Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1084285
Though this year's harvest is barely behind us, if you're like me, you're already planning for the season ahead. And the Almond Board of California (ABC) is right there with you, thinking about the next crop year, the future, the challenges to come and the solutions to meet them. As I look ahead, I think we are entering a pivotal time in the history of the almond industry. The convergence of outside forces ranging from groundwater to global trade will have an impact on every grower, handler, equipment company and, indirectly, every resident of the Central Valley. More than 100,000 people who work in this industry, their families and their communities depend on our success. 1 Times like these demand leadership, and the Almond Board is poised to lead. Earlier in 2018, after much research, communication and consideration, the ABC Board of Directors adopted four goals we believe are critical to our ability to continue to grow our industry amid increasing regulatory pressures and consumer expectations. The Almond Orchard 2025 Goals will serve as our industry guidepost and help ensure that almonds remain an economically, environmentally and socially responsible crop for California. Proactively setting goals also allows us to shape our own future rather than reacting to outside forces and events. Publicly sharing our goals with our communities, customers and consumers gives us the platform to tell our story rather than having others tell it for us (we've lived through that and don't want to go through it again!). Looking ahead at the challenges facing the industry that could become barriers to our continued success, the Board chose to set goals in four key areas critical to our success, set to a common timeline, to drive a sense of urgency. By 2025, the California almond community commits to: Reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 20% Achieve zero waste in our orchards by putting everything we grow to optimal use Increase adoption of environmentally friendly pest management tools by 25% Reduce dust during harvest by 50% Yes, these goals are ambitious, but we believe they are also achievable, thanks in part to the significant contributions of growers, processors and others who serve on our Almond Board workgroups. Couple that with circling the wagons around research and field-tested industry best practices, and we can get this anniversary, the group has already made substantial progress. "We had an exciting discussion on where to start and what we would tackle first," said Brian Wahlbrink. Wahlbrink is the chair of the Harvest Workgroup, a member of ABC's Board of Directors, and the co-owner of Sperry Farms. "We broke out progress into phases, thinking of how we move into year two, year three and beyond." At the heart is research, and the Harvest Workgroup identified key projects that would help move the industry forward. The research projects will have short- and long-term results, forging a gradual path forward, including the exploration of off-ground harvesting for the industry. One of the first steps in the journey toward the Almond Orchard 2025 Goal to reduce harvest dust by 50% is to set a baseline measurement, and that research is already underway. In the meantime, growers can continue tracking their progress in reducing dust using the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) Air Quality Assessment. As with other orchard management practices, logging harvest practices in CASP captures the work being done by growers and equips the industry with valuable data to tell its own story. To participate in or learn more about CASP, go to SustainableAlmondGrowing.org. Be sure to follow future issues of the How We Grow publication for updates on research, progress and success stories from growers in our industry. Holly A. King Chair, Board of Directors Almond Board of California Continued on Page 6 1 2017 ABC Annual Report, "Establishment of Newer PM2.5 Emission Factors with Various Almond Harvesting Machinery" by Capareda et al., Texas A&M University. 5 FROM LEADERSHIP