Almond Journey

This special episode was recorded in-person at The Almond Conference in early December 2022. Almond Achievement Award winner Brian Ezell shares his almond journey, the importance of volunteerism, and what he’s given and gained by serving the industry over the years. 

 Ezell is the vice president of the almond division for Wonderful Almonds and Pistachios. His primary role is to make sure that the company markets and sells their almonds every year to customers around the world. Ezell has served on numerous Almond Board committees over the past 20 years, including serving as chairman of the Global Market Development Committee (GMDC) for the past six years. 

“I’ve gotten way more out of volunteering than I know I contributed, so when you get an award like this you feel very humbled because you feel like you’re the one that got all of the benefit.” - Brian Ezell

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Almond Achievement Award winner Brian Ezell, and discover his almond journey
• Hear why Ezell was surprised to be the recipient of the award
• Understand why Ezell is so committed to volunteerism in the almond industry
• Explore why Ezell is hopeful for the next generation of volunteers 

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

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

“The three major components of science are physics, biology, and chemistry. It's like a three-legged stool. You have to have all three of those components to put together a successful fertility program.” - Bill Brush

In Today’s episode:

• Meet crop consultant Bill Brush
• Learn about Brush’s journey from a generational farmer to an independent crop consultant.
• Discover how Brush and his farmer clients manage soil physics, biology and chemistry to create successful fertility programs

ABC Update

For several years, the Almond Board of California has supported the Seeds for Bees program which provides free seed to growers who want to try cover crops for the first or second year. Almond Board of California Chief Scientific Officer Josette Lewis said the practice is proving beneficial for some growers, improving their soils, their pollinator health and their bottom line. Growers have already received their cover crop seed from Seeds for Bees for the 2022-2023 season and Lewis says the growth of the program speaks volumes about the value of cover crops.

 “Our focus is on the role that cover crops can play in solving soil quality problems in the orchard. So that might be compaction, which impacts water infiltration… It also plays a role in pollinator health. The honeybees that every grower brings into the orchard are a pretty expensive part of growing almonds and research shows that having a blooming cover crop around the time of almond pollination can improve bee health.” - Josette Lewis

You can find more information about cover crops by downloading the Cover Crop Best Management Practices and by visiting the Almond Boards cover crop and forage web page.

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In this episode, pest control adviser (PCA) Robert Sylvester joins the journey. Sylvester has worked for Wilbur Ellis for over 12 years focused on almonds he grew up working in almond orchards with his father. While at Cal Poly, Sylvester interned with Wilbur Ellis which led to a full time position and a PCA license. This background has greatly influenced the way he approaches his almond producer clients.

“I work with the grower and I say, this is where I see the issues and this is where I think we can improve with this program or with this material I think we can do better. If I wouldn't do it for Dad, I'm not doing it for them.” - Robert Sylvester

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Robert Sylvester who has worked as a PCA in almond orchards for over 12 years
• Hear how pest management strategies have evolved over the years, and what issues he and his farmer customers dealt with this past season
• Discover how Sylvester and other PCAs work as critical team members for California almond growers

ABC Update

A few years ago, the Almond Board of California looked for opportunities to provide tangible tools that would help growers and PCAs. This led to a family of identification booklets with pictures and descriptions to reference throughout the year. Almond Board of California Senior Manager of Industry Relations and Communications Jenny Nicolau announces that there is a new tool that will be available for the first time ever next week at The Almond Conference – the Almond Disease and Nutrient Deficiency Identification Cards.

“It empowers the farm managers and the laborers in the orchard to really learn and really start to have a better idea of what they're seeing, like they're part of it when they can work with their PCA thanks to these identification booklets…I'm really excited about this. third ID set because it rounds out the family.” - Jenny Nicolau

Register now to attend The Almond Conference at www.almonds.com/conference. 

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Almond grower Jarred Greene didn’t always know he would end up pursuing farming as a career. In 2013, Greene took a summer internship with his current employer, San Juan Ranch, part of Nickel Family Farms. That led him on a journey from washing shop windows to irrigation scheduling to farm management. In this episode, Greene shares insights on where automation fits into an almond operation, especially in the areas oof irrigation and spraying.

