WCN Dec e

WEST COAST NUT 

Your 

DECEMBER 2021 ISSUE 

Connection to the Tree Nut Industry 

JAN 5, 2022 

See page 61 

JAN 12, 2022 

PECAN 

DAY 

Yuba-Sutter Fairgrounds 

JAN 13-14, 2022 

See pages 88-91 

PUBLICATION 

PUBLICATION

Publisher: Jason Scott 

Email: jason@jcsmarketinginc.com 

Editor: Marni Katz 

Email: marni@jcsmarketinginc.com 

Associate Editor: Cecilia Parsons 

Email: cecilia@jcsmarketinginc.com 

Production: design@jcsmarketinginc.com 

Tel: 559.352.4456 

Fax: 559.472.3113 

Web: www.wcngg.com 

Contributing Writers & Industry Support 

Almond Board of California 

Contributing Writer 

American Pecan Council 


Jeff Bowman 

Grimbleby Coleman CPAs 

Vicky Boyd 


Danita Cahill 


California Walnut Board 


Taylor Chalstrom 

Assistant Editor 

Kathy Coatney 


Marieke Fenton 

Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of 

Agricultural & Resource 

Economics, UC Davis 

Brittney Goodrich 

Asst. Cooperative Extension 

Specialist, Department of 

Agricultural and Resource 

Economics, UC Davis 

UC Cooperative Extension Advisory Board 

Surendra K. Dara 

UCCE Entomology and 

Biologicals Advisor, San Luis 

Obispo and Santa Barbara 

Counties 

Kevin Day 

County Director/UCCE 

Pomology Farm Advisor, 

Tulare/Kings Counties 

Elizabeth Fichtner 

UCCE Farm Advisor, 

Tulare County 

Katherine Jarvis-Shean 

UCCE Area Orchard Systems 

Advisor, Yolo and Solano 

Roger A. Isom 

President/CEO, Western 

Agricultural Processors 

Association 

Rich Kreps 

CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer 

Mitch Lies 


Chris McGlothlin 

Director of Technical Services, 

Western Agricultural 

Processors Association 

Catherine Merlo 


Jerrod Penn 

Assistant Professor, Dept. 

of Agricultural Economics & 

Agribusiness, Louisiana State 

University 

Mike Wade 

California Farm Water 

Coalition 

Eryn Wingate 

Agronomist, Tri-Tech Ag 

Products, Inc. 

Steven Koike 

Tri-Cal Diagnostics 

Jhalendra Rijal 

UCCE Integrated Pest 

Management Advisor, 

Stanislaus County 

Kris Tollerup 

UCCE Integrated Pest 

Management Advisor, 

Parlier 

Mohammad Yaghmour 

UCCE Area Orchard Systems 

Advisor, Kern County 

View our ePublication on the web at www.wcngg.com 

The articles, research, industry updates, company profiles, and advertisements 

in this publication are the professional opinions of writers and advertisers. 

West Coast Nut does not assume any responsibility for the opinions given in 

the publication. 

By the Industry, For the Industry 

IN THIS ISSUE 

6 Navel Orangeworm Rejects on the Rise 

12 View from the Top: A conversation with Blue Diamond’s Mark 

Jansen 

16 Planning for Nitrogen Efficiency for 2022 

20 CARB Updating Regulations for Trucking Industry 

24 Weighing in on Almond Profitability 

28 Restoring Soil Health and Ecosystem Services in California’s 

Almond Orchards 

34 Winter Prep in Walnuts 

38 Tips for Financial Planning Through the Drought 

42 Almond Pollination 2022: Economic Outlook and Other 

Considerations 

52 Pollinator Efforts Lead to Prestigious Sustainability Award for 

Almond Board of California 

56 Start Thinking about Pollinator Contracts 

60 Sweet Flavor Keeps Chestnut Buyers Coming Back for More 

64 Grower Cooperators a Vital Cog in Research 

68 What It Could Mean for Californians if We Have Another Dry Year 

70 Organic Walnut Production Increases as Growers Learn New 

Management Techniques 

74 Health Research Helps Drive Consumer Demand for Walnuts 

76 Grower Profile: Joseph Jackson on “Doing What Matters” 

78 California Legislative Recap for 2021 

82 A Peak into the Pecan Powerhouses Network 

84 Ant Management in Almonds 

SPOTLIGHT ARTICLE: Navel Orangeworm Rejects on the Rise 

With a notable uptick in NOW rejects over the last decade, it's time to double down on almond 

IPM, starting with winter sanitation, to reduce damage. 

See page 6 

December 2021 www.wcngg.com 3

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Navel Orangeworm Rejects on the Rise 

Double down on almond IPM, starting with winter 

sanitation, to reduce damage. 

By VICKY BOYD | Contributing Writer 

Timely harvests are part of a navel orangeworm integrated management program. The end 

use, whether for meats or for in-shell, also will affect harvest timing (photo by V. Boyd.) 

While the amount of Nonpareil almond rejects due 

to navel orangeworm (NOW) damage varies from 

season to season, Blue Diamond Growers has noted 

a concerning uptick over the past 10-plus years. With the 

upward trend comes opportunity losses from reduced or no 

grower premiums. 

University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors 

and Blue Diamond staff point to not one, but a combination 

of factors that likely are responsible for the increasing 

rejects. 

“It’s hard to say exactly what’s going on,” said Jhalendra 

Rijal, UCCE IPM advisor for Stanislaus, San Joaquin and Merced 

counties. “It could be multiple factors at play.” 

Among potential contributors are drought conditions, larger 

nut crop acreage that provides increased continuous hosts, 

the availability and cost of polling crews for winter sanitation, 

and pesticide resistance. 

As a result, Extension and industry representatives recommend 

growers double down on their IPM practices, which 

start with foundational winter sanitation. Proper timing of 

the other IPM practices is also crucial, whether it is hanging 

monitoring traps in the spring, putting out mating disruption 

dispensers, applying hull split sprays or harvesting. 

Rejects Up in 2021 

So far this season, Nonpareil overall reject levels are running 

about 1.75%, second only to the “train wreck” of 2017 

and 2018, said Mel Machado, Blue Diamond vice president 

Complete Walnut and Pecan 

Hulling And 

Drying Systems 

209-754-9636 

3474 Toyon Circle, Suite 333 

Valley Springs, CA 95252 

of member relations. In 

the past, about 80% of the 

rejects could be attributed 

to NOW damage. But 

that’s not the case anymore. 

While NOW still comprises 

the bulk of the rejects at 

53%, he said other problems, 

such as brown hole, are on 

the rise. 

“NOW is still the primary 

problem out there, but 

primary is a relative term,” 

Machado said. Rather than 

looking at average reject 

levels, he said he prefers to 

look at how much of the 

crop goes into the co-op’s 

quality programs. 

The navel orangeworm moth 

itself does not feed on almonds. 

Females lay eggs on mummy nuts 

or on nuts after hull split begins. 

After they hatch, first-instar larvae 

bore into the nut meat (photo 

courtesy USDA-ARS.) 

Based on the amount of the Blue Diamond crop run as of 

late October, about one-third failed to make grade and was 

considered standard. Broken down, the northern production 

area was running 38%, the central 25.7% and the south 44%. 

“That’s stunning, 44%,” Machado said. “Even in 2017, it was 

37%.” 

When Machado compared the crop going for meats to that 

destined for in-shell, the differences were glaring. 

Only 12% of in-shell failed to make grade. He attributed it 

to varieties that have tighter seals, making them less susceptible 

to NOW. Growers also are more aware of reject levels for 

the in-shell market and manage accordingly. 

The Foundation: Winter Sanitation 

At the heart of NOW management is winter sanitation, 

which not only removes mummies in which larvae overwinter 

but also eliminates egg laying sites for the first NOW flight in 

the spring. 

Franz Niederholzer, UCCE farm advisor for Colusa, Sutter 

and Yuba counties, recommended surveying orchards for 

mummies on or before Jan. 15. Count the mummies on 20 

representative trees and average the results. This should be 

done for each variety, regardless of shell thickness or seal, 

Continued on Page 8 

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Continued from Page 6 

Make timely hull split sprays, keeping in mind that nuts at the top of trees typically split 

before those at eye level (photo by V. Boyd.) 

Mummies not only provide an overwintering site for larvae, they also offer egg-laying 

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within the orchard. 

If there are more than two mummies 

per tree, plan to mechanically shake 

or have a crew hand-poll the trees to 

remove them before bud swell. In the 

central to southern parts of the Central 

Valley, David Haviland, UCCE farm 

advisor in Kern County, recommends 

striving for fewer than one per tree. 

But the increased cost and reduced 

availability of polling crews has made 

winter sanitation more challenging, 

he said. Afterward, the orchard floor 

should be disked or flail mowed by 

March 1 to destroy mummies on the 

ground. 

The optimum time for winter sanitation 

is after a heavy dew, fog or rain 

when the mummy nuts have absorbed 

some moisture. This makes them heavier 

and easier to shake and remove. The 

moisture also helps rot mummies in the 

trees as well as aids larval mortality on 

the orchard floor. 

Unfortunately, Haviland said, the 

southern San Joaquin Valley never 

received heavy rains last winter. 

“The ground remained bone dry all 

winter long,” he said. “Even if a mummy 

is below ground and it doesn’t get wet, 

a larva can emerge if it’s in the top few 

inches. Shallow-buried mummies never 

got wet.” 

Rijal said sometimes growers and 

PCAs think that instead of shaking they 

can apply an insecticide to the mummies 

due to understandable reason, such 

as dry winters and labor shortages. 

Regardless, he said, “We cannot beat 

the navel orangeworm if we only rely on 

insecticides, and we need to find ways 

to do the winter sanitation effectively. 

In fact, for winter sanitation, any time 

after the harvest through early February 

works. For example, we had some rain 

last week, and mummy sanitation can 

be done now if you can.” 

Mating Disruption 

In response to NOW control challenges, 

almond, pistachio and walnut 

growers representing more than 400,000 

acres combined have successfully incorporated 

in-season mating disruption 

into their IPM programs, Haviland said. 

Among adoptees is Niederholzer, 


Many growers like to wait for dew, 

dense fog or some rain before they 

shake mummies in the winter (photo by 

V. Boyd.) 

At least a few growers in the northern Sacramento Valley have put tracks on their 

shakers so they can remove mummies even in wet orchards (photo by F. Niederholzer) 

who also is manager of the Nickels Soil 

Lab. 

“Over the past two years at Nickels, 

we’ve had some of the best control measures 

of the last 10 years,” he said. 

Hung in orchards in the spring, 

pheromone dispensers emit chemicals 

throughout the season that imitate those 

produced by female NOW. This confuses 

male moths, preventing them from 

finding females with which to mate. The 

system works best on large, contiguous 

blocks, but Haviland said even smaller-scale 

growers have seen benefits. 

“We know it works on 40 acres in 

almonds,” he said. “We know it works 

better on 100 acres, and anything over 

100 is just bonus.” 

While not a silver bullet, mating disruption 

can help eliminate at least one 

in-season NOW treatment, according to 

UCCE. 

Hull Split Sprays 

Although insecticides are part of 

NOW IPM, they alone may only be 50% 

effective, and in many cases, less, Rijal 

said. 

“Every time I do a trial with insecticides, 

I never reduce damage to zero 

even though I dip the nuts in a solution,” 

he said. In other words, insecticides at 

hull split are critical, but they cannot 

solve all of the problems and need to be 

combined with other control measures. 

Insecticide choice also has grown 

more challenging as NOW has become 

less sensitive to the pyrethroid class of 

chemistries, Haviland said. 

“Generally, pyrethroids are not 

working as well as they used to; there’s 



Larvae can overwinter in mummies left 

on almond trees after harvest (photo by V. 

Boyd.) 

The lack of availability and increasing cost of polling crews have prompted many growers to 

rely solely on mechanical mummy removal (photo by V. Boyd.) 


definitely pyrethroid resistance,” he said. 

Application timing is critical as the 

hulls split and the nuts become susceptible 

to NOW egg laying. 

Machado said growers should time 

hull split sprays based on the crop stage, 

not the moth flight. Where they may get 

into trouble is not noticing the nuts in 

the tree tops that typically split before 

those at eye level. 

“They need to be watching the tops of 

the trees, whether that’s with a pruning 

tower or long hook,” Machado said. “If 

you look where the nuts are in the canopy, 

they’re in the tops of the trees.” 

“Timely” Harvest 

While some talk about an early 

harvest to possibly avoid the third NOW 

flight, Machado prefers the term “timely 

harvest.” 

“What’s the goal?” he asked. Is the 

crop going for meats or for in-shell, 

since the two end uses prompt different 

harvest timing. 

Even then, it’s a balancing act. Ideally 

for the meat market, Extension recommends 

shaking when 100% of the nuts 

are one-half to two-thirds of the way 

split and the hull is still green, known as 

stage “d.” With some varieties, growers 

have found that harvesting at stage “c,” 

when the hull split is 0.25 to 0.5 inch, 

allows for a cleaner shake. 

Harvest significantly earlier, and resulting 

higher moisture levels will mean 

the nuts have to sit on the ground longer 

to dry. This makes them potentially 

susceptible to additional ant damage, 

Machado said. Going too early also may 

mean the brown kernel skin hasn’t set 

adequately, and you get more “peelers.” 

On the other hand, if you let the nuts 

dry for a prolonged period on the tree, 

you expose them to an increased egg 

laying potential from the third NOW 

flight. The hulls also cup and become 

tough, making them more difficult to 

remove. 

For the in-shell market, Machado 

said growers should wait until the hulls 

butterfly before they harvest. Leaving 

the nuts on the tree longer also exposes 

them potentially to more NOW egg 

laying. If the orchard was managed 

with high fertility, toxins from hull rot 

also could build up with later harvest, 

creating more stick-tights. 

To determine how well their NOW 

program worked during the season, 

Rijal said growers shouldn’t just rely on 

handlers’ grade sheets. In addition, they 

should collect field samples at harvest 

because up to half of damaged nuts are 

left in the orchard and aren’t reflected 

in the reports. 

“Take multiple samples of 500 to 

1,000 nuts representing the orchard and 

crack the nuts out,” he said. “It helps to 

know what’s going on and also look at 

the history of the orchard.” 

Comments about this article? We want 

to hear from you. Feel free to email us at 

article@jcsmarketinginc.com 


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View from the Top 

‘The Role of the CEO Has Greatly Changed’ 

A Conversation with Blue Diamond's Mark Jansen 

By CATHERINE MERLO | Contributing Writer 

Note from the Editor: This new series in West Coast Nut magazine called “View 

from the Top” will feature high profile industry executives and their thoughts on 

leadership, markets and the future of the industry. 

As one of the biggest players in 

the global almond market, Blue 

Diamond Growers can rightly 

credit CEO Mark Jansen for much of 

its recent success. But, as Jansen shares 

here, the past 21 months haven’t been 

easy, and there’s still plenty of work 

ahead. 

Since he arrived as CEO in 2010, 

Jansen has helped transform Blue 

Diamond Growers into a $1.75 billion 

global food manufacturer. 

The Sacramento-based cooperative 

has become the leading shipper of 

California almonds into the U.S., India, 

China and many other countries. In 

2020, Blue Diamond was named one 

of the nation’s 10 fastest-growing food 

companies for the fourth consecutive 

year. Its brand is recognized globally, 

and its Almond Breeze product, sold 

in 100 countries, is the world’s No. 1 

almond milk. And the co-op has done 

all of this as California set record highs 

for almond production. 

But even as Blue Diamond enjoys 

its success, new challenges are emerging 

for the 111-year-old company like 

everywhere else. The statewide drought, 

water scarcity and the myriad effects 

of the COVID-19 pandemic are forcing 

business leaders like Jansen to rethink 

their approaches to operations, 

markets and the future. With 3,000 

grower-members, 1,800 employees and 

a global customer base, there’s a lot at 

stake for Blue Diamond. 

“We’re not pessimistic,” Jansen said 

in an interview for West Coast Nut. 

“But my frustration is our industry 

could be so much better if some of the 

underlying issues could be solved.” 

Q: How are the port congestion 

and supply-chain disruptions 

affecting Blue Diamond? 

Our average shipping order over 

the past 18 months has been booked 

three times. The sad truth is up to 50% 

to 55% of the containers are leaving 

Oakland empty, which is just shocking 

to me. The berths are there if you can 

effectively manage and get through 

that. We’ve also seen about 3% cost 

inflation over the past year from port 

and supply chain issues alone. I don’t 

see that going away. My fear is that it’s 

actually increasing. 

One of our advantages is that we’ve 

been a major exporter out of the Port of 

Oakland for decades. In fact, roughly 

60% of our sales are exports. We’re a 

big player. But also because we’re a coop, 

we are strong on partnerships. We 

look for win-win solutions. We’ve been 

working with our suppliers, freight 

forwarders and shippers to find ways to 

become their best customers. 

Blue Diamond has the creativity and the 

people to get through the industry’s 

challenges, says CEO Mark Jansen (all 

photos courtesy Blue Diamond.) 

Q: What would you like to see 

done about the problem? 

What I would love to see happen, 

and this is not a short-term fix, is that 

important changes, like ports operating 

24/7, are truly in place. That needs to 

happen consistently throughout the 

entire port system. 

We need to also think about the 

availability of trucking. Very few trucks 

can actually service the ports, either 

because of unionization of truckers or 

more likely because of California state 

regulations that limit much of the nation’s 

trucking workforce from coming 

into California or particularly the ports. 

If the ports aren’t working, that sends 

ripples throughout the U.S. So, we need 

to find ways to ensure that we have adequate 

resources with the transportation 

structure. 

The other big wish I have, and this 

is a federal issue, is that we develop 

Jansen considers his biggest success as CEO to be creating a shared sense of purpose 

between Blue Diamond’s employees and growers. 


deep-water ports on the West Coast 

that can take the biggest, most efficient 

shippers, because right now they can’t. 

We also need to invest in the modernization 

of ports. That automation and 

technology would provide significant 

long-term security. 

I’m happy to say that Joshua Woods, 

Blue Diamond’s director of transportation, 

warehousing and order 

management, was named to the U.S. 

Federal Maritime Commission’s new 

National Shipper Advisory Committee 

in September. It’s an honor for him and 

for Blue Diamond to have a seat at that 

vital table. Other committee members 

representing both importers and 

exporters include notable companies 

such as Amazon, Walmart, Target and 

Cargill. Together, they will advise the 

commission on policies relating to our 

nation’s ocean freight delivery system. 

Q: As California enters another year 

of drought, what do you foresee 

“ 

We used to pay our growers 1 cent per pound 

more than what they would get if they delivered 

their almonds to anyone else. Now, we’re 

up to 20 cents a pound. 

– Mark Jansen, Blue Diamond 

for the state’s almond production? 

The drought does have an impact 

on yields. We are seeing it in this year’s 

crop. We came off last year with an 

all-time record crop where everything 

was working: adequate water, perfect 

bloom weather, everything came into 

place. We’re looking at a crop this year 

that is constrained in yields because 

of the drought. What we know about 

droughts and almond trees, however, 

is that the biggest impact is not the 

year when the drought occurs; it’s the 

following year. So, we foresee not only 

a shorter crop this year but an even 

” 

shorter crop next year. 

The other thing is, if you’re an 

almond grower with a tree toward the 

end of its lifecycle, you may determine, 

‘I’ve got limited water supplies. I’m 

going to put all my water on my young 

orchards, and I’ll pull out this orchard 

a year or two ahead of time.’ So, we’ll 

see some reduced acreage because of 

that dynamic. While there are still 

some plantings going on, we’ll see some 

pull-outs of those older orchards. For 

the next couple of years, we’re anticipating 

lower supplies of almonds. 


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Q: What are the biggest challenges for Blue 

Diamond and California’s almond industry? 

Certainly, for an almond grower, water is the existential 

issue. What concerns us as a co-op, what keeps us up at 

night, is inflation. It’s a big deal. It’s not transitory; it’s here 

to stay. We’ve announced price increases into the marketplace. 

Everything in the grocery store has taken a price increase, 

so we’re not alone. Fuel costs, wages, the cost of resins 

and steel and other core materials all continue to rise. I don’t 

see anything short-term that leads me to believe that this is 

plateauing, at least in our business. 

