Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1218525
A L M O N D O R C H A R D 2 0 2 5 G O A L S HARVEST DUST 4 windrows — is one step growers can take to reduce dust during pickup. Roseman said ABC is looking to support research to see if conditioning reduces overall dust or "just moves it to a different phase of harvest." ABC Board member Christine Gemperle, who farms 135 acres of almonds in Stanislaus County, said conditioning has a non-dust benefit: it reduces trucking costs by removing heavy, foreign material from loads headed to the huller/sheller. Last year, Gemperle said she shipped the same amount of nuts (in meat weight) to the huller/sheller using one less double- trailer load than she had in the past, all due to conditioning, saving her both time and money. "I love conditioning," she said. "First of all, if you have an older orchard you shake down a lot of sticks, and the huller hates sticks. Plus, the money we saved on trucking costs paid for the conditioner." Low-dust equipment made affordable Beyond in-orchard practices, machinery continues to play a major role in dust reduction. Low-dust equipment is now in its second and third generation, and each year old equipment is replaced with newer technologies. While harvest equipment can be expensive, growers have access to incentives to help defray costs through programs conducted by the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, California Department of Food and Agriculture, and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Financial incentives — which can range as high as $250,000 — typically are awarded based on the horsepower of the new piece of equipment. The equipment also must only be purchased from a dealer, cannot exceed more than 125% horsepower of the equipment it is replacing, and cannot exceed 250 horsepower in any situation. Jason Bayer, sales manager for Exact Corporation, applauded ABC and other stakeholders for helping to spur creation of the incentive programs. "A key way to reduce dust — buying new equipment — has cost implications for growers, many of whom own small family operations," said Bayer. "Thanks to the efforts of the Almond Board, equipment manufacturers and other industry leaders, we now have federal and state air quality incentive programs available to help growers offset the cost of low-dust harvest equipment." Is off-ground harvesting the future? Perhaps no tactic has as much potential to reduce dust as does off-ground harvesting. Researchers and growers are experimenting with the concept by testing off-ground equipment and drying options used by different crops and farming regions across the globe, including Spain and Israel. "Reducing sweeper passes and increased use of low-dust harvesters will help us make great strides towards the 2025 Goal," said Roseman, "but further efforts are still needed to help us cut dust levels in half. That's where off-ground harvesting comes in." There are a few different methods being explored, each of which uses a shake-and-catch method and promises to significantly reduce dust. The nuts can be shaken, caught and dropped onto the orchard floor in windrows to dry, dramatically reducing dust because sweeping is no longer necessary. They can be shaken and immediately harvested, then sent to a mechanical dryer off-site. The nuts can be shaken and immediately harvested, then laid out in open lots in or near the orchard to dry. Roseman said there are growers in the Sacramento Valley who have been utilizing off-ground harvest for years because of rocky terrain or other orchard conditions, but that it still is a new concept to most California almond growers. Mel Machado of Blue Diamond Growers believes that a long-term transition to off-ground harvesting will provide the most effective way for growers to achieve dramatic dust reductions. "Right now, when we knock the nuts off the tree, they land on the orchard floor and then have to be swept into windrows before they are picked up," Machado said. "That's going to change." Get Involved! ABC's Harvest Workgroup is focused on reimagining almond harvest to reduce dust and improve food safety and orchard floor management. Are you interested in attending an upcoming meeting? Visit Almonds.com/Events for more information. "Now more than ever it's important that the industry continue pursuing solutions in [dust reduction], especially as regulatory eyes are also watching." — Jesse Roseman