How We Grow

2021 July/Aug How We Grow

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because the electricity used to run these pumps has a declining carbon footprint because of California's implementation of its Renewables Portfolio Standard Program (SB 1078). This program mandates that 60% of the state's electricity be generated from renewable sources by 2030. And some growers are even producing their own energy with solar panels. Furthermore, there is a link between practices that increase soil organic matter and the energy used for irrigation. Research 7 has indicated that increasing soil organic matter by 1% can increase soil available water holding capacity by 3.7%. That increased water holding capacity can provide more flexibility as to when a grower irrigates, such as timing irrigation to match lower electrical rate schedules or when energy is supplied onsite by solar or wind. And in heavier soils, practices that improve water infiltration can help avoid runoff or needing to irrigate more frequently for short periods of time. Getting credit where credit is due The California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) enters its 11 th year of helping individual growers, handlers and the broader industry track and improve practices. Dr. Dan Sonke, Director of Sustainability at Blue Diamond Growers, is deeply familiar with CASP, having worked on the development of the program's first five modules as a consultant at the program's inception. "CASP aligns very well with climate-smart ag practices," said Sonke, who is also a member of the ABC Sustainability Workgroup. "There's an interconnectedness you see in the CASP modules. When growers are asked about energy use, there are also questions about pesticide use because it takes energy to make pesticides. If you're using integrated pest management practices to reduce pesticides, you're reducing energy use, which has climate implications. CASP was designed to highlight the system-wide thinking that climate-smart agriculture requires." Handlers such as Blue Diamond Growers report that buyers increasingly ask about, and make decisions based on, environmental and sustainability issues. An important change in recent years is the request for data – rather than anecdotal accounts – to verify sustainability claims. Sonke says this is where CASP is critically important for the almond industry to stay relevant and ahead of the curve. "To remain a nutritious ingredient or snack of choice, we want to have the data to prove the good story we have as an industry," Sonke said. "We know we have a good story. We just need the data to document it so we can remind customers and consumers as to the goodness of almonds, not just from a nutrition and taste standpoint, but also a sustainability standpoint." Sonke shared that since CASP is such an integral tool to communicate the progress of its growers to its customers, Blue Diamond Growers made the recent announcement that it will provide financial incentives to growers to participate in the program. More information about CASP is available at SustainableAlmondGrowing.org. Later this year, ABC will begin a pilot project with Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), a non-profit that is developing carbon markets to link companies and growers. In addition to state and federal incentive programs, private partnerships will pay growers directly for implementing climate-smart practices such as using compost, WOR and/or cover crops. Growers interested in participating in the ABC-ESMC pilot project should contact ABC's Gabriele Ludwig at gludwig@almondboard.com. Last, but not least: growing trees is climate smart! However, agricultural trees do not get credit for their greenhouse gas reductions for several reasons. One is that the inputs previously discussed (water and nitrogen) often have emissions associated with them. And for actual carbon markets, one of the key criteria is that practices be must "additional" for payment eligibility. "It comes down to if trees are grown for a business benefit, society or companies will not pay a grower for that because that's business as usual," Ludwig said. "Practices that are credited or rewarded monetarily must be something above and beyond what a grower would normally do." 7 "Effects of Implementation of Soil Health Management Practices on Infiltration, Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity (Ksat), and Runoff" Smith C, et al. (2015): https://bit.ly/3qea4Y1 Almonds.com/Grants Attention Growers! Learn more about available incentive opportunities at: WOR supports two of the industry's Almond Orchard 2025 Goals, achieving zero waste and increasing water holding capacity. Almond Board of California 4

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