Q: What one or two things are you 

pushing hardest for these days? 

Finding ways to be more effective and efficient. We know 

costs are increasing. We have a big focus on what we call 

margin enhancement, which is more complex than cutting 

costs. It’s also about finding ways to increase capacity without 

significant investments. That idea also leads into things 

like sustainability. The great news is that sustainability links 

up very, very well with those margin-enhancement initiatives. 

We’ve actually gone so far as incentivizing our growers 

for sustainability in their actions. We think it makes them 

and us ultimately more efficient. But, also, we think there is 

value that goes beyond that because we know our customers 

License No. 251698 

One of the biggest challenges facing Blue Diamond and the California 

almond industry is inflation, according to Jansen. 

value that we are good actors and that we’re doing the right 

things. That’s another way for us to distinguish Blue Diamond 

in the marketplace. 

Q: What are your other priorities for 2022? 

One of the big things that’s changed, now that I’ve been 

CEO here for 11 years, is broadening out who our stakeholders 

are. The role of the CEO has greatly changed in 

that timeframe. It used to be, ‘Take care of your customers, 

your owners and your employees, deliver good results, and 

all is well.’ It’s a very different world today. People want to 

know how you’re taking care of the communities where you 

operate. We talk about environmental issues, but also other 

elements of ESG (environmental, social and governance). For 

example, we’ve done a lot of work, really employee-driven, 

around social impact and how Blue Diamond impacts the 

communities we participate in. It’s about how we align the 

values of the co-op and our people in a way that we also can 

communicate more broadly out into our communities and 

the marketplace. This is an area of priority for our leadership 

team. 

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Q: What do you consider your biggest success 

at Blue Diamond since you became CEO? 

Creating a shared sense of purpose between our employees 

and our growers. It’s what allows us to be successful. 

Drawing those two things together has allowed us to almost 

triple in size, to have a 2,000% increase in profitability to 

growers 

Q: A 2,000% increase? 

We used to pay our growers 1 cent per pound more 

than what they would get if they delivered their almonds to 

anyone else. Now, we’re up to 20 cents a pound. So that’s that 

20-times-greater incremental profit margin over and beyond 

what they used to get. And that’s real. Particularly in this 

past year, where we had historically low market prices for 

almonds and increasing costs, that could be the difference 

between a grower having a year of loss or breaking even or 

being profitable. 

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. Feel 

free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com 


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Planning for Nitrogen 

Efficiency for 2022 

Better Preparation, Calculation, Application and 

Assimilation in Light of Skyrocketing N Prices 

By RICH KREPS | CCA, SSp., Contributing Writer 

Changing nitrogen inputs from a 50-unit slug to (four) 10-unit shots can not only save money but hopefully ensure more absorption (photos by 

Marni Katz.) 

Nitrogen is 78% of the air we breathe. 78%!? Yet we 

have to pour the N to our crops to get them to perform 

at optimal levels because we are told they can’t find a 

way to use it themselves. Right? So, what happens when N 

prices double? It’s damn near as debilitating as California 

West Side surface water costing $2000 an acre-foot or more! 

The Midwest would be losing their minds if they knew what 

we pay to farm here in California, but of course, they have 

It’s been a long harvest. 

Your trees just ran a marathon, and so did you. 

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their own set of problems. One of which is certainly the price 

of N. With almost 1 billion acres of farmland in the U.S., the 

nitrogen problem and unprecedented rise in all input costs 

has to be considered to farm in 2022. 

Estimating Yield 

When we make our input calculations for our farms this 

time of year, we have to consider our expected yields. The 

UC has a fluid range of nitrogen used to grow 1,000 pounds 

of almonds at about 65 units today. Of course, we all are 

hopefully optimistic that we will hit that golden number of 

4,000 pounds of almonds, or 8,000 pounds of pistachios, or 

four tons of walnuts. 

When we assess the crop potential in the spring, many 

times we realize our final numbers will be less than optimal. 

Here in lies the rub. Nitrogen and phosphorus levels 

start high in the spring and taper in our tissues throughout 

the season. We have to be right early, yet we waste much of 

what we apply later in the spring if our yields aren’t what was 

predicted in our planning. How do we make our nitrogen 

applications more efficient and timely? 

The Western Region’s CCA of the Year, Keith Backman, 

was recently speaking at the Crop Consultant Conference in 

Visalia, Calif. this fall. He again reiterated his immense lab 

experience and observations from years of dedicated service 

to us farmers. He noted that typically, a tree will only be able 

to assimilate 10 units of nitrogen per week. 

Let’s say we plan on making a 3000-pound almond 

crop. At 65 units per 1000 pounds, and assuming a 70% use 

efficiency, that puts us around 250 units needed to grow 

that big of a crop and keep the trees growing. What farmers 

for years have taken that to mean is applying 50 units every 

month from March to July. But how effective is that? And 

what about the other nutrients? We typically need as much 

calcium as we do nitrogen. We aren’t getting that from just 

applying CAN-17. That would only be half of the calcium 

demand. If it were only 70% efficient, we’d need to apply 

33 units of phosphorus to get to the proper number in our 


' 

When we make our input calculations 

for our farms this time of year, we 

have to consider our expected yields. 

JAN 13-14, 2022 

See pages 88-91 

tissues. If magnesium needs to be about 

20% of your nitrogen number in the tissues, 

your trees would have to consume 

55 units of Mg in a season. How often 

do we even come close to applying that 

much Mg?! (And wait until the magnesium 

shortage hits harder with all the 

alloys used to make electric cars… but 

I digress.) 

Planning and Preparation 

“So, what are you saying, Rich?” 

We have to get better at our preparation, 

calculation, application and 

assimilation. I have a client, Norma in 

Madera, who is a bad-ass farmer. She 

and her late husband have farmed in 

Madera for decades, and on her own, 

she has been one of the most adaptive 

and forward-thinking farmers I know. 

From cover crops, to mulching, to 

intensive irrigation management, and 

very diligent nutrient management, 

she was able to harvest well over 3,000 

pounds of nuts per acre (again) on 

less than 30 units of in-season applied 

nitrogen. 




The sheer tons of green manure that 

is produced from her cover crops gets 

mowed and deposited out of the centers 

on the crotch of the berms. By the time 

she harvests, it’s decomposed to organic 

matter, into the soil and doesn’t affect 

her sweeping. And that’s a very stable 

and sustainable future N release. 

Her water management practices 

keep nutrients in the root zone without 

leaching. She does lots of smaller shots 

instead of one big one per week, and 

the same for her inputs. The amount 

of microbiology that has increased 

over the years ensures more nutrients 

get solubilized and assimilated into 

her crops. And it’s all brought up on 

rain water in the winter so well or any 

surface water is not used to grow it. It’s 

taken some work, but her soil biome 

and farming system is very efficient. 

Improving the Soil 

Am I suggesting a farmer cut his 

Mycorrhizae and 4-2-2 natural fertilizer 

Strong Roots 

From the Start 

Mycorrhizal Fungi Improves: 

• Nutrient Accessibility & Cycling 

• Better Use of Available Moisture in Soil 

• Transplant Establishment & Survival Rates 

PAKS 

Re-introduce mycorrhizae and provide 

4-2-2 natural slow-release fertilizer 

to support healthy root growth during 

early stages of plant development. 

Yield estimates are an important component in planning for inputs. 

applied N next year to 30 units from 

250? Absolutely not! But let’s say we 

apply two tons per acre of a stable, 

well cured compost to our fields this 

winter. We plant a cover crop that rain 

brings up. All in, we are probably, with 

the cost of diesel today, under $150/ 

ac. If that translates into a much more 

efficient and stable soil biome, saving 

us nitrogen applications, P, K, Ca, Mg 

and S inputs as well as water efficiency, 

PAKS 

FOR TRANSPLANTING TREES & VINES 

how much are we talking about? Let’s 

take 80 gallons per acre of UAN-32 

down to 50 gallons. At $4 to $5/gallon, 

we should be saving $200/ac at least! 

And that’s just nitrogen. What if all 

the other nutrients, phosphorus and 

calcium in particular, become more 

efficient? What if we can now save half 

an acre-foot of water per acre? On the 

westside, that could be another couple 

$100 or more depending on where you 

are and how much you need to buy. 

Let’s take that to another level. Let’s say 

you are in a white area like I am and 

may be limited to pumping less than an 

acre foot of water per year in the future. 

A 1% increase in organic matter holds 

20,000 more gallons of water per acre in 

the root zone! Being that efficient with 

water may be the difference between 

farming or not. 

The government is forcing us to be 

more efficient (again) with water and 

inputs. The more hands-on we become, 

the more efficient we become, may 

actually buy us enough time to outlast 

the idiocracy of our current state and 

federal government. Changing our 

inputs from a 50-unit slug to (four) 10- 

unit shots will not only save us money 

but hopefully ensure more absorption. 

Balancing all the other essential nutrients 

should dramatically enhance the 

assimilation of each. Letting Mother 

Nature do some of the heavy lifting 

with rain water can help shoulder the 

load we are carrying. 

1-800-784-4769 

RTI-AG.com 





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CARB Updating Regulations for Trucking Industry 

New executive order could change the trucking fleet within the next decade. 

By CHRIS MCGLOTHLIN | Director of Technical Services, Western Agricultural Processors Association 

Under the proposal, seasoned agricultural trucks on the road today will no longer be allowed to operate in the state (photo by Cathy Merlo.) 

INFO@RST-CLEANTECH.COM 

In January 2021, Governor Gavin 

Newsom signed Executive Order 

N-79-20, which banned the sale of 

light-, medium- and heavy-duty combustion 

engines in the transportation 

sector by 2035. While 2035 is still over 

a decade away, his administration and 

representative government agencies 

have wasted no time in developing 

strategies to expedite that commitment. 

With the completion of the California 

Air Resources Board’s (CARB) 

Truck and Bus Regulation ending in 

January 2023, many seasoned agricultural 

trucks on the road today will 

no longer be allowed to operate in the 

state. Fleets throughout the state will 

be reduced and replaced with 2010 or 

newer heavy-duty diesel equipment. 

While many businesses and industries 

look ahead to strategize how they will 

be able to move goods and products 

in the near future, CARB has already 

begun developing and workshopping 

new regulations pertaining to the 2010 

and newer equipment. 

Advanced Clean Truck Regulation 

The first significant regulation to 

impact the trucking industry begins 


with the Advanced Clean Truck Regulation. 

The intent of this regulation is to 

evaluate larger, heavy-duty fleets and 

see where opportunities for electrification 

could occur and benefit the fleet. 

The initial requirements of this regulation 

are focused on the manufacturing 

sector of the trucking industry. CARB 

aims to require that “…manufacturers 

who certify Class 2b-8 chassis or complete 

vehicles with combustion engines 

would be required to zero-emission 

trucks as an increasing percentage of 

their annual sales from 2024-2035”. 

(CARB ACT Fact Sheet). 

The regulation would require percentages 

of total manufacturer sales 

made in the state of California be in 

zero-emission equipment. While many 

have seen the high-profile demonstration 

of Tesla’s new battery-powered 

Semi model, there are a surprising 

number of other manufacturers with 

different models of electric trucks as 

well. CARB cites that by 2023 more 

than 71 different manufacturers will be 

marketing zero-emission trucks, and 

the projected number of truck models 

is set to increase from 468 current 

models on the market to over 600 by 

2023. CARB is not solely focused on 

Class 8 trucks; the regulation ties in 

several medium-duty rated vehicles 

such as vans and three-quarter-ton 

pickup trucks like the F350 and Ram 

2500. While having the technology is 

a great first step, this doesn’t address 

the significant costs associated with 

purchasing one of these pieces of 

equipment as well as the electric infrastructure 

costs that are required when 

equipment like this is purchased. Additionally, 

equipment testing in agricultural 

settings is typically not included 

in a manufacturer’s research. 

The second step in this regulation is 

the requirement of larger businesses to 

report their fleets into a newly developed 

CARB database. Large entities 

are defined by CARB in this regulation 

as companies with over $50 million in 

annual receipts as well as companies 

that own, operate or dispatch 50 or 

more vehicles within the state of California. 

The purpose of the reporting 

component is so CARB can evaluate 

electrification opportunities within applicable 

fleets. This broad applicability 

of “Larger Entities” brings in numerous 

agricultural and food processing facilities, 

and opens the door for requiring 

these same businesses to upgrade their 

fleets a second time after the completion 

of the Truck and Bus Rule. 

Inspection and 

Maintenance Program 

While the Advanced Clean Trucks 

regulation applies to larger businesses, 

CARB is developing updates to 

their Heavy-Duty Vehicle Inspection 

and Maintenance Program (HDVIMP) 




which would apply to every heavy-duty 

vehicle owner. Currently, trucks that 

are still operating under the existing 

Truck and Bus Regulation are required 

to have a Periodic Smoke Inspection 

(PSIP) annually. These inspections 

measure engine opacity with the 

engine running, and if an engine is 

found to out of compliance with the 

truck’s engine model year opacity 

limitation, then the vehicle must have 

the necessary repairs done in order to 

operate the equipment. Oftentimes, if a 

fleet owner is locked out from updating 

their Truck and Bus fleet online, CARB 

staff will ask for the most recent PSIP 

inspection in order to verify mileage. 

The proposed updates to the HDVIMP 

program will still incorporate PSIP 

testing for some model year-specific 

vehicles (2010-13), but CARB is looking 

to take a more creative approach to ensure 

equipment and their emission control 

systems are functioning properly. 

CARB intends to take advantage 

of the technological advancements 

made by the equipment manufacturing 

industry, specifically the on-board 

diagnostic (OBD) systems that are tied 

directly into the engine. CARB is proposing 

to require fleet/vehicle owners 

to take their equipment to a licensed 

repair shop twice a year to have their 

trucks evaluated. From there, the repair 

shop would connect their computer 

with the OBD system within the truck. 

The repair shop would evaluate all 

emission control systems within the 

heavy-duty truck as well as monitor 

the opacity of the exhaust coming out 

of the truck as it is in operation. If any 

of the emission control systems show 

any sign of failure, a notice will be 

issued to the vehicle owner requesting 

immediate repair. Fleet/vehicle owners 

The intent of the Advanced Clean Truck Regulation is to evaluate larger, heavy-duty 

fleets and see where opportunities for electrification could occur. 

are given 90 

days to repair 

the equipment 

and bring it 

back to the 

repair shop to 

have the truck 

re-evaluated. 

Failure to repair 

and re-test the 

equipment 

would result in 

CARB notifying 

DMV of the 

truck’s failure 

and a temporary registration hold being 

placed on the equipment. Similar to 

tactics used in the most recent years of 

the Truck and Bus Regulation, CARB 

is working directly with the DMV in 

order to ensure compliance through 

registration holds. 

Owner operators would have to 

maintain their compliance with the 

mandatory inspections as well as keep a 

copy of their certificate on file. Vehicles 

would also need to be entered into a 

separate CARB database. Additionally, 

a $30 compliance fee would be included 

in a truck owner’s DMV Registration 

Renewal invoice. CARB is also looking 

for businesses to act as the agencies’ enforcement 

inspectors, asking that any 

business that contracts any trucking 

work ask to see a compliance certificate 

with the HDVIMP before beginning 

any work, and if one cannot be supplied, 

that the contracted trucking 

business not be allowed to continue 

working at the site. 

‘Through the workshop process, 

many agricultural associations 

have raised the alarm that agricultural 

trucking works slightly 

different than overall goods 

movement.’ 

Through the workshop process, 

many agricultural associations have 

raised the alarm that agricultural 

trucking works slightly different than 

overall goods movement. The seasonality 

of agricultural goods movement and 

harvest support warrants some consideration 

from CARB staff, and truckers 

in the agricultural sector should be 

identified differently than the intended 

target for both regulations. Western 

Agricultural Processors Association 

along with several other agricultural 

organizations and associations has 

been active in supplying comments and 

working directly with staff to try and 

make both of these proposed regulatory 

changes more workable for the industry. 

Stay tuned for more updates! 





WHY WAPA? 

From addressing combustible 

dust to arguing port 

congestion and backlog. 

From lobbying at the state 

Capitol to bringing legislators 

to the field. 

From testifying at the State 

Water Board to pushing back 

on fee increases. 

From creating the tree nut 

processing line at Fresno State 

to being industry leaders. 

From safety plans to testifying 

before Cal/OSHA. 

From writing food safety 

plans to training food safety 

inspectors on tree nuts. 

From safety training to 

commenting on Prop. 65. 

From air quality permits to fighting 

notices of violations to commenting 

to the local Air Districts & California 

Air Resources Board. 

Example after example, WAPA is your “go-to“ agricultural organization 

fighting on your behalf. 

NOT A MEMBER? 

THEN IT IS TIME TO JOIN THE 174 TREE NUT HULLERS AND PROCESSORS 

THAT ARE! 

www.agprocessors.org (559) 455-9272

WEIGHING IN 

ON ALMOND 

PROFITABILITY 

Growers weigh tough 

decisions to continue 

farming as costs 

continue to rise. 

By CECILIA PARSONS | Associate Editor 

As growers near the break-even point, they said there is really no way to cut production 

costs without sacrificing yields (all photos by Paul Ewing, RPAC.) 

There is no doubt that production 

costs per acre in tree nut farming 

have cut into profit margins. 

Rising labor and fuel costs are part 

of the production cost increase, but 

water availability and cost is ultimately 

the deciding factor in almond profitability. 

According to information on almond 

production supplied by UCCE Orchard 

Systems Advisor Franz Niederholzer, 

since 2016, total cost per acre (at 2,200 

pounds per acre) has gone from $3,890 

to upwards of $4,000 per acre. While 

almond prices have fluctuated since 2016, 

they have garnered positive net returns 

for most growers. 

Water costs and availability vary 

throughout the state, said CCA Bill 

Brush. Water is the most critical input as 

it determines crop production. Loss of 

water and reduced water quality is causing 

growers to make hard decisions on 

farming individual blocks of trees. 

Growers who see their surface water 

deliveries cut can be forced to pump 

groundwater or buy water, placing them 

at the break-even point or even losing 

money depending on market prices. 

Paying higher prices for water to ensure 

good yields is difficult when the market 

demand is low. Brush said there is really 

no way to cut production costs without 

sacrificing yields. 

“There is nothing to be saved. Cut 

back on pollination, you lose yields. 

Fungicides, fertilizers, they have a proven 

benefit to yield and crop quality,” he said. 

There may be a little money to be 

saved here and there, he said, but the 

number one cost in UC production cost 

studies points to water. 

In a 2019 report, the UC Agricultural 

Issues Center reported water 

costs will vary considerably depending 

upon the irrigation district and, when 

pumped, the pumping level, energy 

costs and type of irrigation system. 

Water costs may also change depending 

on availability and ground water 

regulations. 

Their study for almonds in the 

southern San Joaquin Valley assumed 

100% ground water usage and availability. 

An estimated cost of $22 per 

acre-inch ($264 per acre-foot) is used. 

A total of 52 acre-inches of water is 

applied to a fifth leaf orchard March to 

October. An additional six acre-inches 

are applied in January to leach salts and 

fill the soil profile. Costs for irrigation 

were listed at $1,264 per acre. 

Tough Decisions 

RPAC partner and almond grower 

Paul Ewing said the number one factor 

in considering the profitability of an 

almond orchard is the yields per acre. 

But, the same numbers don’t hold true 

for every almond growing region. 

“If they have good water availability, 

and prices are historically high, unlike 

current prices, some growers might 

hang on to a 1,500 pound producing 

block a little longer. But, if water prices 

are high and availability is an issue, 

even a 2,200 pound block could get 

pulled out,” Ewing said. 

Tree count per acre is another 

consideration on assessing profitability, 

Ewing said. 

It is important that the value of 

the crop weighs on farming decisions. 

Outside of water, there are not massive 


Almond grower Paul Ewing said if the outlook for water does not look good, growers might consider removing orchards earlier than expected. 

differences in operating costs, Ewing 

said. With a strong market and a 

productive orchard, growers can still 

expect a profit. 

Some almond growers are making 

the decision to pull orchard blocks due 

to water uncertainty, he confirmed. If 

the outlook for water does not look 

good, such as in some federal districts, 

they might look at removing orchards 

earlier than they would have. 

