Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1286027
A L M O N D O R C H A R D 2 0 2 5 G O A L S ZERO WASTE Almond Board of California 10 1 For more information about Dr. Simmons' Almond Board of California-funded research, read "Dollars and Sense: Economics, Research Propel Gradual Move to Off-Ground Harvesting" in the May/June 2020 edition of How We Grow: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1243749-2020-may-june-how-we-grow/7? Continue on page 11 "We have 374 variable frequency drive motors throughout the plant – each with its own IP address," Ryan said. "This allows us to monitor each motor individually using software rather than running an entire bank of motors on one circuit. We can identify and isolate problems before they are even problems. Outside the plant, every pile is geo-referenced using a GPS locator, which saves a tremendous amount of time and labor." Today's investment for tomorrow's harvest At its new facility, North State Hulling installed two new high-capacity dryers with plans to add two more in 2021. Ryan noted that each dryer can handle "a little over one truckload per hour at a six percent moisture reduction." In 45 days, it's possible that the facility could dry the entire field weight of a 50 million meat-pound crop, a vision he sees as a real possibility for advancing product quality. "I would like to give our growers the ability to condition their crop – bring it in, run it through the dryers, and then put it back into the stockpile to equalize," Ryan said. "At our Miller location, almost nothing went through our dryers – only three or four loads out of thousands. They were used only in a worst-case emergency when a grower couldn't get their moisture down. We're hoping to make drying very accessible and well utilized, not just for an emergency, but to actually improve their quality." Crowley sees the new drying capacity as an opportunity to remove a major hurdle for more widespread adoption of off-ground harvesting. "Off-ground harvesting is in its infancy, but the plant is being built in anticipation of the future," he said. "That's because off-ground harvesting will be part of the orchard of the future. In fact, the Almond Board of California recently completed a techno-economic analysis of off-ground harvesting with UC Davis' Dr. Chris Simmons. 1 That research showed there are significant margins if we can make the switch, but it will take time for more research, innovation, and full-scale adoption by growers." Ryan (front center) and the North State Hulling team are looking forward to the day after this year's harvest, when building of the operation's first net energy metering power plant will begin. Photo courtesy of North State Hulling "Everything we are doing here makes sense financially. I believe we – North State Hulling and the industry as a whole – need to push the envelope a bit and make something happen to solve the many industry issues we face. Our full-scale demonstration project is founded on more than two years of research, and while not perfect, will be a large step in the right direction. We can all learn from it." — Mayo Ryan