“We have irrigators out there. We’re not trying to replace them. We’re trying to achieve more with less. So how can you keep that person but enable him to do a little bit more with his time than he was able to do five or ten years ago?” - Jarred Greene

In Today’s episode:

• Meet almond grower Jarred Greene and discover his journey to almond production in Firebaugh, California
• Explore the opportunities, benefits and perspectives of implementing automation in an almond orchard
• Learn about the increased efficiency and the many benefits Greene has found with irrigation and spraying automation

ABC Update

Almond Board Associate Director of Agricultural Research Sebastian Saa has assembled a group of researchers on behalf of the industry to coordinate a collaborative effort called Tree Crop Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration Experiment (T-REX). Along with this effort to give growers a clear picture of actual ET, the Almond Board is supporting research on yield prediction and estimation. The hope is that this can help to make sure growers are meeting the water needs of the tree efficiently and precisely.

“What our portfolio will focus on is to define when to irrigate, how much to irrigate, where to irrigate – and at the end of the day – how to irrigate…They are developing and enabling the technology to visualize how much our trees are actually transpiring at a high-resolution level.” - Sebastian Saa

Register now to attend The Almond Conference at www.almonds.com/conference. 

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

November's Global Update includes the latest on the European Union, engagement in the Indian market and new pesticide and trade strategy development.

The EU continues to grapple with the fallout from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war in the form of delayed implementation of some of the Green Deal/Farm-to-Fork proposals and higher energy costs. ABC is monitoring proposals that may impact the export of California almonds to the EU. As part of stakeholder consultations, ABC has provided comments on the implications of applying EU environmental standards to imports without taking into consideration the differences in geographical, climatological, and consequently, pest pressures of different growing regions.

ABC also provided input to another stakeholder consultation on sustainable food systems, highlighting the work the California almond industry has already done related to water conservation and pollinator health. ABC is also monitoring the EU’s consideration of Front-of-Pack nutritional and sustainable labeling, as well as harmonized handling of rejected shipments.

Industry members are encouraged to attend the trade panel discussions during the upcoming Almond Conference in December 2022, where a representative from Prospero (our regulatory monitoring consultant in EU), will provide updates on EU regulatory issues. For more information, contact [email protected].

ABC staff recently met in Delhi with the Indian Food Safety and Standards authorities (FSSAI). The previous CEO recently moved into a new position; the Delhi meeting was an opportunity to introduce the Almond Board to the new CEO as well as to continue discussions with the Director of Imports. Unfortunately, a November visit to California by the two officials was postponed but is anticipated to be rescheduled to the first half of 2023. ABC plans to follow up on discussions with FSSAI and almond industry members in February, in conjunction with the annual India trade conference.

Clay Hamilton (USDA/FAS), who will be posted in India next summer and has been invited to participate in the trade panel session at the upcoming December Almond Conference. For more information, contact [email protected].

Trade and regulatory challenges, including pesticides, have been priorities for the almond industry. Following on Board strategic priorities, ABC staff have been defining new strategies to better deal with complex regulatory issues at home and abroad. The trade strategies have included deeper dives into the tariff and technical barriers (such as complex facility registration or overly burdensome labeling requirements) impacting trade in both established and horizon markets, with the intent to better focus resources on opening new and expanding existing markets in the future.

One common theme is the impact of stricter pesticide requirements stemming from the EU’s efforts to restrict the use of chemical tools — in the EU and by elimination of import tolerances supported by international standard-setting bodies like Codex. Better definition of the actual barriers will enable ABC to work more effectively with USDA, USTR, and industry partners to resolve these barriers ultimately increasing future export opportunities.

The 50th Almond Conference will host over 3,500 attendees and 270 exhibitors this December in Sacramento. Jim Jasper, Ladd Hackler, Bob Curtis and Rebecca Bailey have each attended the annual event several times throughout the years. They share some of their experiences in this episode as we hear how far the event has come in the last half-decade.

“It's the super bowl of the almond industry. Once a guy does go, you're probably gonna see him the next year too because he did learn something. But you just gotta break that ice and get him to go once.” - Jim Jasper

In Today’s episode:

●     Meet industry leaders Jim Jasper, Ladd Hackler and Bob Curtis, who have found great value in attending the yearly meeting

●     Explore the evolution of The Almond Conference, the benefits it offers growers and the relationships it facilitates

●     Discover the activities, events and opportunities participants will have access to

Register now to attend The Almond Conference at www.almonds.com/conference. 