In the almond industry, Ewing said, 

there is a price/market cycle where, 

when prices are low, there is an uptick 

in replanting. When prices are good, 

more orchards are retained. 

Planting a permanent crop like nut 

trees is a long-term decision. Market 

trends and recent history are part of 

that decision, along with water outlook, 

Ewing said. 

Sound Plans are a Must 

Tom Vermeulen, a certified public 

accountant and an almond grower in 

the Modesto area, said growers must 

have a sound plan for their almond 

farming operation going forward. 

Stakeholders in the operation, including 

family members who depend on 

you to make good financial choices 

and your banker who must judge your 

decisions, rely on your financial plan, 

he said. 

Considerations in the plan must 

include water availability or alternative 

land use, age of orchard and soil profile 

or amendments needed to optimize 

production. Those considerations are 

vital in a decision to invest in a new 

orchard for future productivity. 

When assessing orchards, Vermeulen 

said, look at production per acre, 

cost per acre and cost per pound of 

nuts produced. 

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With those numbers, he said, the 

next step is to prepare a budget, including 

your expectations and changes that 

might occur. Plan an extra 5% to 10% 


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When assessing orchards, certified public accountant Tom Vermeulen said to look at production per acre, cost per acre and 

cost per pound of nuts produced. 


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for contingencies, Vermeulen suggested. 

A farming plan for the next 5 to 10 

years should also be laid out. Capital 

improvements, equipment needs and 

orchard replacement are major components. 

FOR 

Loss 

ORGANIC 

of income and cash flow 

PRODU 

until an orchard is producing and debt 

service are important considerations. 

Review the plan, Vermeulen said. 

”Develop a best case, a worst case and 

reasonable expectation. Ask if the plan 

is SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, 

relevant and timely.” 




‘PLANTING A 

PERMANENT CROP 

LIKE NUT TREES 

IS A LONG-TERM 

DECISION. MARKET 

TRENDS AND 

RECENT HISTORY 

ARE PART OF THAT 

DECISION, ALONG 

WITH WATER 

OUTLOOK.’ 


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RESTORING SOIL HEALTH AND 

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN CALIFORNIA’S 

ALMOND ORCHARDS 

By ERYN WINGATE | Agronomist, Tri-Tech Ag Products, Inc. 

Sustaining agricultural production 

through climate change, 

prolonged drought and economic 

pressure largely depends on the soil’s 

ability to support high-yielding crops 

under increasing stress and resource 

scarcity. California’s almond industry 

garners public scrutiny for its high 

water consumption and environmental 

impact. Yet, growers have installed 

microsprinklers and other irrigation 

system upgrades, successfully decreasing 

water usage by 33% since 1990. The 

Almond Board pledged to decrease 

consumption another 20% by 2025. 

Meeting water conservation goals 

requires a multipronged approach, and 

soil health management can contribute 

to the puzzle. 

While water usage rightly receives 

public attention, the environmental 

impacts incurred by poor soil quality 

also deserve urgent consideration. Marginal 

cropland with low organic matter 

maintains productivity by spoon feeding 

fertilizer and water. Compaction, 

salt accumulation, nutrient imbalances 

and soilborne diseases compromise 

yield and increase the amount of water, 

fertilizer and pesticides needed to 

maintain yields. Ag chemicals runoff 

into surface waters and leach down to 

aquifers. Nitrous oxide and methane 

emissions contribute to climate change. 

Yet, food production and environmental 

protection goals do not need to 

remain at odds. Adopting management 

strategies that increase soil organic 

matter can slowly transform agricultural 

lands to provide significant ecological 

benefits while promoting crop 

health and vigor. 

Nut crops may require a lot of water, 

but soil conservationists advocate 

farming systems designed around permanent 

crops that offer greater carbon 

sequestration potential than heavily 

tilled annuals. Tillage depletes organic 

matter by disturbing the ecology 

and exposing soil to the air. Microbes 

previously limited by low oxygen concentration 

suddenly accelerate growth, 

oxidizing soil carbon faster than it can 

be fixed. Annual net carbon loss ensues, 

compromising soil structure and fertility. 

Orchard and vineyard soils can 

remain undisturbed for many years, 

allowing enough time to accumulate 

organic matter and reap the environmental 

and agronomic benefits. 

Organic Matter Does It All 

Organic matter improves almost 

every aspect of soil health, including 


‘ 

Nut crops may require a lot of water, 

but soil conservationists advocate 

farming systems designed 

around permanent crops that offer 

greater carbon sequestration potential 

than heavily tilled annuals. 

’ 

JAN 5, 2022 

See page 61 

physical, chemical and biological characteristics. 

Organic matter builds soil 

structure, the physical architecture that 

facilitates movement of water and air 

through the soil profile. Organic matter 

adheres to clay surfaces, forming 

organo-mineral colloids that prevent 

further decomposition. Mineral and 

organic matter complexes bind together 

forming stable soil aggregates separated 

by pore spaces that hold water and air. 

Soil with stable aggregation and 

plenty of porosity prevents runoff by 

allowing fast water penetration and 

infiltration during heavy rainfall or 

irrigation. Organic matter and improved 

structure increase the soil’s 

water holding capacity, allowing the 

field to retain more water to sustain the 

crop during drought. Organic matter’s 

adhesive properties also prevent water 

and wind erosion, conserving topsoil 

while protecting the surrounding environment 

from nitrate, phosphorus and 

pesticide residue contamination. Excess 

water captured during major storms 

can replenish aquifers rather than runoff 

into streams, eroding the landscape 

along the way. 

Organic matter’s chemical characteristics 

provide important benefits to 

crop production by buffering pH and 

increasing nutrient availability. Plant, 

animal and microbial remains decompose 

into carbon molecules with both 

positive and negative charge sites. The 

reactive sites attract and hold cations, 


Helping Farmers Grow NATURALLY Since 1974 

FEATURING: 

Office: 559-686-3833 Fax: 559-686-1453 

2904 E. Oakdale Ave. | Tulare, CA 93274 

newerafarmservice.com 


Continued from Page 29 exuded by microbes bind soil particles ‘ 

into aggregates and earthworms burrow 

through soil, creating channels for 

water and air flow. Microbial metabolites 

chelate micronutrients, delivering 

iron, zinc and other elements to roots 

in plant-available forms. Beneficial 

fungi extend the crop’s root system, 

exchanging water and nutrients for 

photosynthate and signaling when to 

activate stress defense mechanisms. 

Microbial biomass also provides 

nutrient storage, releasing plant-available 

nitrogen, phosphorus and other 

elements as populations turn over. 

such as hydrogen, calcium, potassium 

and magnesium, and anions, including 

hydroxide, nitrate, borate and molybdate. 

Binding with organic matter prevents 

essential nutrients from leaching 

to groundwater or precipitating out of 

soil solution with other minerals. Ions 

buffer into or out of soil solution to 

maintain chemical equilibrium, keeping 

pH near neutral and replenishing 

nutrient concentrations in response to 

plant absorption. 

The living fraction of soil organic 

matter drive all of the activity contributing 

to healthy soil development. 

Fungal networks, beneficial bacterial 

populations, earthworms and more 

contribute to carbon cycling and 

organic matter fixation. Micro and macroorganisms 

decompose raw organic 

matter, returning essential elements to 

plant available form. Sticky substances 

Highly productive, 

carefully managed 

orchards might not 

show any changes 

in yield or crop quality, 

but better soil 

health may allow 

growers to decrease 

water and fertilizer 

use while maintaining 

productivity. 

Feed the Soil its Carbon 

Microbial activity, nutrient cycling, 

and structure development require 

carbon. Almonds and other tree crops 

feed the microbiome by sending photosynthate 

down to the rhizosphere, but 

significant improvement in soil quality 

requires more biomass. Feeding microbial 

populations by growing cover crops 

and applying compost or mulch can 

help achieve net carbon gain, initiating 

the processes that build organic matter 

and improving agricultural sustainability. 

Soil structure and beneficial microbial 

ecology take time to develop. 

During the first few years of cover 

cropping, the orchard might require 

more water and fertilizer to establish a 

robust cover crop stand without jeopardizing 

the crop’s access to sufficient 

moisture and nutrition. Over time, 

the investment pays off. Incremental 

increases in organic matter ramp up 

the soil’s capacity to sustain diverse, 

active microbial populations. Increased 

microbial activity accelerates humus 

formation and the other beneficial 

soil characteristics follow. Improved 

nutrient availability, soil moisture and 

beneficial microbes can improve tree 

health, reducing symptoms of micronutrient 

deficiency, drought and salinity. 

Measurable improvements in water 

holding capacity, bulk density and 

nutrient availability may take several 

years to develop. Soil type, management 

practices, weather, water, fertilizer and 

many other factors influence organic 

matter accumulation and soil health. 

While some soils may respond quickly, 

others resist organic matter fixation. 

Very sandy soils lack the clay particles 

that bind and stabilize organic matter, 

preventing accumulation. The type of 

’ 


organic matter added to the system 

also impacts results. Some studies show 

better water-stable aggregate formation 

after cover cropping compared with 

compost application, but the effect varies 

with both soil type and cover crop 

species. 

Further research on interactions 

between cover crops, soil types, and 

microbial response will improve our 

ability to adjust management practices 

to suit the conditions on each ranch. In 

the meantime, feed the soil microbiome 

with diverse carbon sources from cover 

crop mixes, mulch, and compost. Send 

soil samples to labs to check for parasitic 

nematodes and other soil borne disease. 

Select cover crop species that do 

not host the pathogens present in the 


Feeding microbial populations by growing cover crops and applying compost or mulch 

can help achieve net carbon gain, initiating the processes that build organic matter 

and improving agricultural sustainability (photo by Roger Duncan, UCCE.) 

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Further research on interactions between cover crops, soil types, and microbial response can help fine-tune management practices to suit the 

conditions on each orchard (photo courtesy Paul Lum, AFT.) 


field. Consider other drawbacks, such as gopher population 

growth in response to legumes or winter frost exacerbation 

when soils remain colder under cover crops. 

UCCE advisors, cover crop seed companies and experienced 

growers can provide guidance on cover crop establishment 

and may suggest options to avoid some of the pitfalls. 

Comprehensive soil chemical analysis can guide fertilizer 

applications and labs providing soil health diagnostics can 

help measure change after implementing new soil building 

practices. Field evaluations can measure changes in structure, 

water infiltration rate and erosion potential. 

Highly productive, carefully managed orchards might 

not show any changes in yield or crop quality, but better soil 

health may allow growers to decrease water and fertilizer use 

while maintaining productivity. Increasing organic matter 

and improving soil health takes time and experimentation, 

but long-term changes in land management provide an array 

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of environmental benefits, including water conservation, erosion 

prevention and resiliency against extreme climatic stress. 

California’s almond orchards and other permanent crops 

provide a critical opportunity to sequester carbon and build 

healthy living soils that will remain productive and efficient 

far into the future. 

Sources: 

Almond Cover Crops Benefits-to-tradeoffs Assessment 

https://projects.sare.org/wp-content/uploads/Almond-Cover-Crop-Article.pdf 

Brady, Nyle C. and Weil, Ray R. (2008). The Nature and Properties 

of Soils. Fourteenth Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall. 

California Almonds – Orchard Management 

https://www.almonds.com/almond-industry/orchard-management 

Cover Crop BMPs 

https://live-almonds-next.pantheonsite.io/sites/default/ 

files/2021-07/Cover%20Crops%20Best%20Management%20 

Practices%20BMPs.pdf 

Magdoff, Fred and Weil, Ray R. Soil Organic Matter in Sustainable 

Agriculture. CRC Press 2004. Print. 

University of California Drought Management: 

https://ucmanagedrought.ucdavis.edu/Agriculture/Crop_Irrigation_Strategies/Almonds/# 

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IMAGINATION 

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SCIENCE IN ACTION

WINTER PREP IN WALNUTS 

Start Thinking about Control Strategies for 

Weeds and Disease 

By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer 

Winter annual weeds pop up in the spray strip in this young walnut orchard just as trees 

are defoliating. December and January offer ideal times for certain weed management 

programs (photo by L. Milliron.) 

December and January provide 

ideal opportunities for walnut 

growers to get a head start on 

weed and disease control programs. 

In terms of weed control, that may 

mean laying down some long-residual 

preemergence herbicides to keep orchard 

floors clean going into spring. In 

terms of disease control, the early winter 

is an ideal time to measure walnut 

blight inoculum levels and prepare your 

season-long control strategy. 

Luke Milliron, UCCE farm advisor 

for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties, 

said most growers have a good sense 

of the walnut blight inoculum in their 

orchards from monitoring nut drop the 

previous May, June and July. In cases 

where they don’t, he advises to scout in 

winter months and sample for inoculum 

levels in walnut spurs with terminal 

buds. 

According to the UCCE walnut 

blight sample guidelines, buds can be 

sampled up to the time they start to 

open, or anytime from December into 

early April for late-leafing varieties. But 

earlier sampling provides more time for 

designing disease control strategies. 

The sampling guidelines include a 

recommendation that growers cut 100 

or so three-inch-length dormant spurs 

with fat terminal buds from several 

trees in an orchard. “Walk the entire 

area, collecting a random sample,” the 

guidelines state. “One or two buds per 

tree should spread the sample adequately… 

One sample could easily represent 

50 acres if experience suggests reasonable 

uniformity.” 

Growers or PCAs should place 

samples in paper bags, which will 

allow samples to breathe and eliminate 

condensation, and store them in a cool, 

dry place before mailing to a lab. UCCE 

advisors can help interpret lab findings 

and discuss the relative disease risks. 

Getting a bead on walnut blight inoculum 

levels and utilizing an aggressive 

spray program, if necessary, are 

keys to staying ahead of a disease that 

ranks as the number one disease threat 

to walnuts, according to Milliron. 

The disease is caused by the bacterium, 

Xanthomonas arboricola pv. juglandis 

(Xaj), which overwinters inside 

dormant bud scales and causes infection 

in spring when it is rain splashed 

onto developing shoots and flowers. 

Low Blight Pressure 

Fortunately, blight pressure has been 

low the last two years, Milliron said, 

and inoculum levels should be low this 

winter. “A lot of people will be going 

into this next spring hopefully with 

very little blight pressure, because we’ve 

had those two back-to-back dry years,” 

he said. 

In cases where blight pressure is 

high, Milliron advises growers to act 

early. “If you know you have high blight 

pressure, you are going to start earlier 

in terms of sprays, really quite early, 

just the very start of prayer stage or 

catkin emergence,” Milliron said. “And 

you are going to be back with a second 


spray a week after that. “It is a very 

aggressive program. You are going to 

treat it differently [than if you have low 

disease pressure].” 

He added that regardless of pressure 

levels, growers will want to get a spray 

on ahead of rain events. “That doesn’t 

change,” he said. “The advantage of 

knowing inoculum levels ahead of time 

is really more about how early you start 

and how aggressive you are with those 

first two sprays.” 

If treating for walnut blight, growers 

should consider utilizing Kasumin in 

combination with copper or mancozeb, 

according to UCCE guidelines. 

Kasumin, which was registered for use 

in walnuts in March of 2018, offers 

excellent and consistent efficacy when 

applied with either copper or mancozeb, 

according to UCCE research. The 

product also has a unique mode of action, 

providing an excellent rotational 

material for resistance management. 

Milliron advised growers to follow 

label directions when spraying for walnut 

blight and to rotate chemistries to 

avoid the build-up of resistance. 

“If the effectiveness of the copper-mancozeb 

combination was lost 

due to resistance, it would be an incredibly 

tough hit to the industry, particularly 

in the Northern Sacramento Valley 

where rainfall levels are the greatest,” 

Milliron wrote in a Sacramento Valley 

Orchard Source article in 2018. 

Winter Weed Control 

Like walnut blight programs, winter 

weed control programs require a good 

understanding of the pressure in an 

orchard. According to a Sacramento 

Valley Orchard Source article from Milliron 

and UCCE Weed Specialist at UC 

Davis Brad Hanson, that understanding 

often comes from past observances and 

a fall weed survey. Documenting weed 

discovery and escapes is also advised to 

help growers understand what worked 

and what didn’t in last year’s program 

and to help in devising a change in 

strategy if need be. 

“I think it is really important to be 

smart about understanding the weed 

problem you are trying to resolve,” 

Hanson said. “That includes properly 

identifying the weed and having some 

idea of its biology, such as when does it 

come up versus when are my interventions.” 

In developing orchards, UC Davis 

weed management guidelines say it is 

important to maintain a weed-free strip 

at least 30 inches from the trunk of 

trees to prevent weeds from competing 

with trees for water and nutrients. In 

established orchards, weed control is 

less about removing competition for 

water and nutrients, although that remains 

a consideration, and more about 




When sampling for walnut blight, select dormant 

spurs with terminal buds from several trees interspersed 

in an orchard (photo courtesy UC IPM.) 

improving water distribution, removing 

impediments to harvest operations 

and removing habitat for vertebrate 

pests, insects, mites, nematodes and 

diseases. 

December and January offer ideal 

opportunities for growers to come in 

with long-residual preemergence herbicides 

that will be worked into soil with 

winter rains. “If rains do not come after 

application, you may need to water 

in your preemergent herbicide if your 

irrigation system and water availability 

allow it,” Milliron said. 

The treatment regime will depend 

on a variety of factors, according to the 

UC Davis Integrated Weed Management 

guidelines, including soil type. 

Different soil textures and organic matter 

tend to influence the types of weeds 

present and can factor into control 

tactics. On light-textured soils, annual 

species such as puncturevine, crabgrass 

and horseweed, and perennial species 

such as johnsongrass, nutsedge and 

bermudagrass, are more common. Perennial 

weeds, such as curly dock and 

field bindweed, are more common on 

heavier soils. 

When devising control strategies, 

it is important to remember that clay 

or clay loam soils often require higher 

rates of preemergence herbicides to 

achieve the same level of weed control 

than in light, sandy soils. Good herbicide-to-soil 

contact also is important 

for a successful herbicide application, 

so it is important to keep orchard 

floors and berms clean by removing 

leaves and other debris before treatment. 

Hanson provided a list of several 

preemergence and postemergence herbicides 

that could have a fit in different 

orchards, depending on weeds targeted, 

soil textures and other factors. The list 

includes indaziflam (Alion), penoxsulam 

(PindarGT) and flumioxazin (Chateau 

and others). Products that typically 

work well in tank mixes include 

pendimethalin (Prowl H20 and others), 

rimsulfuron (Matrix and others), flazasulfuron 

(Mission) and oxyfluorfen 

(Goal, GoalTender and others). 

“I usually think of those first three 

as the heavy hitters in this market,” 

Hanson said. “But good programs can 

be built for specific sites out of many of 

them in various combinations.” 




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TIPS FOR FINANCIAL PLANNING THROUGH THE DROUGHT 

By JEFF BOWMAN | Grimbleby Coleman CPAs 

Longer-term conditions are impacting the value of land based on the future water outlook, and this impacts both the net worth of the owner and 

the value of securities that might be the source of lending from the grower’s bank (photo courtesy California Farm Water Coalition.) 

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As we watch growers rapidly implementing deficit 

irrigation to keep their crops alive with what water they 

have, protecting those same growers against wild financial 

fluctuations has never been more important. While much 

decision-making and troubleshooting is being executed at the 

moment, it’s a crucial time to set some concrete plans. 

The lack of water has meant diminished current-year 

crops, leading to less revenue. Undeveloped land must 

continue in fallow condition so that water allotments can 

be used elsewhere on existing crops. Longer-term conditions 

are impacting the value of land based on the future 

water outlook, and this impacts both the net worth of the 

owner and the value of securities that might be the source of 

lending from the grower’s bank. All of these events and the 

resulting financial stress present a myriad of challenges for 

growers and processors. 

Being Financially Resourceful 

Tough decisions have growers researching how to be 

resourceful with their finances. Scaling down the business to 

protect capital has been a frequent topic of discussion with 

our growers. Our team has advised on fallowing fields and 

delaying new plantings, early removal of mature orchards to 

prepare for future development, and even reducing operations 

in the short term. 

Diversification is another topic that is back on the table. 

We’ve seen clients use a 1031 tax-deferred exchange to sell 

ag land and invest in other commercial real estate ventures. 


