Almond Journey

Highlights reviewing the crop season from August's Global Update, from the Global, Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California, in today's Almond Byte. Chinese facility registrations A major challenge this year was implementation of China’s Decree 248 requiring food facilities exporting food to China to finalize online CIFER registrations by June 30, 2023. ABC took the...

In this episode, we visit with Brandon Rebiero, co-founder and the head of farming at Gold Leaf Farming. Rebiero, who also serves on the board of directors for The Almond Board of California, discusses a recent trip to Washington, D.C. There, a small group of Almond Board directors and staff met with leaders, regulators and other key partners to discuss relevant issues impacting the almond industr...

Lucas Schmidt, the vice president and chief operating officer of Grow West and Almond Leadership Program graduate, joined the journey to reflect on some of the challenges in the industry over the past few years including supply chain disruptions, interest rate hikes and inflation. He said these recent experiences emphasize the need for planning, budgeting, and really knowing the people you rely on...

Highlights from July's Global Update, from the Global, Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California, in today's Almond Byte. ABC Visit to DC Coincides with India Tariff Reductions The annual Almond Board of California (ABC) industry delegation visit to Washington DC coincided this year with the first State Visit of India’s Prime Minister Modi. During the week of June 19t...

In this episode, we meet four impressive members of the California Future Farmers of America (FFA) who were awarded scholarships this year by The Almond Board of California (ABC). Since 2016, ABC’s fundraising efforts have been led by the Almond Leadership Program who has helped to raise more than $250,000 through donations, an annual golf tournament, and a live and silent auction during The Almon...

June's Marketing Bulletin from the Almond Board of California.  Almonds Take Over Mexico City During the first two months of 2023 and around National Almond Day efforts, California almonds took to the streets of Mexico by driving two mobile billboard trucks, covered with almond advertising creative, to top locations in Mexico City. The billboard trucks visited nine shopping malls, 20 supermar...

Tanya Gemperle-Goncalves of Gemperle Farms has taken a particular interest in finding ways to improve their almond operation over time. She joined the Journey to share some of her experiments including cover crops, compost, whole orchard recycling and more. “There are these practices that we want to implement, and what I'm trying to figure out is where can I reduce the risk? Where can I reduce the...

USTR Chief Ag Negotiator Visits California After speaking at the recent Agri-Pulse Conference, ABC was able to arrange orchard visits for USTR Chief Ag Negotiator Doug McKalip. The almond and walnut orchards outside of Sacramento were the perfect venue to discuss the impact of tariffs and technical issues on the shipment of almonds. An important point that was highlighted was the fact that despite...

Michael Kelley is the president and CEO of the Central California Almond Growers Association . With four shellers in two locations, the association is the largest huller/sheller of almonds in the world. Kelley shares several insights about the current state of the industry, including economics, logistics, technology, supply chain, and drivers of past, present and future success.   “We're on t...

May's Marketing Bulletin from the Global Market Development and Reputation Management teams at the Almond Board of California.  Leveraging Nutrition Research The Almond Board is currently running ads on Facebook and Instagram encouraging consumers to learn more about the benefits of eating almonds before meals. Ads seek to reach people that express interest in topics such as specific diet tre...

Highlights from the May 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Economic Impact Analysis of Retaliatory Tariffs on Exports of California Almonds California almond exporters have been increasingly frustrated about favorable tariff conditions for Australian almonds while U.S almonds continue to suffer under retaliatory tariffs. Aust...

Mackey Violich is part of the ownership team at Capay Farms , a 13,000-acre almond and walnut farming operation. As sustainability manager, Violich has explored a variety of innovative solutions like solar, cover crops, composting, carbon credits, electric equipment, whole orchard recycling and more.   “There's a lot of green washing out there. But if you have the data and the numbers to back...

Almond grower Dennis Yotsuya has a small orchard in Cortez, California. Through winter sanitation and mass trapping, he has been able to avoid hull sprays for navel orangeworm in recent years. Yotsuya describes his approach and the benefits he has seen in reducing damage from the pest. “Even though I didn't spray much, what intrigued me was that once you put a trap out, it works all the time. Wher...

Third generation farmer Keith Yamamoto and his family farm a variety of crops including almonds in Westley, California. Diversification in crops, markets and approaches has been an important part of the Yamamoto family’s business strategy. Yamamoto joined the Journey to share how he found his role in the family operation and how he looks at risk management, growth, and value-added opportunities. &...

Highlights from the April 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Decree 248 Update Food and Drug Agency has stopped managing China’s CIFER portal. China’s General Administration of Customs, also known as the GACC, uses the portal for U.S. facility registrations. This recent action creates great uncertainty for those companies wai...

A banker and CPA – who both also grow almonds – join the Journey to talk about farm finance and accounting. Ted Reimers is the vice president in the agribusiness group at American Ag Credit in Turlock and owns an orchard in Orland. Robert Holtermann farms near Wasco and is also a certified public accountant. Today’s episode highlights both their farming operations and how their perspectives as a b...

Highlights from the March 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. ABC participation in the Gulfood Show ABC exhibited in the USA Pavilion at the Gulfood show in Dubai during the week of Feb 20. The USA Pavilion included 158 U.S. companies and associations including nine almond exporters. The show hosted over 5,000 exhibitors from...

Mohnish Seth is the president and owner of Farmers International . He and his wife Versha Seth joined the Journey to share their incredible story of migrating to California from India in the early 1990’s to find a new source for high quality almonds. Their experiences offer real insights into how India – which doesn’t have any domestic production of almonds – has become such a massive consumer. &n...

Third generation almond grower Eric Spycher farms alongside his brother, Curt, and their father near Balico, California. This past year, Spycher was one of a few growers approached by the Turlock Irrigation District to collaborate on a groundwater recharge project. Spycher joins the Journey to share the impressive results they’ve seen from this work, how the project got started, what made his 40-a...

Highlights from the February 2023 Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California. Algeria Requires Fumigation ABC sent out a note to handlers on January 26 stating that Algeria does not require fumigation per USDA/APHIS. However, after further follow-up, it has been confirmed that a fumigation requirement implemented in late 2022 only allows A...

In this episode, we revisit The Almond Conference 2022 with Almond Board President and CEO Richard Waycott to recap his message on the state of the almond industry. Waycott discusses grower profitability, water and biomass all while reflecting on his 20 years in the almond industry and his hope for what he has announced will be his final year leading The Almond Board of California.   “On the...

In this episode of the Almond Journey Podcast, we sit down with nine different almond industry leaders to hear about their hopes for 2023 and beyond. This group shares an acknowledgment of the current challenges, but also optimism for the future ahead for almonds. Our guests include: Richard Waycott, Almond Board of California president and CEO Dick Cunningham, grower and Almond Alliance board mem...

January's Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California in today's Almond Byte. Ag Trade Leaders are Confirmed by Senate After being nominated for leadership positions by the Biden administration last spring, Alexis Taylor was confirmed by the US Senate as Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs at USDA on Dec 21. In addition, Doug McKa...

This special episode was recorded in-person at The Almond Conference in early December 2022. Almond Achievement Award winner Brian Ezell shares his almond journey, the importance of volunteerism, and what he’s given and gained by serving the industry over the years.   Ezell is the vice president of the almond division for Wonderful Almonds and Pistachios. His primary role is to make sure...

Bill Brush is a wealth of knowledge about soil and crop fertility. After years of farming and working in ag retail, Brush became fascinated by the world beneath the soil’s surface, and that led to him becoming a full-time independent consultant. In this episode, Brush discusses what can be done to continue to build structure, biology and water holding capacity over time. “The three major component...