a Ph.D. in Nutritional Science and extensive nutrition clinical research experience. Her primary focus is oversight of ABC contracted nutrition research, public policy analysis and synthesis, and information dissemination in support of the almond industries global strategies. Register now for the Almond Conference December 7-9The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Today’s episode takes us to Maxwell, California, about halfway between Sacramento and Redding. We meet 4th generation farmer Leon Etchepare. Leon is a partner in Emerald Farms, which farms about 5,000 acres of almonds and walnuts. He has some great experiences to share about how he’s adopting mating disruption technology for navel orangeworm, and how he’s using soil probes and variable rate irrigation. “Just doing the math on the cost of chemicals and the cost of diesel and the cost of equipment and the increase of yield that I have because I'm not losing hardly any to navel orangeworm and it's a no brainer.” - Leon EtchepareIn Today’s episode: Meet Leon Etchepare a partner in Emerald Farms and owner of Wellnut FarmsLearn about Leon’s experience with mating disruption technology and the return on investment he has seen from implementing this technologyDiscover how Leon is experimenting with variable rate irrigation on a block that is highly variable“We need to do a better job as an industry in getting out there why we do what we do, our stories, the challenges we face so that when the voters are voting for certain people, those people think about farming because we're getting so far away from our food.” - Leon EtchepareContact the Almond Board field outreach team to access more available resources by sending an email to [email protected] UpdateDrew Wolter, pest management senior specialist at the Almond Board, shares how mating disruption can be a very important piece in an overall integrated pest management approach to navel orangeworm management. Research from the Almond Board of California has led to a number of resources for growers to learn more about this technology. See the link below for a video produced in collaboration with the University of California Cooperative Extension explaining mating disruption technologies.Mating Disruption Tools for Navel OrangewormThe Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.