This can help diversify assets for clients 

with primarily ag-based real estate 

holdings when there is concern about 

long-term water or market issues. For 

example, a family that has farmed for 

multiple generations may have accumulated 

a sizeable amount of farmland. 

From a financial perspective, it may be 

wise to consider diversifying a portion 

of those assets into other forms of real 

estate. 

Growers should also be mindful of 

the market dynamics regarding supply 

and demand for their crops. If water 

constricts supply by reducing the size 

of the crop, then in theory, the existing 

‘THIS IS ALSO A GOOD TIME TO ASK IF THERE ARE 

OPPORTUNITIES TO PRODUCE LESS PRODUCT BUT AT 

A HIGHER QUALITY OR CONSIDER ANOTHER VALUE- 

ADD THAT WILL HAVE A GREATER FINANCIAL RETURN 

IN THE MARKET.’ 

demand levels should cause prices and 

overall returns to go up. This is also a 

good time to ask if there are opportunities 

to produce less product but at a 

higher quality or consider another value-add 

that will have a greater financial 

return in the market. 

Planning for Expense Variances 

Fickle water pricing and availability 

have led us to examine some best- and 

worst-case expense scenarios with our 

clients seeking preparedness and opportunities. 

We start with a budget or 


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Jeff Bowman at Grimbleby Coleman 

CPAs encourages growers and processors 

to come to the table with hard-hitting 

questions on the modeling of cash flows, 

tax impacts and losses, write-offs from 

new developments and financial resourcefulness 

ideas to get through this drought 

(photo courtesy Grimbleby Coleman CPAs.) 


cash flow projection tool to understand 

your “normal year” or average costs of 

production. With a budget or cash flow 

projection in hand, consider the following 

questions: 

How much revenue loss can you 

handle and still break even? 

What pricing of water is justifiable? 

What is the cost of water (if available) 

versus loss of yield? If water is available, 

can higher water costs be offset if the 

crop price increases due to shrinking 

supplies? 

Do you have capital available to 

withstand losses from drought years, or 

should land be sold/put to alternative 

use? 

What does the model of cash flow 

look like three to five years in the 

future under various water availability 

and pricing scenarios? Remember, permanent 

crops cannot be easily scaled 

down in small increments; more often 

than not, related decisions impact large 

blocks of land and long-term investments 

(or loss) as plants are removed or 

time passes before new plants become 

productive. 

Are your farm lenders in the loop? If 

the land is security for a debt or operating 

lines, will the lender impair value 

based on decreasing water allocations? 

Will that impact the borrowing base? 

How will losses impact taxes and 

cash flow? Can losses be carried back 

to reduce prior-year taxes paid, or 

should they be held to offset future 

income? 

Our team at Grimbleby Coleman 

CPAs encourages growers and processors 

to come to the table with hard-hitting 

questions on the modeling of cash 

flows, tax impacts and losses, write-offs 

from new developments and financial 

resourcefulness ideas to get through 

this drought. With that information, 

we can develop the right financial plan. 





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Almond Pollination 2022: Economic 

Outlook and Other Considerations 

By BRITTNEY GOODRICH | Assistant Professor of Cooperative Extension, Dept. of Agricultural & 

Resource Economics, UC Davis 

MARIEKE FENTON | Ph.D. Candidate, Dept. of Agricultural & Resource Economics, UC Davis 

and JERROD PENN | Assistant Professor, Dept. of Agricultural Economics & Agribusiness, Louisiana 

State University 

In this article, we summarize some considerations 

for the 2022 almond pollination season, 

including results from a 2021 survey of commercial 

beekeepers regarding their almond pollination 

agreements. The survey results provide 

insights on pollination fees, agreement details 

related to advance payment and limiting pesticide 

exposure as well as beekeeper preferences for 

bee-friendly cover crop mixes. 

Almond Industry Update 

Almond prices rebounded this summer due 

to a lower-than-anticipated almond crop for the 

2021-22 marketing year following roughly a year 

of low almond prices. Relatively low competition 

from other exporting countries, coupled with 

steady growth in almond demand have kept almond 

prices strong despite monumental growth 

in production over the last two decades (Bruno, 

Goodrich and Sexton 2021). 

The Almond Board of California and Land 

IQ estimate the removal of around 48,000 acres 

of almonds by September 2021, approximately 

3.6% of the 1.3 million bearing acres in 2021. 

This is up slightly from 2020, with an estimated 

39,000 acres removed. Aging orchards are the 

likely candidates for removal, and a few industry 

sources speculate the removal of additional orchards 

after harvest this year due to water scarcity 

concerns from consecutive years of drought 

and expected limitations due to the Sustainable 

Ground Water Management Act. Land IQ estimates 

13% of almond orchards are more than 21 

years old, compared to 20% of young orchards 

that will begin bearing in one to three years. Between 

June 2019 and May 2020, nurseries reported 

66,000 acres of sales, with over half being for 

new orchards and the remainder replacing aging 

orchards. These numbers suggest that almond 

acreage is still expanding, though likely at lower 

rates than previous years due to the recent low 

prices and uncertain water availability. 

3,000,000 

2,800,000 

Table 2,600,000 3 

2,400,000 

Beekeepers 2,200,000Preferred Cover 

Potential Benefits to Almond 

Bloom timing 

Percentage of Response 

Crop Mix 

Orchard 

2,000,000 

Any 1,800,000 of the following 

bee-friendly 3,000,000 cover crops are 

33% 

welcome 

1,600,000 

1,400,000 

2,800,000 

Brassica mix (mustards, 

Increased soil organic matter, 

canola, 1,200,000 etc.) 2,600,00 

January-March 

37% 

water infiltration 

1,000,000 2,400,00 

Erosion control, nitrogen 

Clover mix 

March-June 

10% 

2,200,00 2016 2018 fixation2020 2022 

Soil builder mix (Combination 

Almond Pollination 

Combination 

Season 

of Brassica and 

2,000,00 

January-May 

brassicas, legumes and grains) Colonies Estimated Demand Total U.S. Colonies 

13% 

Clover mix benefits 

1,800,00 

into CA for Almond Pollination on Jan 1 

Aesthetically pleasing, not 

Wild flowers 

1,600,00 

(California poppy, 

February-June ideal for planting within 

3% 

Figure black-eyed 1. Total susan, U.S. etc.) colonies on January 1, estimated demand for colonies, and shipments 

orchards 

of colonies 1,400,00 into California, 2015-22 

Sources: I would 2015-20 prefer 1,200,00 my Almond grower Acreage not Reports, USDA NASS and CDFA; Apiary Shipments through California Border 1% 

plant a bee-friendly cover crop 

Protection Stations, 1,000,00 CDFA Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services; Honey Bee Colonies Reports, USDA NASS 

Other 3% 

Note: Estimated demand is two colonies 2016 per acre for traditional varieties 2018 and one colony per 2020 acre for self-fertile. 

Note: Bloom timing and potential benefits taken from PAm Seeds for Bees site: 

202 

https://www.projectapism.org/pam-seed-mixes.html and California Native Plant Society California Wildflowers gui 

https://www.projectapism.org/pam-seed-mixes.html and 

Almond 

California 

Pollination 

Native Plant 

Season 

Society California Wildflowers guide 

https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wildflowers-peak-season-guide.pdf Exact bloom timing will 

https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wildflowers-peak-season-guide.pdf Colonies Estimated Demand Exact bloom Total timing U.S. Colonie will 

depend on timeliness of planting and rain or irrigation. 

depend on timeliness of planting and rain or irrigation. into CA for Almond Pollination on Jan 1 

Colonies 

Colonies 

Figure 3 

Figure Winter Mortality Rate 

(Proportion of Colonies Lost) 

0.4 

0.35 

0.3 

0.25 

0.2 

0.15 

0.1 

0.05 

0 

2010 2011 

0 

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 

Figure 3. Almond pollination colony strength and winter mortality rates, 2010-21 

Sources: The Pollination Connection, BIP Winter Loss Surveys 

20 

15 

10 

5 

Colony Strength: Average 

Frame Count 


Colony Demand 

Figure 1 (see page 42) plots the estimated demand for 

colonies based on bearing almond acreage each year from 

2015 to 2022 as well as the total colony shipments into 

California for almond pollination and the total number 

of colonies in the U.S. on January 1. Estimated demand 

is calculated using two colonies per acre for traditional 

varieties and one colony per acre for self-fertile varieties 

(Shasta and Independence). A consistent gap between estimated 

demand and colony shipments is filled by colonies 

that remain in California year-round. For the 2021 almond 

bloom, roughly 1.3 million almond acres (3.3% in self-fertile 

varieties) required an estimated 2.6 million honey bee 

colonies for pollination (Figure 1, see page 42). According 

to apiary shipment data provided by CDFA, other states 

shipped 2.1 million honey bee colonies into California for 

the 2021 bloom, up 16% from 2020. 

As seen in Figure 1, the estimated demand for colonies in 

2022 is 2.63 million colonies, slightly above that of 2021. It 

seems the recent increase in self-fertile variety plantings have 

started leveling off the estimated demand for colonies. However, 

the required colonies for almond pollination in 2022 

still represent 90% of the 2.92 million colonies in the U.S. on 

January 1, 2021, so at least in the short run, it’s unlikely this 

leveling off of demand will put downward pressure on 

pollination fees. Additionally, an article published in Nature 

found the Independence variety showed an increase 

in yield by 20% from allowing bee visitation (Sáez et al. 

2020). The researchers used the standard stocking rate of 

two colonies per acre. This study eliminates any claims that 

these self-fertile varieties do not require honey bee colonies 

for commercial production. Growers of self-fertile varieties 

who do not currently place honey bees in their orchards are 

likely “borrowing” pollination services from neighboring 

orchards. In the future, growers with traditional orchard 

varieties surrounded by many self-fertile orchards with few 

(or no) colonies per acre may have to compensate by placing 

more colonies per acre. 

Weather Impacts on Colony Supply 

Much of the western U.S. and major honey producing 

states in the northern plains have been under severe 

drought conditions throughout the summer, which could 

have implications for colony strength and numbers for the 

upcoming almond pollination season. Figure 2 shows the 

U.S. drought monitor for the week of July 27, 2021, a time 

when major honey flow should have been taking place in 

states where most commercially managed honey bee colonies 

are located for honey production in the summer (North 

Dakota, South Dakota, Montana). As of the week of October 

12, 2021, 35% of the U.S. was still in a severe drought 

or worse. Consequently, many commercial beekeepers have 

seen decreased honey production, increased costs of feeding 

and poor colony nutrition, all likely to negatively impact the 

supply and strength of colonies for almond pollination. 

To get an idea of potential impacts of this drought, we 

looked back to 2012 when a similar drought took place. 

Figure 2. U.S. Drought Monitor, July 27, 2021 

In October 2012, approximately 40% of the U.S. was in a 

severe drought or worse, slightly more area affected than our 

current situation. According to national honey yields from 

USDA, the 2012 honey crop was the lowest production in 

over 30 years. Figure 3 (see page 42) shows winter mortality 

rates and colony strength delivered at almond pollination for 


ALMOND 

POLLINATION 

SERVICE 

Beekeeper & Pollination Broker since 1996 

M & D HONEY, Inc. 

Madera, CA 

559-974-4042 

manddhoney@gmail.com 

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Average Colony 

Strength 

Requirement 

8-frame 

Total 

Percentage of 

Responses 

11% 

28% 

46% 

15% 


Average Pollination 

Fee 

$ 192.00 

$ 184.81 

$ 192.05 

$ 211.43 

years 2010-21. Following the 2012 

drought, winter mortality rates were 

31%, according to Bee Informed Partnership 

(BIP), 38% higher than the previous 

winter. Average colony strength 

delivered for 2013 almond pollination 

dipped Beekeepers 20% Preferred lower than the previous 

Bloom timing 

year. Cover 2022 Crop almond Mix pollination could see 

similar impacts on colony availability 

and strength from the 2021 drought. 

January-March 

Average Premium/ 

Discount compared 

to 8-frame 

-0.03% 

-3.77% 

10.09% 

2021 Almond Pollination 

Survey Results 

March-June 

In February 2021 to April 2021, we 

conducted an online survey of over 90 

commercial beekeepers that participated 

in the 2021 almond pollination 

market to better understand their almond 

pollination decisions. The sample 

represented over 19% of hives demanded 

for the 2021 almond bloom. The 

following sections summarize some key 

findings of interest. Some participants 

chose not to answer certain questions, 

so sample sizes vary and will be indicated 

in figures, tables and text. 

Potential Benefits to 

Almond Orchard 

Percentage of 

Almond Pollination Responses Fees 

We asked survey respondents to 

report the fees associated with their 

largest almond pollination agreement 

in 2021. Reported fees ranged from 

$130/colony to $225/colony. Fees vary 

due to a number of factors, a primary 

determinant being the colony strength 

requirement in the agreement. Table 

1 shows the average, minimum and 

maximum pollination fee by colony 

Increased soil organic 

matter, water infiltration 

Combination of Brassica 

and Clover mix benefits 

Minimum 

$ 175 

$ 130 

$ 160 

$ 200 

Maximum 

$ 205 

$ 200 

$ 225 

$ 225 

$ 192.84 $ 130 $ 225 

Table 1. Average 2021 almond pollination fees by average colony strength requirement (N=95) 

Proactively mitigating risks to colonies from pesticide exposure and providing 

payments in advance are relatively low-cost options for improving upon existing 

agreements and enhancing the relationship with your pollination provider. 

strength requirement. 

Most pollination agreements (46% 

of those reported) required eight active 

frames for an average fee of $192 in 

2021 (Table 1). Across all frame count 

categories, the average fee was $193 per 

colony. Agreements with higher colony 

strength requirements received a 10% 

premium compared to eight-frame 

agreements, while six- to seven-frame 

agreements saw approximately a 4% 

discount. Low strength agreements (


tails to prevent pesticide exposure or to receive compensation 

if it occurs. Table 2 (see page 47) shows 

the percentage of beekeepers whose agreements 

contained language about pesticide exposure by the 

specific feature. The most common detail included 

was that the grower would not apply pesticides when 

bees were active (33%). Eleven percent to 12% of 

beekeepers stated they had agreements in which they 

would be reimbursed if colonies had to be moved or 

were damaged due to pesticide applications. 

Advance Payment 

Beekeepers were asked if any of their growers/brokers 

pay some portion of the pollination fee before 

colonies are placed for almond bloom. Nearly half of 

respondents (44% of N=91) had at least one contract 

that pays part of the pollination fee in advance. 

Twenty-one percent of beekeepers received advanced 

payments of 30% or less of the total pollination 

fee. Nineteen percent of participants received over 40% 

of the total pollination fee in advance. Paying the beekeeper 

in advance can benefit both parties; it locks the beekeeper 

into a contract, reducing the grower’s risk that a beekeeper 

will default, and it provides the beekeeper with working 

capital to feed and prepare colonies before bloom. 

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Beekeepers Preferred 

Cover Crop Mix 

Any of the following 

bee-friendly cover crops are 

welcome 

Brassica mix 

(mustards, canola, etc.) 

Clover mix 

Soil builder mix 

(Combination brassicas, 

legumes and grains) 

Wild flowers (California 

poppy, black-eyed susan, 

etc.) 

I would prefer my grower 

not plant a bee-friendly 

cover crop 

Other 

Bloom timing 

January-March 

March-June 

January-May 

February-June 

Potential Benefits to 

Almond Orchard 

Increased soil organic 

matter, water infiltration 

Erosion control, nitrogen 

fixation 

Combination of Brassica 

and Clover mix benefits 

Aesthetically pleasing, not 

ideal for planting within 

orchards 

Percentage of 

Responses 

Note: Bloom timing and potential benefits taken from PAm Seeds for Bees site: https://www.projectapism.org/pam-seed-mixes.html 

and California Native Plant Society California Wildflowers guide https://www.cnps.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/wildflowers-peak-season-guide.pdf 

Exact bloom timing will depend 

on timeliness of planting and rain or irrigation. 

Table 3. Percentage of respondents by cover crop preference (N=78) 

33% 

Bee-Friendly Cover Crops 

Given the potential benefits cover crops can provide to 

almond orchards, we investigated beekeepers’ preferences 

and experiences with bee-friendly cover crops. All cover 

crop mixes that we inquired about are based on Project Apis 

m.’s Seeds for Bees cover crop mixes. Of the 89 beekeepers 

that responded, 21% said that they had at least one grower 

provide bee-friendly forage in or near the almond orchard 

they were pollinating. Most of those were from bee-friendly 

cover crops planted in the almond orchard, but others planted 

permanent or temporary pollinator habitat as well. 

We provided beekeepers with a list of bee-friendly cover 

crops and asked which cover crop mix they would prefer. 

Table 3 shows the results for each cover crop mix along with 

the timing of bloom and potential benefits for the almond 

orchard. The most popular response was the Brassica mix 

(37%), which consists of mustards and canola, followed 

closely by a third of beekeepers responding that any of the 

bee-friendly cover crops would be welcome. The Soil Builder 

mix, a combination of brassicas, clovers and grains, was 

the second most popular mix (13%). The Brassica and Soil 

Builder mixes are popular due to relatively early bloom 

timing compared to the other mixes. The Clover mix may 

not bloom until mid- to late March, at which point it may not 

be useful for bee colonies if bloom has ended and they have 

been moved on. This preference for earlier blooming mixes is 

supported by the responses of two beekeepers who selected 

“Other” as an option. They said, “Any that would bloom by 

February 1” and “Anything that would bloom in February to 

mid-March.” 

Beekeepers remain hesitant on cover crop benefits because 

of the uncertainty in the timing of bloom. Even within 

a cover crop mix, bloom timing can vary substantially due 

to the timeliness of planting, rain and/or irrigation. Figure 

4 (see page 47) displays the percentage of beekeepers that 

agreed with two statements about individual cover crop 

mixes. The first statement was, “The cover crop mix will 

bloom at the correct time to benefit my colonies.” Over 60% 

37% 

10% 

13% 

3% 

1% 

3% 


The grower agrees to… 

No pesticide details in pollination agreement 

Apply pesticides only during inactive foraging times (e.g. 

evening, night)* 

Minimum notification time before applying pesticides 

(e.g. 48, 72 hours)* 

Not apply specific chemicals 

Pay extra fees if colonies must move due to pesticide 

application 

Pay damages for colony losses due to pesticide exposure 

Not tank-mix multiple pesticides* 

Percentage of 

Responses 

46% 

33% 

29% 

Table 2. Percentage of beekeepers with agreements containing pesticide 

exposure details (N=82) 

Note: Participants could select more than one, so the percentages add to over 100%* indicates 

detail is listed as one of the Honey Bee Best Management Practices 

18% 

12% 

11% 

11% 

Percent in Agreement 

60% 

40% 

20% 

0% 

Brassica 

Clover Soil Builder Wildflower Not true for any 

Cover Crop Mix 

Mix will bloom at the 

correct time to benefit 

my colonies 

Mix will improve strength to 

better meet almond pollination 

requirements 

Figure 4. Percentage of beekeepers in agreement for each bee-friendly 

cover crop mix 

Note: For each statement, respectively, N=74 and N=63. Respondents could select more than 

one cover crop mix, so percentages will not sum to 100%. 

of respondents thought the Brassica 

mix will bloom at the correct time, and 

over 40% thought the Soil Builder mix 

would. Respectively, only 22% and 20% 

thought the Clover and Wildflower 

mixes would bloom at a beneficial time, 

and 28% thought none of the mixes 

would bloom at a time that would 

be beneficial to colonies. The second 

statement was, “Mix will improve 

colony strength to better meet almond 

pollination requirements.” Due to their 

early bloom timing, the Brassica and 

Soil Builder mixes received the highest 

percentage that agreed, with 46% and 

32%, respectively. 40% of respondents 

did not think that any of the mixes 

would bloom at a time that would 

help beekeepers meet colony strength 

requirements (Figure 4.) 

