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Environmental Stewardship Campaign Newsletter Archive
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September 2010 Newsletter
- Growers Encouraged to Attend Public
Workshops on Expanded Irrigated Lands Program - - The Central
Valley Regional Board will hold a series of public workshops to solicit
comment on a proposed Long-Term Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program.
Read More September 2010 California Almonds
Outlook
- Sediment Runoff a
Priority Issue - - Almond growers attended a meeting in
August of the East San Joaquin Water Quality Coalition to address
sediment management in almond orchards in the lower Sierra foothills.
Read More September 2010 California Almonds
Outlook
- Changing the Conversation About California
Agriculture - - The Almond Board of California (ABC)
encourages industry members to consider becoming engaged in a voluntary
effort that is dedicated to changing the conversation about California
agriculture.
Read More September 2010 California Almonds
Outlook
August 2010 Newsletter
July 2010 Newsletter
-
Almond Industry Hosts
Regulators for 2010 Environmental Stewardship Tour - - The sixth
annual Almond Environmental Stewardship Tour in mid-May provided an
opportunity for almond growers, regulators and industry leaders to come
together and demonstrate what the industry is doing to be good
environmental stewards and good almond growers.
Read More July 2010 California
Almonds
-
Sustainably Speaking:
Growers Attend Sustainability - - Workshops throughout Central
Valley Almond growers are attending California Almond Sustainability
Program workshops up and down the Central Valley to participate in a
sustainability self-assessment module on irrigation and nutrient
management.
Read More July
2010 California Almonds
-
Government Affairs: DPR
Proposes to Register Methyl Iodide - - In late April, the California
Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) proposed to register methyl
iodide—a soil fumigant that serves as an alternative to methyl bromide.
Read More
July 2010 California Almonds
June 2010 Newsletter
-
Burn Ban on Prunings in
Effect- - Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley as of June 1 can
no longer burn almond orchard prunings under the latest phase-out for
burning ag materials.
Read More
June 2010 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
Sustainably Speaking:
Self-Assessment Helps Growers Improve Efficiency - - California
almond growers participating in a number of workshops throughout the
Central Valley are finding the California Almond Sustainability Program
self-assessment is a useful tool for setting benchmarks for their
production practices on the spectrum of sustainability practices.
Read More June 2010 California
Almonds Newsletter
May 2010 Newsletter
-
Report Shows Growers Succeed in Reducing Fumigant VOC Emissions
- - The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) announced that
pesticide VOC emissions dropped in 2008 by 30% from 1990 levels.
Read More May 4, 2010 California Amonds
Newsletter
- Sustainably Speaking: What Is a
Self-Assessment?
- - Self-assessment is the cornerstone of the California Almond
Sustainability Program, providing California Almond growers with
the ability to voluntarily document and quantify sustainable almond
growing practices.
Read More May 4, 2010 California
Amonds Newsletter
April 2010 Newsletter
-
Almond Handlers Convert to "Green" Power as
Renewable Alternative to Fossil Fuels - - California Almond handlers
are investing in renewable energy as climate change legislation, market
forces and customer demand are driving an interest in sustainable
alternatives to traditional fossil fuel energy.
Read More
April 2, 2010 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
Sustainably Speaking: Retailers Request
Sustainable Practices - - When visiting with leading food companies
around the world to encourage the use of California Almonds in their
products, Almond Board of California staff members have noticed a rising
trend: More and more frequently ABC is asked about the sustainability
aspects of almond growing in California.
Read More
April 2, 2010 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
VOC Calculator - -The
Department of Pesticide Regulation has created a free online VOC
emissions calculator to help growers and PCAs determine the VOC
emissions associated with a specific non-fumigant pesticide application
or formulation. In 2008, DPR enacted new rules on soil fumigant use and
a cap on pesticide VOC emissions in order to meet requirements to reduce
VOC emissions from pesticides in the San Joaquin Valley. The calculator
can be
accessed here. April
2, 2010 California Almonds Newsletter
-
First Results from New Drought Research
- - A drought management research project funded by the Almond Board
is being conducted at the Nickels Soil Lab in Arbuckle. Lead researcher
is Ken Shackel, UC-Davis, who gave a first-season update on the project
at the Almond Industry Conference in December. Long-term tree responses
to different irrigation levels, various canopy reduction scenarios and
actual almond water requirements for survival are being investigated in
a 20-year-old orchard where the soil is gravelly and shallow. Treatments
were imposed for 2009 only, and the carryover effects on tree growth,
tree survival, bloom, and yield will be determined for an additional
period of two to four years.