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

EU Regulatory & Trade Update

The overall aflatoxin rejections for California almonds in Europe have trended down, from 32 in 2017-18 to 2 so far this year. However, the industry continues to face other challenges associated with aflatoxin rejections, namely, denial of goods returned to origin for rejected shipments in some EU countries such as Spain and Denmark. This is an issue ABC has been actively working with EU regulators to harmonize across all member states so shippers can opt to bring rejected shipments back if they choose to do so. The ongoing discussions on revising Articles 66 and 67 import control procedures promise to harmonize the handling of rejected goods across EU member states. ABC will keep the industry updated on any developments in this regard.

In other EU regulatory news, the implementation of some of the Farm-to-Fork-related regulatory proposals has slowed down, but not completely paused, as the EU grapples with the fallout from the Ukraine-Russia war. ABC has responded to stakeholder consultations and shared industry viewpoints on important issues such as the possibility of applying EU environmental and health regulations to imported products and creating a mutually acceptable sustainability framework.

ABC has received inquiries from industry members regarding European Commission Recommendation 553/2022 related to monitoring alternaria toxin levels in foods, including tenuazonic acid (TeA) for tree nuts. According to Dr. Jim Adaskaveg, Professor of Microbiology and Plant Pathology at the University of California, Riverside, there is very low concern about Alternaria on almond-producing inoculum levels to reach detectable mycotoxin levels. Primarily, the almond tree may be affected with “Alternaria leaf spot” disease but there is rarely any evidence of hull infections. In general, the kernels are well protected by the shell and hull and spore contamination would have to be extremely high to detect mycotoxins. ABC has initiated testing of infected samples to generate baseline data.

ABC has invited our EU regulatory affairs consultant, Prospero, to provide updates on the current EU status in implementing its Green Deal strategies during an international trade panel at the Annual Conference coming up in December. For more information, contact [email protected].

USDA Tree Nut Annual Reports - Highlights for India and the EU

USDA recently published its annual Tree Nuts Reports for the EU and India. The EU imported more than $1.4 billion of almonds from the U.S. in MY 21/22 (93% market share) and only $82 million from Australia, its second-largest supplier. USDA forecasts predict that the EU’s two largest almond producers, Spain and Italy, will see significant decreases in production in MY 2022/23. For India, USDA forecasts a slight decrease in Indian almond imports to 148,000 metric tons (MT) for MY 2022/23. The U.S. is the largest almond supplier to India with 84% market share, followed by Australia at 8%. Domestic production is predicted to decrease by 4% to 4,000 MT.

USTR Chief Ag Negotiator On Hold

Last month we reported that Doug McKalip’s nomination for chief agricultural negotiator at USTR was moving along smoothly, but since then citing transparency concerns, a Democratic Senator placed a hold on his nomination. This hold may delay McKalip’s confirmation. However, Alexis Taylor’s Senate Ag confirmation hearing held on Sept 22 went very well. Ms.Taylor is the current Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture and was nominated to be the USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Affairs. There is optimism that she will be confirmed soon after Congress returns after the November elections.

Daniel Bays is a sixth-generation California farmer who also happens to be a former California State FFA Officer. In today’s episode, Bays shares about his farming operation, how the FFA has impacted his career and life, and why decades after wearing the blue jacket himself, he’s still passionately supporting the organization. We’ll also hear from Katie Otto of the California FFA Foundation and Rebecca Bailey at the Almond Board of California (ABC) about how the almond industry is supporting tomorrow’s leaders.

“The regulations that we deal with on a daily basis, that voting base needs to have an appreciation and understanding for what it takes to get food on the table. I think programs like FFA are one of our best opportunities to help with that educational process.” - Daniel Bays

Bays is one of many in the almond industry whose lives have been positively impacted by the California FFA Association. Once known as the Future Farmers of America, the youth leadership organization is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of high school students by developing their potential for premier leadership, personal growth and career success through agricultural education. Through ABC and the Almond Leadership Program, the almond industry is the largest source of annual donations to California FFA academic scholarships.

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Daniel Bays, sixth generation farmer from Patterson, California.
• Explore Daniel’s journey from growing up on a farm to running an operation
• Discover the value participating in the FFA provided him, both expected and unexpected
• Celebrate the support the almond industry is able to provide to the California FFA Foundation

To donate an item for the silent auction at The Almond Conference 2022 (TAC) that supports the FFA, fill out the form here.

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

Updates on transportation and Logistics, a new USTR Chief Negotiator and China's Decree 248 challenges in this month's Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at ABC.