We asked beekeepers about their 

beliefs regarding various aspects of 

bee-friendly cover crops planted in almond 

orchards. As expected, beekeepers’ 

views of bee-friendly cover crops 

were positive. Of the 78 beekeepers 

who responded, 94% and 68% agreed 

with the statements that cover crops 

planted for bee forage will improve colony 

health and decrease feeding costs, 

respectively. Nearly half of beekeepers 

agreed that bee-friendly cover crops 

would reduce colony susceptibility 

to disease. Few beekeepers believed 

that bee-friendly cover crops planted 

in almond orchards would increase 

pesticide exposure or provide too little 

forage to be beneficial. 

Given that beekeepers clearly care 

about early blooming mixes, the Soil 

Builder mix may have the most potential 

benefits to the grower due to 



In the future, growers with traditional orchard varieties surrounded by many self-fertile 

orchards with few (or no) colonies per acre may have to compensate by placing more 

colonies per acre (photo by Marni Katz.) 


the combination of soil health benefits 

from multiple cover crop species and 

the benefit of early nutrition for bee 

colonies. We also asked beekeepers to 

indicate the minimum percentage of the 

almond orchard that needs to be planted 

in the Soil Builder cover crop mix to be 

beneficial for their colonies (for reference, 

we said that the area between tree 

rows typically makes up 50% of each 

acre.) 83% of beekeepers who answered 

(N=52) said that 50% or less of the 

orchard acreage needed to be in the Soil 

Builder mix for it to be beneficial and 

35% said less than 25% of area needed 

to be covered. Over half of beekeepers 

thought that the Soil Builder mix would 

be beneficial even if the mix does not 

cover the entire orchard alleyway, this is 

promising for growers who find it logistically 

challenging to establish much of 

the orchard floor in cover crops. 

Back to Your Roots 

Using the new Mid-Row Ripper 

from Schmeiser 

The twin ripper is equipped 

with patented vibrating winged 

shanks. Soil structure breakout 

is unmatched by any 

conventional ripper. 

“Its the new best 

way for planting 

orchards and 

vineyards, period.” 

- John Duarte of 

Duarte Nursery 

Better Root Zone Management from 

1-800-288-8128 • www.tgschmeiser.com 

Manage your Root Zone using 

the new Mid-Row Ripper. 

· 4X Better Soil Breakout 

· Water Savings and 

Enhanced Drainage 

· Superior Mixing of 

Amendments in the 

Root Zone 

Concluding Thoughts 

This summer’s drought across much 

of the western U.S. may potentially 

impact the total number and strength 

of colonies available for the upcoming 

almond pollination season. We recommend 

growers check in with their pollination 

provider early and often to make 

sure their pollination needs will be met. 

In years with high winter losses and 

low colony strength, pollination fees 

may rise as bloom nears and colony 

health and numbers are realized, 

increasing the economic incentive for 

an unhappy beekeeper to default on 

a previously established agreement to 

capitalize on higher fees. Maintaining a 

good relationship with your beekeeper 

can prevent this, whether it’s this year 

or in the future. Proactively mitigating 

risks to colonies from pesticide 

exposure and providing payments in 

advance are relatively low-cost options 

for improving upon existing agreements 

and enhancing the relationship with 

your pollination provider. Planting 

bee-friendly forage is a more costly (and 

initially challenging) practice to implement, 

but may be worth it when growers 

factor in both benefits to pollinator and 

soil health. 

References 

Bruno, Ellen M., Brittney Goodrich, 

and Richard J. Sexton. 2021. The Outlook 

for California’s Almond Market. 

ARE Update 24(6): 9–11. University of 

California Giannini Foundation of Agricultural 

Economics. https://giannini. 

ucop.edu/filer/file/1629132450/20132/ 

Goodrich, Brittney and Rachael 

Goodhue. 2016. Honey Bee Colony 

Strength in the California Almond 

Pollination Market. ARE Update 19(4): 

5-8. University of California Giannini 

Foundation of Agricultural Economics. 

https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/ 

file/1461278500/17280/ 

Sáez, A., Aizen, M. A., Medici, S., 

Viel, M., Villalobos, E., & Negri, P. 2020. 

Bees increase crop yield in an alleged 

pollinator-independent almond variety. 

Scientific reports, 10(1), 1-7. https://www. 

nature.com/articles/s41598-020-59995-0 





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A WORD FROM THE BOARD: THE ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA 

Pollinator Efforts 

Lead to Prestigious 

Sustainability 

Award for Almond 

Board of California 

By ALMOND BOARD OF CALIFORNIA | Contributing Writer 

Almond Board of California’s leadership in founding 

the California Pollinator Coalition was a main driver 

for receiving the North American Pollinator Protection 

Campaign’s Business for Bees Sustainability Award (all 

photos courtesy Almond Board of California.) 

The past October, the North American 

Pollinator Protection Campaign 

(NAPPC) presented its 

Business for Bees Sustainability Award, 

an honor reserved for standout organizations 

that go above and beyond 

to support pollinators, to the Almond 

Board of California (ABC) and the 

state’s almond farmers. 

“This is about their long-term dedication 

to supporting all pollinators 

in their orchards and throughout our 

ecosystem,” said Kelly Rourke, executive 

director of Pollinator Partnership, 

which founded NAPPC 21 years ago. 

“We’ve worked with them for many 

years, and this is well-deserved recognition 

of their steadfast commitment to 

engaging farmers in pollinator conservation 

on multiple levels. The Almond 

Board and the entire almond industry 

have really moved the needle to raise 

awareness and generate action to protect 

pollinators.” 

NAPPC has only given out its Business 

for Bees Sustainability Award once 

before. It is given in years when there is 

a business taking extra special steps to 

protect bees and all pollinators and to 

advance sustainability and innovation. 

“ABC’s name is on this award, but it 

really goes to the 7,600 almond farmers 

in California,” said Josette Lewis, 

ABC’s chief scientific officer. “Farmers 

understand how important pollinators 

are to growing almonds and to all of 

agriculture and the environment. They 

want to be part of the solution.” 

The reasons for the award, Rourke 

said, include ABC’s leadership in 

founding the California Pollinator 

Coalition (CPC), its work promoting 

on-farm pollinator habitat and its support 

of years of research and education 

about the best practices for providing 

hospitable environments for pollinators 

in almond orchards and in other 

habitats. 

ABC worked with Pollinator Partnership 

and CDFA last spring to create 

the CPC, which brought together a 

broad array of grower organizations 

across the state’s ag and environmental 

landscape to help promote the health of 

wild and managed pollinators. 

“The formation of the California Pollinator 

Coalition was such a big step,” 

said Laurie Davies Adams, Pollinator 

Partnership’s director of programs, 

who helped found the CPC. “This is a 

unique statewide coalition that brings 

together every grower, farmer and 

rancher group. I don’t think that’s ever 

happened before. It’s going to make a 

real difference on the ground.” 

NAPPC is a collaboration of diverse 

partners from the U.S., Mexico and 

Canada. It includes respected scientists, 

researchers, businesspeople, conservationists 

and government officials. NAP- 

PC works to promote awareness and 

scientific understanding of pollinators, 

to find common ground for solutions 

and to create innovative initiatives that 

benefit pollinators. 

NAPPC is administered and supported 

by Pollinator Partnership, a 

non-profit headquartered in San Francisco 

with a mission to promote the 

health of pollinators through education, 

conservation and research. 

The award was announced during 

NAPPC’s 21 st -Annual International 

Conference, held virtually this year 

for the second time and hosted by the 

Pollinator Partnership and the Smithsonian 

National Museum of Natural 

History. The conference and award 

ceremony were planned for the Smithsonian 

before being forced to remain 

virtual because of COVID-19. 

Rourke and Adams said they would 

have liked to have given the honor in 

person to show how much they appreciate 

ABC’s work. 

“The strong effort that the Almond 

Board of California has mounted with 

the support of the almond industry to 

engage farmers and the entire agricultural 

community far beyond almond 

orchards is really impressive,” Adams 

said. “Bringing every grower group 

together to have an agriculturally led 

coalition for pollinators is significant. 

It will provide building blocks for even 

more engagement and large results. It’s 

a pioneering effort that other states are 

seeking to emulate.” 

“This is an outstanding honor for our 

farmers,” Lewis said, “especially considering 

all the good work that NAPPC 

and the Pollinator Partnership do. As 

much as anyone, almond farmers are 

tuned in to the importance of pollina- 


tors to their crops and our ecosystem. 

That’s why they work so hard to make 

their orchards healthy places for pollinators.” 

Almond farmers across California’s 

Central Valley sit in what is essentially 

a flyway for pollinators. In recent years, 

almond farmers have applied to certify 

more than 110,000 acres of Bee Friendly 

Farming®, providing pollinator habitat 

and integrated pest management across 

the valley to keep that flyway healthy 

and create badly needed floral resources 

that compliment and expand beyond 

the annual almond bloom. 

“Almond farmers have doubled the 

number of acres of bee friendly habit in 

California and in that pollinator flyway,” 

Lewis said. “We’re proud to help lead 

a broad coalition of agriculture and 

conservation groups to work together 

to promote and preserve habitat for 

pollinators.” 

About the California 

Pollinator Coalition 

Spearheaded by ABC, the California 

Antles_WCN_Ad1C_101920.pdf 1 10/19/20 11:47 PM 

The California Pollinator Coalition is a group 

of agricultural and conservation groups that 

will work to encourage more voluntary, grower-friendly 

efforts to protect the state’s native 

insect pollinators and managed honeybees. 

Pollinator Coalition is a group of agricultural 

and conservation groups that 

will work to encourage more voluntary, 

grower-friendly efforts to protect the 

state’s native insect pollinators and 

managed honeybees. 

The coalition includes a broad array 

of more than 20 of the state’s leading 

agricultural organizations and conservation 

groups. The Coalition will focus 

on increasing grower participation in 

projects to provide habitat and forage 

for pollinators and other beneficial 

insects across the state’s agricultural 

landscape. 

“California’s almond industry has a 

long record of continuing improvement 

in the area of integrated pest management 

and protection and stewardship 

of managed bees,” said Lewis. “This 

new coalition helps us expand on our 

work to benefit California’s many native 

pollinator species. We’ll also get more 

results by collaborating within the agriculture 

and conservation communities 

on voluntary efforts that benefit both 

growers and the environment. Improving 

the health or our ecosystems is not 

something we can do alone, so we are 

glad to have many strong allies in this.” 

Convened by Pollinator Partnership, 

the California Department of Food and 

Agriculture and the Almond Board 

of California, the Coalition’s goal is 

to increase habitat for pollinators on 

working lands to benefit biodiversity 


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The Coalition plans to address habitat issues on an unprecedented scale for the benefit of the 

state’s beneficial insects, which include 1,600 species of native bees, managed honeybees, 

butterflies, beetles, wasps and more. 


and food production through on-farm 

and in-orchard projects, supported by 

technical guidance, research and documenting 

progress toward increasing 

healthier pollinator habitats. 

“What we are doing in California is 

acknowledging the urgency to address 

the critical issue of protecting all pollinators, 

including native and managed 

species,” said Adams. “Agriculture and 

conservation must work together to 

achieve this goal. 

“The outcome will not be a tidy 

report that sits on a shelf, but rather a 

metric of acres, projects and species 

added to the landscape while agriculture 

continues to profitably feed the 

nation,” she said. 

Extending the California almond 

industry’s commitment to protect honeybees 

during almond pollination, the 

Coalition plans to address habitat issues 

on an unprecedented scale for the 

benefit of the state’s beneficial insects, 

which include 1,600 species of native 

bees, managed honeybees, butterflies, 

beetles, wasps and more. Populations 

of many California pollinators are declining 

and often suffer from the same 

challenges as California’s agriculture. 

The Coalition will work together on a 

variety of fronts to support pollinators: 

Prepare grower-friendly guidance to 

build and maintain pollinator habitat 

on farms and ranches 

Conduct research and disseminating 

relevant science 

Monitor outcomes (adoption rates 

and effectiveness of practices) 

“Collaborative action can mitigate 

risks to California’s pollinators, and 

that’s exactly why this coalition has 

come together,” said Karen Ross, CDFA 

secretary of agriculture. “We need 

urgent action, yet the first step in the 

process is building trust that encourages, 

enables and enhances the result. 

The California Pollinator Coalition is a 

big step forward in a journey of grower 

and conservation groups voluntarily 

demonstrating leadership.” 

“This will not be an easy or quick fix,” 

Lewis said. “It will require a robust and 

sustained effort, but we are determined 

to be part of the solution. Almond 

growers and many other farmers 

depend on pollinators to produce a 

crop and pollinators depend on us to 

provide safe habitat. Working lands can 

and should be part of the solution.” 

“Farm Bureau supports voluntary, 

farmer-friendly efforts to improve habitat 

for native pollinators, and we have 

long advocated improved research on 

pollinator health,” said President of the 

California Farm Bureau Jamie Johansson. 

“We will work with the coalition 

for the benefit of native pollinators and 

managed bees, and to assure stability 

for the domestic bee business.” 





START THINKING ABOUT 

POLLINATOR CONTRACTS 

BEEKEEPERS SAY CONTRACTS ARE 

WELCOMED ‘SOONER RATHER THAN LATER’ 


Harvest is over. Mummies are 

shaken and swept. Is it time to 

think about almond pollination? 

According to bee brokers and 

beekeepers, tighter supplies this year 

and increasing demand for pollination 

services mean almond growers need to 

contract for hives early and plan ahead 

for their arrival in the orchards. 

In addition to costs, hive numbers and arrival time, beekeepers need to know if the 

hives will be secure from theft, if pesticide applications will be made, if there is a water 

supply and the timing of payments (photo by Marni Katz.) 

New Era of Pollinator Contracts 

Denise Qualls, a bee broker with 

Pollination Connection, said contracts 

with growers are welcomed sooner 

rather than later to ensure an adequate 

honeybee supply. Some almond 

growers do book early, she said, but 

for the most part, growers don’t think 

about bees until after harvest. Many 

contracts are signed in December and 

January, but bees are still being booked 

in February. 

Qualls said the days of a handshake 

to secure pollination service might be 

over. 

“Most growers and brokers now 

have written contracts that spell out 

terms for pollination services including 

price, delivery time and hive strength,” 

Qualls said. Conditions spelled out in 

the contract can ensure the grower receives 

the pollination service necessary 

for setting a crop. The contract also can 

ensure beekeepers are fairly compensated 

for their time and investment in 

healthy, strong hives. 

Verbal agreements worked back 

when hives were renting for less than 

$100 and far fewer acres of almonds 

were grown. Now, Qualls said, demand 

for strong hives to cover all almond 

ground in the state requires that both 

sides agree on exact terms and put 

them in writing. 

Josette Lewis, chief scientific officer 

with Almond Board of California 

said ABC recommends growers sign 

contracts for pollination service. There 

needs to be clear understanding and 

communication between the growers 

and beekeeper. A sample contract is 

available at ABC’s website 

Number of full frames per hive is a 

key element in a contract, Lewis said. 

A third party inspector can verify the 

hive strength for the grower. County 

Agricultural Commissioners’ offices 

should provide inspector information. 

Working Together 

Steve House, director of operations 

at California Almond Pollination 

Service, said once a grower finds a 

good beekeeper and a beekeeper finds a 

good grower, they each have an integral 

component in their supply chain and 

a major factor in the success of their 

businesses. Both parties need to understand 

the success of one depends on the 

success of the other. 

In addition to costs, hive numbers 

and arrival time, House said beekeepers 

need to know if the hives will be 

secure from theft, if pesticide applications 

will be made, if there is a water 

supply and the timing of payments. 

Important considerations for almond 

growers are hive strength and 

confirmation of arrival time in the 

orchard, generally no later than 5% 



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Important considerations for almond growers are hive strength and confirmation of arrival time in the orchard, generally no later than 5% 

bloom (photo courtesy Joseph Jackson.) 


bloom. 

Almond growers depend on strong, healthy hives that 

have at least six frames of bees and an average of eight 

frames of bees at the beginning of bloom. 

Hives that lack these frame minimums have very little 

‘field force,’ House said, and do very little pollinating. It 

would take seven to eight four-frame hives to equal one eightframe 

hive. House explained that the numbers in the hives 

keep the hive warm and take care of the queen and the brood. 

An eight-frame hive has a field force of about 6,400 bees that 

actively go out to collect pollen, nectar and water. A fourframe 

hive will have only about 800 bees living in the hive. 

That is the reason hive inspection and grading is recommended, 

House and Qualls agreed. 

“It’s like paying for 1,000 gallons of fuel and receiving only 

800 gallons,” House said. 

About 15% of the hives should be inspected. An apiary 

inspector can conduct the inspection and growers should 

observe. An inspection will determine if the terms stated in 

the grower/beekeeper agreement are being met. 

The Almond Board of California Honey Bee BMPs noted 

that growers should be sure to notify the beekeeper of the 

inspection so they can assist in handling the hives. It is best 

to let the hives acclimate to the orchard landscape before 

conducting the inspection. 

Colony strength evaluations not only help ensure growers 

get what they pay for, they also help ensure that beekeepers 


Demand for strong hives to cover all 

almond ground in the state requires 

that both sides agree on exact 

terms and put them in writing. 

are compensated for additional expenses 

in providing 

quality hives. 

Growers can further monitor colony 

strength by walking orchards daily 

during bee flight hours to observe 

activity levels. When walking orchards 

during bee flight hours, growers should 

look for bees carrying pollen on their 

legs, which confirms that pollination 

is taking place. In addition, growers 

should record hives that appear weak, 

having few bees coming and going at 

the hive entrance during the day, or 

inactive, and then report those hives to 

the beekeeper. 

’ 

Other Considerations 

Qualls noted that bee supplies 

remain tight. If beekeepers can keep 

winter losses under 40%, there should 

be adequate numbers. She said losses 

were only anticipated to be in the 25% 

to 30% range this year. Varroa mites, 

drought and lack of native forage have 

had negative effects on hive strength, 

she said, and beekeepers have higher 

costs in maintaining healthy hives. 

She noted that as demand for pollination 

services has increased, higher 

prices will likely follow, though they 

have held steady at $200 to $210 for the 

last two years. Hives priced at lower 

rates may mean beekeepers haven’t 

made the effort needed to control varroa 

mites, Qualls said. 

Rising costs for inputs and the ongoing 

drought have been hard on both almond 

growers and beekeepers this year, 

Lewis said. When it comes to pricing 

information for pollination, Lewis said 

California State Beekeepers Association 

generally surveys beekeepers at their 

annual meeting and then publishes that 

information. 

Besides frame and grading requirements, 

House said other important 

contract points are number of hives 

delivered, delivery date, price per hive 

and payment schedule. Pesticide applications 

when bees are present in the 

orchard can also be part of the contract. 

The pest management plan for the 

orchard should be shared with beekeepers 

to make them aware of the products 

that may be used, Lewis said. Beekeepers 

are asked to register their sites with 

the county, but it is also important that 

they relay contact information to PCAs. 

Who will change water after a pesticide 

application should also be specified. 

“Both growers and beekeepers should 

have a clear understanding of the elements 

of the contract,” Lewis said. 




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Chestnuts in California have very few pest or 

disease problems (all photos courtesy Jenni Avila.) 

Chestnuts are not just a Christmas 

season specialty. The familiar 

Christmas song gained this unique 

tree nut a place at the holiday table, but 

its sweet flavor places chestnuts among 

the ingredients for many dishes prepared 

year-round. 

Joe and Jenni Avila, chestnut growers 

in the Modesto area, were familiar with 

chestnut use in Portuguese cuisine when 

they began growing chestnuts, but found 

their customers of diverse ethnic backgrounds 

value chestnuts for their sweet 

flavor. The Avila family operation, The 

Chestnut Farm, grows, harvests, processes 

and sells chestnuts onsite. Weeks prior 

to Christmas, in most years, they must 

hang their ‘sold out’ sign. 

Not a Native Nut 

Like most tree nuts grown in California, 

chestnuts are not native to the state. 

According to a UC Small Farms report, 

historically, chestnut tree forests were 

found in most East Coast states where 

trees grew to heights of 100 feet and the 

trunks were three to four feet in diameter. 

In the early 1900s, the species was 

decimated by the fungal disease Chestnut 

blight. 

More recently, development of a 

chestnut species tolerant to blight was 

initiated by State University of New York 

College of Environmental Science and 

Forestry (SUNY). Last year, the university 

sought deregulation of Darling 58, 

an American chestnut variety developed 

using genetic engineering for tolerance 

to chestnut blight. 



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The Agricultural Marketing Resource 

Center reports that the U.S. is 

one of the few nations in the world that 

can grow chestnuts, yet doesn’t have a 

significant chestnut industry. In 2018, 

U.S. chestnut production was less than 

1% of total world production. The U.S. 

had 919 farms producing chestnuts 

on more than 3,700 acres. The top five 

chestnut-producing states are Michigan, 

Florida, California, Oregon and 

Virginia. 

There are four common species of 

chestnuts grown in North America, but 

most trees in commercial orchards are 

hybrids of these species. 

Degree of burr separation from the shell and ease of pellicle removal from the nut meat are 

quality characteristics. 

Acre at a Time 

Joe Avila said his five acres of chestnut 

trees started with one acre in 1984 

and gradually grew an acre at a time. 

He said he started with seedling trees 

and grafted them with the European 

Colossal variety with a Nevada pollinizer 

and an Italian chestnut variety. 

Cross-pollination is required for 

chestnut trees, but since the pollen is 

often shed before pistillate flowers are 

receptive, overlapping male and female 

bloom from two different varieties is 

required. 

The Colossal variety produces a larger 

nut, which is more valuable. Avila’s 

trees are in full production and have 

reached a height of about 45 feet. 

“Our buyers are knowledgeable 

about chestnuts and are looking for 

high quality. In the last two years, we 

have sold out well before the holidays,” 

Avila said. 

Some customers prepare them by 

boiling and serving them in main dishes, 

while others prefer to roast the nuts. 

Avila said a key to quality in chestnuts 

is to place the nuts in cold storage 

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after harvest. Stored at 35 degrees F, 

they retain their sweet flavor. 

“Yield is important, but you must 

have quality or they don’t sell,” Avila 

said. “They have to be sweet and peel 

well.” 

“Chestnuts are more like a grain, 

containing about 40% carbohydrate, 

40% water, 5% to 10% protein and less 

than 5% oil,” Avila said. 

Harvest in September 

The Avila’s chestnut harvest usually 

begins about Sept. 10 when the mature 

chestnuts begin to fall to the ground. 

Those early nuts are harvested by hand. 

Avila said as they walk the orchards to 

harvest the fallen nuts, they crush the 

prickly burr that encases the dark, hard 

leathery shell and pick up the nuts by 

hand. The burrs are easy to split when 

mature. Ideally, Avila said, most of the 

crop is already out of the burr at harvest 

with only about 30% still encased. 

Degree of burr separation from the 

shell and ease of pellicle removal from 

the nut meat are quality characteristics. 

Hand harvest only lasts a short 

time. By the end of the month, Avila 

said most of the nuts have fallen to 

the ground where they are swept in a 

windrow and picked up by a machine. 

Mechanical shakers come in at the end 

to remove the last few nuts. 

The Avila’s next step is to sort the 

nuts, discarding any that are off-quality. 

The nuts are then sized by machine 

into four sizes and placed in bags. The 

Avilas weigh the bags to make sure they 

contain 25 pounds, then place them in 

cold storage until they are sold. 

Chestnut value is related to its size, 

with the larger nuts at the highest value. 

Ease of Production 

Orchard care for chestnut trees is 

relatively easy. Avila said he does not 

have organic certification, but need for 

insecticide application is rare. Insect 

pests are not an issue in his orchards, 

Avila said. 

Nutrition is also a factor in nut size. 

Avila said postharvest potash application 

is done prior to winter rains and, if 

needed, nitrogen is applied in March. 

Avila said the burrs left on the 

orchard floor add organic material to 

the soils and foster growth of beneficial 

Joe and Jenni Avila run The Chestnut Farm, a family operation that grows, harvests, processes 

and sells chestnuts onsite. 

microbes and night crawlers that aerate 

the soil and aid in nutrient uptake by 

the trees. The organic matter also holds 

soil moisture. In mature orchards, 

weeds are not a problem due to shading 

on much of the orchard floor. When 

trees are young, he said cover crops 

are used to add organic matter. Avila 

said he does incorporate some of the 

orchard debris, but most has decomposed 

by the next harvest season. He 

does some scraping to keep the orchard 

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Most of those production practices 

focus on producing top yield and 

quality. 

“You need yields, but what is really 

important is to have the quality, the 

flavor and easy peeling or they won’t 

sell well.” 




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Grower-Cooperators a Vital Cog in Research 

Growers provide an invaluable service for university and USDA 

researchers as well as for their respective industries. 

By MITCH LIES | Contributing Writer 

Cliff Beumel of Agromillora Nursery spreads chips in a walnut orchard as part of a whole orchard recycling trial at the farm of Sutter County 

grower-cooperator Mat Conant. Grower-cooperators like Conant are vital to the success of research, according to UCCE Farm Advisor 

Luke Milliron (photo by L. Milliron.) 

For the past three years, walnut harvest has taken a 

little longer on one block of Jerry Moore’s Visalia, Calif. 

farm. There are no weather issues or equipment malfunctions 

slowing harvest. Moore has volunteered the block to 

UCCE for research into solving a nematode problem that has 

plagued walnut growers for decades. 

Moore receives no compensation for the extra time it takes 

as UCCE researchers test and weigh walnuts after each row is 

harvested. But he rests easy knowing that he is helping growers 

across the state who have lost yield to nematodes. 

“What I get out of it is the gratification of knowing we are 

helping the industry,” Moore said. “If they can come up with 

something to solve the nematode problem, it will be a big help 

to the industry.” 

According to researchers, growers like Moore provide an 

invaluable service for university and USDA researchers as well 

as for their respective industries. 

“We could not be successful farm advisors without grower-cooperators,” 

said Luke Milliron, UCCE farm advisor 

for Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties. “There is just no way 

around it.” 

Milliron added that he is fortunate to be centered near a research 

farm, in his case the Chico State University Farm, where 

he can conduct certain projects. “But you really need to do 

this research on different types of ground, with different pests 

and disease pressure,” he said, “and the only way to find those 

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types of situations is to have these grower-cooperators that are 

willing to put up with inconvenience and potential loss in some 

profits by letting you have rootstock blocks and test different 

materials in their orchards.” 

Joe Grant, research director for the California Walnut 

Board and UCCE farm advisor emeritus, said in many cases, 

research has to be conducted on-campus or on university field 

stations. Spraying unregistered pesticides, for example, can’t be 

conducted on a commercial farm without having to destroy the 

treated crop. And some research, like evaluating the performance 

of new varieties and rootstocks, isn’t generally conducive 

to a grower-cooperator situation. 

“No grower is going to want to put up with devoting a lot of 

space to wait 10 to 12 years for a variety to get evaluated,” he 

said. 

Conversely, Grant said, many research projects can and, in 

some cases, need to be done in the field. 

Pat Brown, UC Davis walnut breeder, noted, for example, 

that much of his initial breeding work takes place on campus. 

“But,” he said, “once we are pretty sure that something looks 

good, we need growers across the state to trial it before we 

release it. That is a key step in putting out new varieties.” 

Grant agreed. “It allows researchers to test things in a much 

broader variety of settings and management styles than we 

could ever do on campus. So, that is very valuable. It is a quicker 

route to ultimate successful adoption when you can get a new 

technique or new variety or new rootstock looked at across a 

broad range of conditions.” 

Give and Take 

Grower-cooperators typically reap some benefit from 

participating in research, according to growers and researchers. 

Many like being on the cutting edge of new advances and 

seeing them at work on their farm, Grant said. But they also 

encounter inconveniences in working with researchers, and it 

can be a financial burden. 

“The grower usually ends up sacrificing something, whether 

it be yield, profit, convenience or time,” Grant said. “But I think 




some growers volunteer to do these kinds of things because 

they want to see what is coming. They want to kind of be on 

the leading edge of learning what is happening in a particular 

domain, like what is the latest findings on walnut blight. 

“It is kind of a give and take thing,” he said. 

Davin Norene of Rio Oso, Calif. has been cooperating with 

researchers throughout his career. In his case, he said, it is a 

family tradition. “My dad has always cooperated with the UC 

Extension and USDA researchers who are looking to move the 

industry forward, and that is how I learned. That is the culture 

here on our farm,” he said. 

“You definitely get something out of it,” he added, “It is all 

about learning and collaborating. You end up being a better 

farmer, and maybe you get some new tools out of it. But it is 

usually more of a financial burden than a financial benefit.” 

Milliron characterized farmers who donate ground to 

research as being service oriented. “Because it is an inconvenience, 

these folks really do have a service-oriented mindset 

and are seeing the value for the whole industry by advancing 

this work,” Milliron said. 

“And it is just really tremendous that growers let us do 

that work, especially as it has gotten much harder for a lot of 

researchers to use the research and extension center, like the 

Kearney Ag Center in the Fresno area. The fees associated with 

having a research orchard out there have become expensive. 

Walnut grower Davin Norene said participating in university and USDA research 

projects is a family tradition on his Rio Oso farm (photo by M. Lies.) 

“On a grower-cooperator farm, however, it is free,” he said. 

“Growers typically will be fronting a lot of the costs for testing 

things like whole orchard recycling, or to conduct an almond or 

walnut or prune rootstock trial in their orchard. 

“All of these things are just such a huge benefit, and hopefully 

these folks are learning in the process, too,” he said. 

Like many researchers, Milliron has several trials in place 

on farms. “We are in dozens of farmers fields, not only in the 

three counties in the Northern Sacramento Valley that I serve, 

but I work with other farm advisors and have plots in growers’ 

fields in Sutter and Yuba counties,” he said. “And it is the same 

with other advisors around the state.” 

He added that he is fortunate to work with several “really 

great cooperators.” 

“It is hard to find a really great cooperator,” Milliron said. 

“What it really takes is not only that they are willing to let you 

do research, but they have to be invested in the research as 

well. If they are, they are going to keep up on the communications 

and they are going to let you in to do what you need to 

do. A good cooperator is going to give you a ‘heads-up’ well in 

advance of harvest, or when something is going to get sprayed 

out there.” 

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‘I Know What It Takes’ 

Moore, the Visalia walnut grower, said he learned the value 

of grower-cooperators while serving as chairman of the California 

Walnut Board’s Production Research Committee. 

“I know what it takes for these researchers and how hard it is 

sometimes to find ground to do their projects,” he said. “So, if 

I have a chance, I open up some ground for them to come and 

work.” 

Moore just completed the third year of his commitment to 

the nematode project, and last year, he opened up part of his 

nursery for researchers to conduct rootstock research. 

“I’m excited to see what comes out of that,” he said. “These 

clones they are looking at have resistance to phytophthora, 

crown gall and nematodes.” 

As for the nematode project, there, too, he is optimistic. 

“They are getting some good results,” Moore said, results that 

may prove beneficial for him and many other growers in California. 

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Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com 


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What It Could Mean for Californians if We 

Have Another Dry Year: The Good, The 

Bad, and The Ugly 

By MIKE WADE | California Farm Water Coalition 

Our water year began October 1, 

and it’s no surprise to any of us 

that 2020-21 was the second 

driest on record. While the atmospheric 

river that drenched the state in October 

was good news, we still must prepare for 

a dry 2022 and think about what choices 

we may face if October’s drenching 

rain was an aberration. It’s not all doom 

and gloom, but there is some good, bad 

and ugly. 

JAN 12, 2022 

PECAN 

DAY 


Almonds may be one of the last profitable crops in California if regulations continue to 

hammer at the state’s water supply (all photos by Mel Machado, Blue Diamond.) 

The Good 

A bipartisan infrastructure bill 

passed by congress and signed by the 

president is expected to bring much 

needed relief to the state. We’re hopeful 

that federal funding for important 

California water projects will soon be 

on the way. 

In February 2019, 18 trillion gallons 

of rain fell in California, but due to 

inadequate storage, much of it could 

not be captured for future use. Last 

October’s storms also brought us water 

we couldn’t capture, which produced 

floods and rockslides instead of 

fruits, nuts and vegetables. 

Passage of this critical 

bipartisan bill will expand 

our ability to capture 

both surface and 

groundwater, improve 

water supply, expand flood control, 

improve downstream water quality, 

provide ecosystem benefits and fix our 

existing water-delivery infrastructure. 

In other good news, earlier reports 

of salmon demise were incorrect. 

Despite the dry and hot conditions, 

salmon have returned to the Sacramento 

Valley in record numbers. According 

to the California Department of Fish 

and Wildlife, it is the largest number 

of returning adults in 15 years. This 

means collaborative efforts by multiple 

stakeholders to address all the factors 

impacting fish are working. 

We continue to believe one of the 

solutions to California’s water management 

problems are the Voluntary 

Agreements, which would provide a 

more holistic approach to managing 

water for people and the environment. 

They rely on collaboration at the local 

level that will move the state substantially 

closer to the coequal goals of 

providing a more reliable water supply 

for California and protecting, restoring 

and enhancing the environment. 

Infrastructure legislation as well as 

the Voluntary Agreements are desperately 

needed, would improve water 

supply or water quality for all water 

users, help salmon and other struggling 

fish, and are within our reach. 

The Bad 

Cutting farm water supplies too low 

or increasing the cost to unreasonable 

levels could cause more problems than 

it solves. We all need to conserve, and 

California farmers have reduced their 

water consumption by double digits 

since 1980. While conservation efforts 

will continue, it still requires water to 

provide a healthy, safe, diverse food 

supply. 

Those who advocate for solving our 

water problems completely on the backs 

of farmers either don’t realize or don’t 

care about the consequences. 

The majority of California farms 

have been family-owned for decades 

and are active in their communities. 

The less water and the more it costs, 

the more land will be fallowed or sold 

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68 wcngg.com/PecanDay 

West Coast Nut December 2021

THOSE WHO ADVOCATE 

FOR SOLVING OUR 

WATER PROBLEMS 

COMPLETELY ON THE 

BACKS OF FARMERS 

EITHER DON’T REALIZE 

OR DON’T CARE ABOUT 

THE CONSEQUENCES. 

The San Luis Reservoir, at 12% of capacity on August 16, could be more difficult to fill if proposed 

State and Federal cuts hit future water supplies. 

to institutional interests, driving out family-owned operations, 

which is the exact opposite of what Californians say 

they want. Whatever farms remain will have no choice but 

to plant crops that provide the highest return per unit of 

applied water. The long-term future of California’s historic 

crop diversity, such as tomatoes, nuts, lettuce, broccoli, 

melons, sweet corn and many other examples of healthy food 

products we count on to keep our families healthy, won’t be 

possible, again the opposite of what Californians want. 

Because of California’s highly productive soil and climate, 

our production can’t simply be moved to other states. Nature 

provides assistance to California growers that simply can’t be 

transplanted to other states. Growing less in California will 

lead to more imported food, much of it from countries with 

less stringent safety regulations as well as less diversity of 

food products and higher prices for consumers at the grocery 

store. 

The Ugly 

Dismantling water rights is also touted as an easy fix 

when the exact opposite is true. Water rights are attached to 

the land, are a form of a vested property right, are long-established 

law and are rooted in historical precedent going 

back to English common law. Ending water rights strikes at 

the very foundation of our system and raises serious constitutional 

questions at both the state and federal level. 

We may face further assault from federal agencies that 

want to revert to old, outdated operating rules for both the 

Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. If enacted, 

the new plan would throw collaboration out the window, 

abandon the holistic approach to managing our environment 

that the latest science tells us we need and remove operational 

flexibility that is critically needed, especially in a drought. 

It would revert to measuring fish impact through a calendar 

system rather than by gathering data in real time as we do 

today. 

If we don’t embrace the good and work to avoid the bad, 

we could be left with ugly. Punitive measures and fin- 

‘ 

ger-pointing create strife and chaos as well as endless litigation 

while doing nothing to solve our very real problems. As 

Californians, we’re all in this together and must work toward 

common solutions. 

Comments about this article? We want to hear from you. 

Feel free to email us at article@jcsmarketinginc.com 

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Interested 

in organic 

articles? 

SUBSCRIBE TO 

at organicfarmermagazine.com/subscribe 

Organic Walnut Production 

Increases as Growers Learn 

New Management 

Techniques 


Organic walnut growers work to enhance soil health and integrate mechanical weed control into their systems (all photos courtesy Fillmore Farms.) 

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Organic walnuts are rapidly 

growing out of the ‘niche’ market. 

Evidence is in the number of retail 

online outlets for organic walnuts and 

the increase in production over the past 

six years. 

Mike Poindexter of the vertically 

integrated Poindexter Nut Company 

in Selma, Calif. said that domestic 

production of organically grown walnuts 

has ramped up to surpass foreign 

imports and pricing has reached more 

consumer-friendly levels. 

Supply of organic walnuts has 

increased greatly over the past several 

years, Poindexter said. In 2015, 4,424 

tons of organic walnuts were produced. 

By 2019, production had increased to 

10,055 tons. However, he said current 

data is hard to come by and there is 

no information on the size of the 2020 

organic walnut crop, which has made 

figuring out pricing levels a bit tricky. 

Putting it into perspective, however, 

Poindexter’s total walnut output is two 

and a half times larger than Califor- 


nia’s entire organic walnut crop. 

Poindexter attributed the increase in 

organic walnut production to existing 

orchards being transitioned to organic 

and increased production numbers per 

acre due to higher yielding varieties. 

Irrigation and nutrients are important 

components in organic farming practices, 

he noted, but neither of those are 

new developments in walnut farming. 

Pricing Premium, Higher Costs 

Water costs and debt service make 

up a large part of the cost structure. 

Poindexter said that typically, higher 

yielding walnut varieties would have a 

drop in production due to the inefficiencies 

of organic fertilizers compared 

to synthetics. Other farming costs, including 

weed control, for example, also 

tend to be higher in organic production. 

In order to achieve comparable returns 

on a per acre basis, he said there needs 

to be a 30% premium per pound on 

average. 

“We have seen substantially higher 

premiums in years past, but I expect 

the normal bump on pricing will be 

much closer to 30% to 40% over conventional 

pricing moving forward.” 

Poindexter said that ideal locations 

for organic production would be areas 

with lower insect pressure and without 

close proximity to conventional farms 

to eliminate the need for a buffer zone 

to account for drift of pesticide applications. 

Because of the difficulty in overcoming 

deficiencies in the soils, starting 

in good walnut ground, class 1 soils 

with good water penetration, would be 

ideal. Poindexter sources organic walnuts 

from growers in the San Joaquin 

Valley and in the Paso Robles area. 

He said that in the past, there have 

been many walnut orchards that were 

no longer economically viable under 

conventional methods and were 

converted to organic to stretch the 

productive life of the orchard. With the 

recent rise in supply of organic walnuts, 

Poindexter said that older orchards 

or those with lower yielding varieties 

are again getting pushed into negative 

margins. The market won’t pay the 

premium necessary for older varieties 

that do not have production or the crop 

quality. Color is the main quality driver 

for sales and pricing. 

“If a grower wants to farm organically, 

they should be farming one of 

the newer varieties: Chandler, Ivanhoe, 

Tulare, Howard or Solano,” Poindexter 

said. 

Visual aspects are very important 

as the largest segment of consumption 

for organic walnuts is in retail sales 

for culinary use. Institutional baking 

and ingredient use of organics is still 

a very small part of the market, Poindexter 

explained, so the older varieties 

are going to struggle to find a market 

amid the expanding supply of premium 

varietals. 

Finding a Home 

Lake County has historically led 

the way in acres of organically grown 

walnuts in California. UCCE Farm 

Advisor Rachel Elkins said that 2018 

statistics show the county had 1,700 

acres producing organic walnuts. San 

Luis Obispo County listed 650 acres, 

San Benito County listed 564 acres and 

the Solano/Yolo counties combined 

listed nearly 2,000 acres. 

Many growers of organic walnuts 

in Lake County are now struggling, Elkins 

said, with the loss of a major huller/dryer 

and marketer for their nuts. 

Two dry winters have also stressed the 

trees and made them more vulnerable 

to freezing temperatures. Many walnut 

orchards in Lake County are also older 

varieties, she said. 

“There is a short crop here this year, 

and the big issue is finding a home for 

those walnuts,” Elkins said. 