The number of container ships headed for the California ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach — a traffic jam that once symbolized American consumer vigor during the pandemic — declined to the lowest level since the bottleneck started to build two years ago. According to data from the Marine Exchange of Southern California & Vessel Traffic Service Los Angeles and Long Beach, eight vessels were in the official queue at the end of August. That’s an all-time low, officials said in a statement, down from a record of 109 set in January and about 40 lined up a year ago. As a result, LA port officials want ships that diverted around the congestion to return.

Long-term box freight rates continue to climb but are finally showing signs of coming under pressure. Data from the online platform Xeneta shows that long-term rates increased 4.1% in August, standing 121.2% higher than this time last year. Nevertheless, there are signs that new long-term contracted rates are actually starting to drop on key trading corridors. But given that they’re replacing expiring agreements with considerably lower rates, the average paid by all shippers is still climbing.

The Almond Alliance has worked with carriers and railroads in order to expand service options to the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. CMA/CGM has announced the opening of weekly services to India and Asia via Union Pacific rail from the Oakland Ramp to the Port of Los Angeles. MSC is currently adding the Oakland Ramp as an export option in their online booking system. Evergreen has confirmed core services available via Oakland Ramp to Los Angeles and working towards LB. OOCL will rail direct to ship from Oakland to LA & LB or by truck to LA & LB. Services currently include China, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Australia, and Vietnam. All of these services are now available both by booking direct or through SCTC contracts. For more information please contact the Almond Alliance [email protected] or Brock Densel at ABC, [email protected].

The Senate Finance Committee voted unanimously to advance the nomination of Doug McKalip for chief agricultural negotiator at USTR. McKalip is currently serving as a senior advisor to the agriculture secretary and is a longtime agriculture department official. His confirmation hearing and following questions for the record had a major focus on market access in trade negotiations, particularly the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework. McKalip pledged that he would push for market access, for IPEF’s trade pillar to be a core piece of the framework, and for trade to be “a much larger percentage of the results” than the other pillars. He now awaits a confirmation vote from the full Senate. Meanwhile, there has been no further movement on the nomination of Alexis Taylor for the Undersecretary for Trade position at USDA.

While most handlers were able to take advantage of the fast-track registration of their facilities and corresponding raw inshell and shelled almonds for shipment to China back in December 2021, China’s General Administration of Customs (GACC) has become very slow in helping firms clear products that weren’t approved in the initial registrations. Please be advised that if you are shipping products that have not been approved under your GACC registration, you may experience long delays in clearing products stuck in Chinese ports even with assistance from US FDA and USDA offices in Beijing. If you need help confirming which products are already covered under your GACC account or need assistance registering additional products or with the initial registration of your facility with GACC, please contact [email protected].

Almond grower Patrick Abercrombie farms with his family in Kerman, California. In 2007, after about a decade of growing almonds, it became difficult for local hullers to keep up with the increase in deliveries. That paired with a year of untimely rains prompted the Abercrombie family to start stockpiling.

“What's happened now with the almonds is we've gotten to the point where they cannot process the almonds as fast as we can deliver them so therefore, we're all going to have to start storing them on site so that we can then get them processed.” - Patrick Abercrombie

Initially born out of necessity, Abercrombie has since become well-versed on the technique of storing almonds. In this episode, he shares a variety of tips, lessons and advice for others who may find themselves in the situation of needing to stockpile.

“Currently at the almond huller that we're at they give a 2 cent incentive for every pound that we stockpile. That basically covers the plastic and most of the labor to cover the piles and seal them.” - Patrick Abercrombie

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Patrick Abercrombie, almond grower in Kerman California
• Explore Patrick’s journey and process for storing almonds onsite
• Discover the obstacles and lessons Patrick has learned during his 16 years of storing almonds in piles

ABC Update

With the extra carryover in the crop this year, stockpiling can be a very practical way to extend almond storage if it’s managed properly. If not managed properly, growers risk product loss from mold growth or aflatoxin contamination, quality degradation or pest infestation. Almond Board associate director of food research and technology Guangwei Huang says this means it’s absolutely critical that the industry get this right. To help facilitate this, the Almond Board has a stockpiling guide available to help producers. The updated guide includes 3 sections: the first is the fundamentals of moisture management and other impact factors, the second to answer questions on harvest timing and drying, and the third to address area preparation, how to make a stockpile, and proper stockpile monitoring and management.

“This will require great effort and coordination from both growers and huller/shellers…. The keys to success in stockpiling are very simple: control moisture and control infestation.” - Guangwei Huang

For more information about this or any of the topics we discuss on this podcast, reach out to the Almond Board’s Field Outreach Team directly at [email protected]. 

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.