Grower Challenges 

The Fillmore family in Gridley, Calif. 

is a certified organic walnut grower and 

processor. Ryan Fillmore said growers 

who choose to farm organically have a 

different set of challenges compared to 

conventional walnut growers. 

“Those challenges are manageable, 

but you have to think ahead.” 


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Fillmore said the goal with organic production is to find 

ways to use the tools you have. 

Insect pests, nutrition and orchard floor maintenance are 

the three main challenges. 

Organic walnut growers look to soil health for production 

and integrating mechanical weed control into their systems. 

Trees that are farmed well produce pretty good yields, Fillmore 

said. 

Fillmore said the family focuses on soil health in their 

orchards, encouraging the growth of beneficial soil microbes 

that produce nutrients for sustainable crop production. 

Transitioning young trees to organic production is a common 

practice, but he said that production can begin to taper 

off after a few years unless growers recognize the importance 

of soil health in providing for tree nutritional needs. 

Navel orangeworm (NOW), codling moth and husk 

fly are the main insect pests, but Fillmore said there are a 

couple of positives about the organic approach. Not using 

broad-spectrum insecticides leads to a higher population of 

beneficial insects. Fillmore Farms also utilizes bat houses to 

provide habitat for bat colonies that can help reduce insect 

populations in orchards. 

For husk fly control, Fillmore said timing is important for 

efficacy of a spinosad-based treatment. Treatments at $60 to 

$150 per acre are expensive and provide less benefit if timing 

The largest segment of consumption for organic walnuts is in retail 

sales for culinary use. 

is off even a day or two. 

Codling moth can be treated with BT, but each treatment 

is only effective for a few days. Fillmore said codling moth 

damage is not as immediately obvious on the processing side, 

but CM attacks the hull of the immature walnut, providing 

an opening for NOW. 

Orchard sanitation, mating disruption and trapping are 

Fillmore’s strategies for NOW control. This pest is the toughest 

challenge in organic walnut production. He noted that 

Peterson traps have been an effective tool to remove female 

NOW from the orchard but added that any moderate to severe 

NOW problem will require more than one approach to 

control in an organic setting. There currently are no organic 

sprays that effectively control NOW. 

“NOW is a little like Bermuda grass,” Fillmore said. “If 

you let it get a start in the orchard, it is much harder to control 

later on.” 

When it comes to weed control, Fillmore said modified 

mowers that work closely around tree trunks are used rather 

than herbicides. Choosing to mow weeds rather than use 

herbicides also removes herbicide resistance from the list of 

grower concerns. 




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A WORD FROM THE BOARD: THE CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD 

Health Research Helps 

Drive Consumer 

Demand for Walnuts 

By CALIFORNIA WALNUT BOARD AND COMMISSION | 


VENICE HILL 

WALNUT NURSERY 

Serving South Valley Growers since 1980 

Jerry Moore 

(559)730-5859 

Variet ies: 

• Chandler • Tulare • Ivanhoe 

Through investment in health research, the California 

Walnut Commission (CWC) drives consumer demand 

by keeping walnuts and their health benefits top of mind 

with consumers and health professionals. This is accomplished 

in three important ways: Gives more science-based 

reasons for consumers to eat walnuts, especially in top topics 

of nutrition interest; builds on the credibility of walnuts as a 

nutrient-rich food among health professionals who strongly 

influence consumer dietary choices; and appeals to top-tier 

media read by consumers. 

“The first 15 years of research in heart health led to 

walnuts’ qualified health claim* with the FDA and being 

the first nut certified with the American Heart Association’s 

Heart-Check mark, which we’re proud of, but we 

couldn’t stop there. Our mission to further the science on 

the health benefits of eating walnuts continues to lead us in 

our research,” said Jennifer Olmstead, senior director of U.S. 

marketing and communication with the California Walnut 

Commission. 

With each new study, consumers have more reasons to 

add walnuts to their grocery cart, and reporters have a timely 

reason to include walnuts in a news story. Two long-term 

studies published in 2021 linked walnuts with life longevity 

and cardiovascular health. Investing in the research and 

sharing the findings also allows the CWC to build and 

nurture relationships with registered dietitians and health 

reporters. 

“Positive results to the health research brings additional 

media attention to walnuts and builds awareness to the proven 

health benefits,” said Olmstead. 

A study led by Yanping Li, Senior Research Scientist at 

the Department of Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of 

Public Health, found that higher walnut consumption, both 

in terms of the amount and frequency, may be associated 

with a lower risk of death and an increase in life expectancy 

among older adults in the U.S. compared to those who do 

not consume walnuts. 

This study, supported by the California Walnut Commission, 

found eating five or more servings of walnuts per week 

(one serving = one ounce) may provide the greatest benefit 

for mortality risk and life expectancy. Eating five or more 

servings per week was associated with a 14% lower risk of 

death (from any cause), 25% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular 

diseases and a gain in about 1.3 years of life expectancy, 

compared to those who didn’t consume walnuts. 

Popular consumer sites and food trade publications 

shared headlines like Verywell Health’s “Eating More Walnuts 

Could Help You Live Longer,” Martha Stewart’s “Eating 

Walnuts Could Lead to a Longer Life, a New Study Says” and 

Food Navigators’ “Walnut consumption linked to improved 

life expectancy.” Ultimately, news of the studies’ findings 

garnered more than two billion impressions, with more than 

300 international articles covering the study, generating a 

total of 702,843,291 impressions. 

Another study that published in August 2021 found an 

association between regular daily walnut consumption and 

sustained lower levels of cholesterol among 708 healthy 

older adults who included walnuts as part of their diet for 


four years. The findings again 

reinforced the notion that regular 

walnut consumption may be a 

useful part of a heart-healthy eating 

pattern. 

Hundreds of millions of 

people saw news reports touting 

“Want Better Heart Health? 

Consume Walnuts!” or “Eat a 

Handful of Walnuts Daily to 

Protect Your Heart and Stay Slim,” 

including a captive audience of 

more than two million viewers 

watching Good Morning America. 

Articles from health studies 

result in millions of consumers 

having a deeper understanding of 

the benefits walnuts provide, including 

how they can help you live a healthier 

life. 

*Supportive but not conclusive 

research shows that eating 1.5 ounces 

of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated 

fat and low cholesterol diet and 

not resulting in increased caloric intake, 

may reduce the risk of coronary heart 

disease (FDA). One ounce of walnuts 

offers 18g of total fat, 2.5g of monounsaturated 

fat, 13g of polyunsaturated fat 

including 2.5g of alpha-linolenic acid, 

the plant-based omega-3. 




One study, supported by the California Walnut Commission, found eating five or more 

servings of walnuts per week may provide the greatest benefit for mortality risk and life 

expectancy. 

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JOSEPH JACKSON ON “DOING WHAT MATTERS” 

“YOU CAN TAKE THE FARMER OUT OF THE ORCHARD, BUT CAN’T TAKE 

THE ORCHARD OUT OF THE FARMER” 

By TAYLOR CHALSTROM | Assistant Editor 

Farming has been practically inescapable 

for most of Joseph Jackson’s 

life, and it’s become his livelihood. 

Jackson, a part-time grower himself 

and account manager with Phytech, 

helped his father grow row crops and 

stone fruits for much of his childhood in 

the Kettleman City area. It wasn’t until 

the early 2000s when his father shifted 

to farming almonds that he entered the 

world of tree nuts. 

“Like a lot of people in the [Central] 

Valley, he saw the great prices of almonds 

and pistachios and thought, ‘Hey, 

I gotta get in on that as well,’” Jackson 

said, noting however that it has been 

increasingly difficult to farm in the area 

in recent years. “Problems with available 

surface water or prices of surface water 

as well as really no access to groundwater 

at all in our area meant that we kind 

of kept downsizing the operation, not 

just in changing crops but also in land 

sales.” 

Looking for the Long-Term 

Jackson said he became less engaged 

in the family farm as it downsized, 

citing the stress of regulatory challenges 

as a factor as well as the fact that his 

current paychecks don’t entirely depend 

on the weather. That being said, working 

with growers every day in his position 

at Phytech has made him miss growing, 

and he’s been looking to reenter it in a 

larger capacity. 

“I miss [farming] enough to where 

I don’t think I could go much longer 

without having any serious impact,” 

Jackson said. “So, whether that’s buying 

a small plot, 40, 50 acres, starting there 

and having a little something, almonds 

and pistachios especially are what I’m 

interested in getting back into. 

“There are lots of jobs where you go in 

and feel like you’re clocking in, clocking 

out and not really seeing anything at the 

end of the day, and that’s just not the 

case with farming,” he added. “[In farming], 

you really do feel like what you’re 

doing matters.” 

Jackson and his father have been in 

talks to form a partnership and lease or 

buy a new tree nut orchard. He said that 

due to current regulations and commercial 

advancements, he and his father 

have been more thoughtful throughout 

the planning process about where the 

orchard will be located and how it will 

be managed. 

“[We want to] make a system where 

we can keep farming for a long time,” 

Jackson said. 

Jackson puts great value on optimizing 

management practices and improving 

on-farm sustainability, reasons why 

he said he will never let go of farming. 

“We’re also helping make positive change, 

whether it’s caring for a piece of land, 

taking care of the plants there, the soil 

there,” he said. “It’s just something really 

special.” 

When considering more sustainable 

practices, Jackson is also thinking about 

the next generation of growers. “I have 

kids now, and with my love of ag, I want 

them to be able to experience agriculture 

in the valley,” he said. “So, to do that, we 

need to be more thoughtful and more 

sustainable with how we’re farming so 

that we can keep farming for generations 

to come.” 

Always Contributing 

Jackson accrues most of his hours in 

orchards through his commercial position, 

but he has also found other ways 

to stay involved in the tree nut industry. 

He is a graduate of the Almond Board 

of California’s (ABC) selective Almond 

Leadership Program, which “inspires 

and prepares almond community members 

to join a network of leaders meeting 

the challenges of a changing industry,” 

Working with growers every day in his 

position at Phytech has made Joseph Jackson 

miss growing, and he’s been looking 

to re-enter it in a larger capacity (photo 

courtesy J. Jackson.) 

according to ABC’s website. Additionally, 

Jackson sits on ABC’s Strategic Ag 

Innovations Committee where he and 

other members strategically decide 

where the almond industry needs to go 

with things like ag, environmental and 

food safety initiatives. 

At the time that Jackson applied for 

the Almond Leadership Program, he 

was still working as a grower full-time 

and was stuck in what he referred to as 

an “almond industry silo.” After graduating 

from the program, he had a clearer 

understanding of the scope of the industry 

and could see beyond his grower 

perspective. 

“We have all of these grower concerns 

on our minds, but when it comes to the 

almonds, we get them off the tree and 

kind of pat the trucks goodbye, and 

that’s kind of in a sense where the almonds 

stop with us,” Jackson said. “But, 

they go on a much longer journey, and 

that’s really what the [Almond] Leadership 

Program gives you… they actually 

take you to those places.” 

Jackson is referring to every step 

of the supply chain after almonds are 

trucked away from the orchards, such 

as huller-sheller facilities and shipping 

ports. Program members also get to hear 

from ABC about industry research into 

almonds’ nutritional benefits and global 


marketing efforts. 

Members meet for one day every 

month, and that day is dedicated to 

an aspect of the industry, Jackson said, 

whether it’s marketing, transit, research, 

etc. “[This industry] is all so interconnected, 

and we really need each other for 

success,” he said. 

Jackson was part of the Almond 

Leadership Program’s Class of 2019, 

which consisted of himself and 18 other 

individuals that contribute every day 

to the almond industry. On completion 

of the program, graduates are given an 

honorary membership to ABC’s multiple 

working committees, and Jackson 

took special interest in the Strategic 

Ag Innovations Committee. Honorary 

members don’t get to vote on issues, but 

they are invited to attend meetings, are 

sent information and resources, and can 

voice opinions on industry matters at 

meetings. Jackson applied for a regular 

membership, which was approved this 

summer and allows him to be able to 

have a counted vote, after his honorary 

membership expired. 

The Committee mainly focuses on 

Jackson puts great value on optimizing management practices and improving on-farm 

sustainability, and he’s always thinking about the next generation of growers when 

considering sustainable practices (photo by Roger Duncan, UCCE.) 

collecting research that is sifted through 

by a selection of working groups as well 

as deciding who gets funding for certain 

projects. Jackson made it a point to say 

that this funding, which comes in large 

part from growers, is by no means going 

to waste. 

“Everyone on this committee is super, 

super thoughtful about growers’ money,” 

he said. “Especially with the price of 

almonds being as low as it is, when part 

of that [price] is immediately taken off 

and sent to an agency, you want to feel 

confident that it’s not just going into a 

bureaucratic black hole, and it’s really 

not.” 

While Jackson has contributed much 

of his extracurricular time to almonds 

through the Almond Leadership Program 

and the Strategic Ag Innovations 

Committee, he has also been looking for 

ways to get more involved with the other 

major tree nuts. “Working with Phytech 

in the commercial sector, I also have a 

lot of walnut growers I work with, pistachio 

growers. So, I’ve definitely tried to 

reach out to some of those organizations 

and find ways that I can participate with 

the [California] Walnut Board, American 

Pistachio Growers.” 




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California Legislative 

Recap for 2021 

By ROGER A. ISOM | President/CEO, Western Agricultural Processors Association 

This year’s budget includes $90 million in General Funds over the next two years for the Department of Pesticide Regulation (photo by Cathy Merlo.) 

The 2021 legislative session was an 

interesting one, still subject to 

COVID-19 restrictions limiting 

access to the Capitol, but bolstered by 

a big surplus budget. All in all, things 

could have been far worse. The following 

is a brief summary on the bills we 

felt were most important to the tree nut 

industry during this year’s session. 

AB 73 (R. Rivas) 

Current law requires the State Department 

of Public Health and the Office 

of Emergency Services to establish 

a personal protective equipment (PPE) 

stockpile, and requires the department 

to establish guidelines for the procurement, 

management and distribution of 

PPE, taking into account, among other 

things, the amount of each type of PPE 

that would be required for all health 

care workers and essential workers as 

defined in the state during a 90-day 

pandemic or other health emergency. 

This bill would specifically include 

wildfire smoke events among health 

emergencies for these purposes and 

would include agricultural workers in 

the definition of essential workers. The 

bill passed out of the Assembly 78-0, 

passed out of the Senate 37-0 and was 

signed by the Governor on Sept. 27. 


This bill would require the State Air 

Resources Board, as part of the next 

scoping plan update and no later than 

Jan. 1, 2023, to identify a 2045 climate 

goal with interim milestones for the 

state’s natural and working lands, 

and to integrate into the scoping plan 

update recommendations developed 

by the Natural Resources Agency and 

the Department of Food and Agriculture 

regarding practices, policy and 

financial incentives, market needs and 

potential reductions in barriers that 

would help achieve the 2045 climate 

goal among other recommendations. 

The bill was moved to the Inactive File 

and may be acted upon in January 2022. 


This bill would require, by January 

1, 2023, the State Water Resources Control 

Board and regional boards to prioritize 

enforcement of all water quality 

standard violations that are causing 

or contributing to an exceedance of a 

water quality standard in surface water 

of the state. The bill would require the 

state board and regional boards, by 

January 1, 2025, to evaluate impaired 

state surface waters and report to the 

Legislature a plan to bring all water 

segments into attainment by January 1, 

2050. The bill was held on the Assembly 

Suspense File and may be acted upon 

January 2022. 

AB 567 (Bauer-Kahan) 

Current law generally regulates 

pesticide use by the Department of 

Pesticide Regulation and requires the 

Director of Pesticide Regulation to 

endeavor to eliminate from use any 

pesticide that endangers the agricultural 

or nonagricultural environment. 

A violation of those provisions and 

regulations adopted pursuant to those 

provisions is generally a misdemeanor. 

Current law requires the department 

on or before July 1, 2018 to issue a determination 

with respect to its reevaluation 

of neonicotinoids and to adopt 

control measures necessary to protect 

pollinator health within two years, as 

specified. This bill would prohibit the 

use of a neonicotinoid on a seed, as 

specified. The bill was made into a 

two-year bill and may be acted upon in 

January 2022. 

AB 616 (Stone) 

This was the big bill of the session. 

Current law requires the Agricultural 

Labor Relations Board to certify the results 

of an election conducted by secret 

ballot of employees in a collective bargaining 

unit to designate a collective 

bargaining representative, unless the 

board determines there are sufficient 

grounds to refuse to do so. Current 

law further provides that if the board 

refuses to certify an election because 

of employer misconduct that would 

render slight the chances of a new election 

reflecting the free and fair choice 

of employees, the labor organization 

shall be certified as the bargaining 

representative for the bargaining unit. 

This bill would refer to the secret ballot 

election as a polling place election. The 

bill passed out of the Assembly 50-17, 

passed out of the Senate 24-11, but was 

vetoed by the Governor on Sept. 22, 

2021. 

AB 1395 (Muratsuchi) 

The California Global Warming 

Solutions Act of 2006 requires the State 

Air Resources Board to prepare and 

approve a scoping plan for achieving 

the maximum technologically feasible 

and cost-effective reductions in greenhouse 

gas emissions and to update the 

scoping plan at least once every five 

years. This bill, the California Climate 

Crisis Act, would declare the policy of 

the state both to achieve net zero greenhouse 

gas emissions as soon as possible, 

but no later than 2045, and achieve 



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and maintain net negative greenhouse 

gas emissions thereafter, and to ensure 

that by 2045, statewide anthropogenic 

greenhouse gas emissions are reduced 

to at least 90% below the 1990 levels. 

The bill passed out of the Assembly 

42-21, but failed passage in the Senate 

14-12. Reconsideration was granted and 

may be acted upon in January 2022. 

SB 95 (Skinner) 

This bill would provide for 

COVID-19 supplemental paid sick 

leave for covered employees, as defined, 

who are unable to work or telework due 

to certain reasons related to COVID-19, 

including that the employee has been 

advised by a health care provider to 

self-quarantine due to concerns related 

to COVID-19. The bill would entitle 

a covered employee to 80 hours of 

COVID-19 supplemental paid sick 

leave if that employee either works 

full time or was scheduled to work, on 

average, at least 40 hours per week for 

the employer in the two weeks preceding 

the date the covered employee 

took COVID-19 supplemental paid sick 

leave. The bill would provide a different 

calculation for supplemental paid 

sick leave for a covered employee who 

is a firefighter subject to certain work 

schedule requirements and for a covered 

employee working fewer or variable 

hours, as specified. The bill passed 

out of the Senate 22-2, passed out of the 

Assembly 57-19 and was signed by the 

Governor on March 19, 2021. 

SB 559 (Hurtado) 

This bill would establish the Water 

Conveyance Restoration Fund in the 

State Treasury to be administered by 

the Department of Water Resources 

in consultation with the State Water 

Resources Control Board and the Department 

of Fish and Wildlife. The bill 

would require all moneys deposited in 

the fund to be expended, upon appropriation 

by the Legislature, in support 

of subsidence repair costs, including 

environmental planning, permitting, 

design and construction and necessary 

road and bridge upgrades required to 

accommodate capacity improvements. 

The bill would require the Director of 

The big bill of the session, AB 616, covered secretive balloting for collective bargaining votes 

(photo by Taylor Chalstrom.) 

Water Resources to apportion money 

appropriated from the fund, subject to 

specified requirements, for the Friant-Kern 

Canal, Delta-Mendota Canal, 

San Luis Field Division of the California 

Aqueduct and San Joaquin Division 

of the California Aqueduct. The bill 

was moved to the Inactive File and may 

be acted upon in January 2022. 

Budget Act of 2021 

The Legislature passed this year’s 

budget in stages, and spends $262.5 

billion in total state funds, consisting of 

approximately $196.4 billion from the 

General Fund, $61.2 billion from special 

funds, and $4.9 billion from bond 

funds. Of note, the budget includes: 

• $31 million for the Governor’s 

Climate Catalyst Revolving Loan 

Fund; 

• $65 million to address drought 

impacts on fish and wildlife (habitat 

restoration); 

• $40 million for Water Resilience 

Projects; 

• $170 million for the FARMER 

program, plus an additional $42.5 

million in Carl Moyer funds 

directed to agriculture; 

• $32 million for methane reduction 

programs; 

• $50 million designated for Land 

Resource Protection which would 

include repurposing irrigated ag 

lands; 

• $180 million for SGMA implementation 

(this is $120 million more 

than the previous budget); and 

• $7 million for CDFA to help farmers 

transition to organics. 

The budget also includes $90 million 

in General Funds over the next two 

years for the Department of Pesticide 

Regulations. These monies are in place 

of a tiered mill assessment proposed 

by the Department but rejected by the 

Legislature. The Department did receive 

an additional appropriation of $10 

million to study different approaches to 

the mill assessment that help transition 

the State to safer products. 

In a year when the legislation could 

have been a lot worse, the failed recall 

attempt did take people’s attention 

away from some of those critical pieces 

of legislation, and maybe, just maybe, 

helped keep some of those bad bills at 

bay. That’s good for now, but we need to 

buckle up and be prepared for 2022. It 

will be a whole new battle! 





A WORD FROM THE BOARD: AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL 

A Peek into the Pecan 

Powerhouses Network 

By AMERICAN PECAN COUNCIL | Contributing Writer 

In our last article, we shared about 

the various marketing activations 

we’ve engaged in this past year to 

reach the eyes and minds of a crucial 

audience: health professionals and 

registered dieticians. These individuals 

educate and engage with consumers as 

experts in health, nutrition and wellness. 

They advise people on what to eat, 

so by reaching them, we can move the 

needle in the health food and wellness 

marketplace at large. We’ve engaged 

with this audience on multiple fronts, 

from developing useful nutrition resources 

to partnering with well-known 

and well-respected influencers and 

chefs amongst the health professional 

community. In this article, we will hone 

in on two of the most significant and 

rewarding activations to date, which 

have been ongoing efforts for the past 

two years now: The Pecan Powerhouses 

Network and our partnership with 

the Retail Dietitians Business Alliance 

(RDBA). 

Pecan Powerhouses Network 

The Pecan Powerhouses Network 

is an exclusive network the APC 

has developed, comprised of 

health and wellness leaders who 

receive first-hand access to 

innovative recipes, engaging 

educational resources and 

cutting-edge research, 

all highlighting the 

JAN 12, 2022 

PECAN 

DAY 


power of the Original 

Supernut. This group 

of credentialed health 

professionals (registered 

dietitian nutritionist, 

physician, nurse, 

fitness professional, etc.) 

and students in a health-related 

field (dietetic intern, 

medical student, etc.) chose to opt 

in and were vetted before receiving 

acceptance. They are enthusiastic about 

pecans and are keen on sharing their 

unique health benefits and culinary 

applications with their communities. 

We launched the Pecan Powerhouses 

Network in 2020, and it has seen 

continued growth in 2021. This year 

alone, we recruited 332 new members 

through our activations engaging this 

audience, bringing total membership to 

over 600. We distributed four quarterly 

newsletters to all members to-date, 

with a 40.4% average open-rate and 

6.5% average click-through rate, both 

above industry standards. 

A huge win this year has been the 

launch of a quarterly webinar series as 

a way to regularly engage with and provide 

meaningful, educational content 

to our Pecan Powerhouse Members, 

despite the limitations of the pandemic. 

Through this series, we covered pecans’ 

tree-to-table story, which garnered 

1,266 registrants over the four events, 

recruited 134 new Pecan Powerhouse 

Network members and reached 93k+ 

health professionals via targeted webinar 

promotions. 

The final webinar in the series, 

“Holistic Nutrition Strategies: A Threefold, 

Evidence-Based Approach to 

Immune Health,” which took place on 

September 22, 2021 and was led by the 

co-founder of the Culinary Nutrition 

Collaborative, Kristy Del Coro, was our 

most-successful webinar to-date. We 

track this success based off key metrics 

like registration & attendance as well 

as from post-webinar surveys we’ve 

conducted to gather feedback. Webinar 

registration has more than tripled 

since the inaugural event in January 

2021, showing how far we’ve come in 

such little time. In our pre-webinar 

communications for the Q4 webinar, 

we reached 25.3k+ health professionals 

across four promotional channels and 

had 40% of our 702 registrants attend 

the live event. The objective of this webinar 

was to discuss the key micronutrients 

for immune health, creative and 

convenient culinary pairings featuring 

immune-supporting ingredients, and 

evidence-based lifestyle habits to incorporate 

into their practice as a nutrition 

professional. Attendee Q&A focused on 

nutrient changes resulting from preparing 

pecans in recipe applications and 

specific benefits of the key micronutrients 

discussed. In our post-webinar 

survey distributed immediately following 

the webinar, 86% of respondents 

rated the webinar very good or excellent, 

85% said they learned something 

new about key micronutrients for immune 

health, creative culinary pairings 

and evidence-based lifestyle habits, and 

65% plan to incorporate all or most of 

the information they learned into their 

Register today at 

82 wcngg.com/PecanDay 

West Coast Nut December 2021

APC’s newly-introduced quarterly webinar series for 2021 covered pecans’ tree-to-table 

story (photo courtesy American Pecan Growers.) 

everyday practice. Additional attendee 

feedback demonstrated strong interest 

in recipe ideas and pecans’ application 

to a variety of health needs, which will 

help guide future content we distribute 

to the Pecan Powerhouses Network. 

Retail Dietitians Business Alliance 

The RDBA is a first-of-its kind 

professional group representing 2,400 

retail dietitians throughout the U.S. 

and Canada. These professionals work 

for and/or consult to major supermarket 

retailers, helping customers and 

employees with food, culinary and 

nutrition topics. Our partnership with 

this key dietetic practice group was 

four-fold, including development of a 

sponsor page on their website, participation 

in Samplefest, a Snacking 

Trends Webinar and dedicated e-blasts 

to their membership. 

Our Sponsor Page on RDBA’s website 

offered retail dietitians easy access 

to the APC’s health professional-facing 

resources and talking points about 

pecans taste, versatility, and nutrient 

makeup for convenient use in virtual 

and in-store activations. 

Samplefest is an activation put on by 

RDBA that pairs insights and information 

on trending topics with product 

samples in one tailored bundle specifically 

for retail dietitians. As a sponsor, 

APC was able to place educational resources 

and pecan product in the hands 

of 227 retail dietitians representing 44 

major grocery retailers. These resources 

included a bento box, double-sided 

educational handout and single-serving 

pecan pack. 

RDBA’s engaging snacking trends 

webinar we were the sponsor of served 

to increase visibility of pecans and 

grew awareness of pecans’ nutritional 

attributes and culinary versatility. 

In the pre-webinar promotion, 6.4k+ 

health professionals were reached and 

11 major retailers were represented 

among the attendees, which collectively 

encompass approximately 7.2k retail 

locations. 

Lastly, two dedicated e-blasts sent 

out to the RDBA database served as 

successful promotional channels for 

the Pecan Powerhouses Network and 

our 2021 webinar series. 

We made great inroads with the 

vital audience that is the health professional 

community in 2021. Looking 

forward to 2022, our topline objective 

will be to continue to increase consumption 

of, recommendation and 

positive sentiment for pecans among 

targeted health professionals. Building 

off the momentum of this past year, we 

will continue to grow the Pecan Powerhouses 

Network and build partnerships 

to position pecans’ heritage story as 

an interest hook and key differentiator, 

leverage pecans’ unique trifecta encompassing 

taste, satisfaction and nutritional 

value, and elevate the experience 

of pecans as the “foodie” nut for all. 




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Ant Management in Almonds 

Plan Ahead for Ants to Prevent 

Damage at Harvest 

By KATHY COATNEY | Contributing Writer 

The amount of ant damage sustained is directly proportional to how long the 

nuts are sitting on the ground, according to UCCE Entomologist David Haviland. 

There are two main ant pests in 

almonds: the pavement ant and the 

southern fire ant. The pavement 

ant is about 0.13 inch long, dark brown 

and covered with coarse hairs. It has 

ridges on its head that are visible with 

a hand lens and prefers to nest in sandy 

or loam soils. It’s found throughout the 

Central Valley, but most commonly in 

the northern San Joaquin and Sacramento 

valleys. 

The southern fire ant is 0.07 to 0.25 

inch long and has an amber head and 

thorax with a black abdomen. Compared 

to pavement ants, fire ants vigorously 

swarm from the nest entrance 

when disturbed. 

“Both ant species are primarily 

protein feeders,” according to David 

Haviland, UCCE entomology and pest 

management farm advisor for Kern 

County, and almond kernels are excellent 

sources of protein. “That’s why we 

grow them and eat them. 

“Different ants respond differently 

to different climates, different ground 

covers, different types of soils and different 

amounts of rainfall,” Haviland 

said. 

Neither species likes to climb trees, 

but once the nuts are harvested and on 

the ground, they eat them, especially if 

there’s an opening in the shell. 

Ant Management 

“The amount of ant damage sustained 

is directly proportional to how 

long the nuts are sitting on the ground,” 

Haviland said, so the biggest factor in 

ant management is manipulating how 

long the nuts are on the ground. 

“Once the nuts are shaken, of course 



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ONE WAY YOU CAN TELL THAT IT'S ANT DAMAGE IS THAT THE ANTS 

DON'T LIKE THE SKIN OF THE KERNEL. SO, IF ALL THE WHITE MEAT 

PART OF A KERNEL IS EATEN OUT, AND THERE'S STILL REMNANTS OF 

THE SKIN FROM THE SURFACE OF THE KERNEL, THAT'S ANT DAMAGE. 

– DAVID HAVILAND, UCCE 

“ 

“ 


they need to dry, they need to be blown, 

windrowed and then picked up. And 

the issue is, from an ant management 

standpoint, the longer the nuts are on 

the tree, and the drier they are when 

you shake the tree, the less time they 

need on the ground before you can pick 

them up,” Haviland said. 

But the longer the nuts are left in 

the tree, the longer they are exposed 

to navel orangeworm. So growers are 

juggling between harvesting the trees 

as late as possible to minimize ant 

damage and getting the nuts off the 

tree as fast as possible to prevent naval 

orangeworm damage. 

“What ends up happening is growers 

primarily deal with the ants by applying 

baits, and then shaking the trees as 

soon as possible,” Haviland said. 

Shell Uniformity 

Hard shell varieties are less susceptible 

to ant damage than soft shell varieties. 

“All varieties have split hulls, but 

the integrity of the shells does change,” 

Haviland said, adding the way the 

almonds are managed during the year 

can affect the integrity of the shell. 

Haviland explains that if almonds 

are really wet, then really dry, then 

really wet, then really dry, there will be 

periods of rapid hull expansion, and it 

can impact the uniformity of the shell. 

It’s similar to growing backyard tomatoes. 

“If you forget to water them for 

a couple of weeks, and then give them 

tons of water, those tomatoes expand 

really fast and split. The same can happen 

with cherries close to harvest if you 

get a rainstorm,” Haviland said, adding 

uniform irrigation and growth equals a 

more uniform shell. 

Organic Management 

There are organic baits, but they 

aren’t as effective as conventional baits, 

Haviland said. 

“For organic growers, it really comes 

down to getting the nuts off the ground 

as fast as possible. Also, a lot of organic 

growers, in order to help prevent damage 

from navel orangeworm, tend to 

grow more hard shell varieties because 

they’re less susceptible to navel orangeworm. 

That also makes those varieties 

less susceptible to ant damage.” 

Determining Damage 

Taking annual samples at harvest is 

important to determine the level of ant 

damage. 

“One way you can tell that it’s ant 

damage is that the ants don’t like the 

skin of the kernel. So, if all the white 

meat part of a kernel is eaten out, 

and there’s still remnants of the skin 

from the surface of the kernel, that’s 

ant damage,” Haviland said, adding 

they will also leave behind a powdery 

substance that is an indication of ant 

damage. 

Pros and Cons of Specific Baits 

Baits fall into two main groups. 

Clinch, Esteem, Extinguish are all applied 

approximately two months before 

harvest (May and June). The worker 

ants take the bait into the colony, it’s 

fed to the queens and the queens become 

sterile and/or die. 

“This has been a standard practice 

for a couple of decades,” Haviland said. 

There is also a newer bait called 

Altrevin. Altrevin works much faster, 

but doesn’t have the residual effect of 

the other baits. 

“Growers that want to use Altrevin 

will typically apply it within a couple of 

weeks of harvest,” Haviland said. 

The advantage of first three baits are 

that they are inexpensive and applied 

earlier in the season when typically 

labor and equipment are available to 

make those applications. 

In comparison, an application of 

Altrevin must be made just prior to 

harvest when growers are in harvest 

preparation and equipment may be tied 

up with hull split sprays, mowing and 

other ground preparations. 

“There’s just a lot of things going on 

at that time, where it’s nice to just say 

in May or June that you’ve checked the 

box, you’ve put out your baits and ants 

won’t be a problem,” Haviland said. 

But Altrevin has the advantage that 

growers can monitor ant populations 

and decide whether or not to treat two 

weeks before harvest. 

“It’s easier to react to the popula- 


There are two main ant pests in almonds: the pavement ant (pictured) and the southern fire ant (photos by Jack Kelly Clark, 

UC Statewide IPM Program.) 

tion in the field with a later treatment, 

whereas most treatments that are done 

in May and June are done on more 

of a presence/absence preventative 

approach, which works and is very 

effective. But in hindsight, all of those 

fields may not have needed treatment,” 


If growers have the manpower and 

the ability to make a late application, 

they could save money using Altrevin 

because they might not need to make 

an application, depending on ant populations. 

To maintain bait quality and maximize 

bait pickup by ants: 

Don’t use baits within 24 hours 

after an irrigation or 48 hours before 

an irrigation with sprinklers or microsprinklers. 

The soil surface should 

be dry so that moisture is not absorbed 

by the bait and reduce its attractiveness 

to the ants. 

Use bait products soon after opening 

and do not store bait for more than 

a few weeks. Open bags should be used 

within a week or two so that the soybean 

oil does not become rancid and be 

less attractive to ants. 

Purchase only as much bait as can 

be used in the current season. 

Monitoring 

Monitoring is always advised, but at 

the same time, thresholds can be difficult 

to interpret, Haviland said. 

“Imagine if you harvest a field and 

you get the nuts out within three days, 

versus harvest the same field, on the 

same day, but it takes you 10 days to 

remove the nuts. That’s the difference 

between ants being a problem or not,” 


Treatment isn’t solely dependent on 

how many ants there are; it’s also dependent 

on the details of harvest, how 

much equipment a grower has and how 

long the nuts are on the ground. 

“Sometimes those details aren’t 

available until real time. In May, you 

don’t know if it’s going be sunny or 

whether a cool rainstorm will come in 

the middle of harvest. That’s not common, 

but still, you don’t know what the 

weather is going to be until the week 

of the weather,” Haviland said, and if 

yields are higher than expected, it can 

impact how much time it takes to get 

the nuts out of the field. 

There are ant monitoring guidelines 

available on the UC IPM website at 

www2.ipm.ucanr.edu/agriculture/almond/Ants/. 




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Yvba-Sutter Fairgrounds 

442 Franklin Ave, Yuba City, CA 95991 

2 

We’ve Expanded to 

DAYS 

January 

13th and 14th 

FREE EVENT 

LIVE TRADE SHOW 

NETWORKING 

FREE INDUSTRY LUNCH 

2 DAYS 

TOTAL CE: 

PR :6 

A:9 

Pending Approval 

Register at WCNGG.COM/CWC 

In collaboration with

West Coast Nut is excited to collaborate with the California Walnut Board and 

Commission on this year’s California Walnut Conference. The purpose of extending 

to a two-day conference is to have time to present a more in depth look at 

what’s happening in the walnut industry on both a domestic as well as international 

level. This two-day conference will feature crop research, consumption 

research, marketing and industry updates and more. My vision for this event 

10 years ago was for it to become the key event for the Walnut Industry and 

to create a space where the industry would come to gether to learn from each 

other and access information and technologies that are for walnuts. I know 

moving to a 2-day event is a significant change and bigger commitment for 

all involved than the past years half day show. However, in today's climate 

we are in need of a better understanding of the industry and where we are 

headed and we feel that this conference is a key opportunity to help the industry 

lead a new path of positive change by holding a comprehensive conference with our industry partners, UC Research 

and the California Walnut Board and Commission. Please clear your schedule and be part of the change 

and experience on both days, our industry needs your participation and prospective. Register today: wcngg. 

com/events 

Jason Scott 

Jason Scott | Publisher 

The California Walnut Conference is very important to the California 

Walnut Board as it represents an opportunity to meet with our 

growers and give them the most up to date information about what’s 

happening in the industry. The conference sessions are a fantastic way 

for growers to receive education on the latest on pest management, 

orchard management, and other topics currently being studied through 

the CWB Production Research Program. Additionally, growers can hear 

about the various marketing programs being conducted in the US and 

export markets designed to build demand for the amazing product they grow, as well as learn more about the work 

the CWC is doing to advocate for the California walnut industry. The California Walnut Board is pleased to work 

with JCS Marketing to coordinate this event. Their experience in the tradeshow component and our educational 

sessions make for a winning combination that offers our industry a first class experience. 

Michelle Connelly | Executive Director, 

California Walnut Board and Commission

DAY 1 

CE TRACK 

WORKSHOPS 

CE talks in the morning 

8:00 AM 

BOT/Phomopsis 

8:30 AM Walnut Huskfly Panel: Why does 

huskfly continue to plague 

walnut growers and what can 

9:00 AM 

they do about it? 

9:30 AM 

10:00 AM 

10:30 AM 

Update on Walnut Mold and its 

Management in California 

BREAK / Trade Show 

Where Your Production Research 

Dollars are Going and Why? 

Benefits of Delayed Irrigation in 

Walnuts 

Integrating Information Into 

Irrigation scheduling 

The Latest on Post-Harvest 

Research 

Spotlight on International and 

11: 00 AM 

Emerging Markets 

The Future of Pesticides 

in Walnuts 

11:30 AM The Future of Walnut Varieties 

2-DAY AGENDA 

12:00 PM Walnut Industry Lunch 

12:30 PM 

State of the Industry - Michelle 

Connelly 

1:00 PM TBD 

1:30 PM 

Regulatory Issues Affecting 

Walnut Growers 

2:00 PM Break /Trade Show 

3:00 PM 

3:30 PM 

U.S. Retail: Current Trends and 

the Opportunity for Walnuts 

SGMA - What It Means For You 

and Where It’s Coming From 

4:00 PM Adjourn 

DAY 1 

TOTAL CE: 

PR : 3.0 

A: 5.0 

Pending Approval 

More to learn in the afternoon

DAY 2 

CE TRACK 

WORKSHOPS 

8:00 AM 

8:30 AM 

Climate Change and Impacts 

on Pest Generations 

Mites- A Growing Concern 

in Walnuts 

Using Social Media to Reach the 

Next Generation of Consumers 

Navigating the Challenges of 

Global Trade 

More CE credit! 

9:00 AM 

9:30 AM 

New Technologies in Spraying 

and Why Calibration Will Still 

Be Important 

Crown Gall--Rootstocks, 

Treatments and Strategies 

Biologicals What are They and 

Where Do They Fit? 

Living with Low Winter Chill in 

Walnuts 

10:00 AM 

10:30 AM 

BREAK / Trade Show 

11: 00 AM Walnut Blight Management 

11:30 AM 

At a Crossroads with NOW in 

Walnuts: What to Do, Where 

to Go? 

From Research to Purchase: 

Translating evidence-based 

nutrition science in engaging 

and actionable ways 

Nitrogen Management 

in Walnuts 

12:00 PM Adjourn 

FREE EVENT 

LIVE TRADE SHOW 

NETWORKING 

FREE INDUSTRY LUNCH 

Need to register now! 

WCNGG.COM/CWC 

DAY 2 

TOTAL CE: 

PR : 3.0 

A: 4.0 

Pending Approval

Results that speak for themselves. 

Sure, we could try to sell you on how Merivon fungicide delivers longer lasting disease 

control and more consistent performance. Or how our Advanced Plant Health benefits 

uniquely protect both this year’s crops and the longevity of your almond trees. But we 

know the most important thing is results. And once you see what Merivon fungicide yields, 

we know you’ll agree that the results speak for themselves. 

Always read and follow label directions. 

Merivon is a registered trademark of BASF. © 2022 BASF Corporation. All rights reserved.

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