Read More
April 2, 2010
California Almonds Newsletter
March 2010 Newsletter
-
Climate Change, Part
III Cap-and-Trade Proposal: Impact on Handlers
- - Agriculture has not paid much attention to the development of the
recently released cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG)
proposed by the California Air Resources Board because production
agriculture is exempted. However, food processing facilities, including
almond handlers, are not exempted if their facility includes a form of
stationary combustion such as a natural gas dryer.
Read More March 2010 California Almonds
-
Sustainably Speaking
- - Today the concept of "sustainability" is being used to evaluate
everything from restaurant menus to public policies to how companies
demonstrate performance to stockholders. Increasingly, the California
Almond community is also being asked—and is asking questions
about—sustainability.
Read More March 2010 California
Almonds
Feb. 2010 Newsletter
-
Speak Up - -
By Dave Baker, Chairman, Environmental Committee - - I
am hearing from growers worried about California Air Resources Board
plans to enact new air quality rules for farm equipment motors by the
end of the year that will affect almond growers of all sizes throughout
the state.
Read More Feb. 2010 California
Almonds Newsletter
-
Cap-and-Trade: What's
in it for the Almond Industry? - - USDA Secretary Vilsack has
been trumpeting that a cap-and-trade system will be a boon to U.S.
agriculture, while almond growers are wondering why they can't get
credit for growing trees if urban trees and forests can.
Read More
Feb. 2010 California Almonds Newsletter
-
Diesel Engine
Cost-Sharing Funds Available - - The California Air Resources Board
(CARB) plans to issue a rule by the end of 2010 that will require the
replacement or retrofitting of older diesel motors in ag equipment such
as tractors, harvesters, self-propelled spray rigs, forklifts and ATVs
with cleaner burning motors.
Read More
Feb. 2010 California Almonds Newsletter
-
California Almond Sustainability Program: A
Role for Handlers - - Have buyers asked you questions relating to
the sustainable production of the almonds you are selling? Have you been
frustrated at how the media or certain groups depict almonds or U.S.
agriculture? The Environmental Committee at ABC has initiated the
California Almond Sustainability Program to provide credible information
to respond.
<more> Feb.
12, 2010 The Handle
Jan. 2010 Newsletter
-
Why Sustainability? ABC's Sustainability Self-Assessment Program
Discussed - - The latest step in the Almond Board's industrywide
sustainability initiative is a self-assessment program designed to
inventory actual practices in the orchard.
Read More Jan. 2010 California Almonds Newsletter
-
Climate Change, Part 1:
What Does Greenhouse Gas Regulation Mean for California Almonds? - -
With international leaders meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark, recently to
discuss climate change, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
exerting pressure on Congress to address greenhouse gases in national
legislation, climate change is likely to reach national prominence in
2010.
Read More Jan. 2010 California
Almonds Newsletter
-
Increasingly Complex
Legislative, Regulatory Landscape Forecast- - A California
legislative panel consisting of Jim Collin, chief consultant to the
Assembly Ag Committee; Tom Bohigian, Sen. Barbara Boxer's state
director; and Kimberly Kauffman, field rep for Congressman George
Radanovich, provided attendees at the Almond Industry Conference with an
update on current key issues.
Read More Jan. 2010 California Almonds Newsletter
-
EQIP Deadline for
Priority 2010 Funding Is Jan. 15 - - The USDA NRCS is now
accepting applications through Jan. 15 for its popular EQIP cost-share
program for technical and financial assistance to implement
environmentally friendly production practices.
Read More Jan. 2010 California
Almonds Newsletter
Dec. 2009 Newsletter
- Growers Encouraged to Participate in Ag
Equipment Survey - - A statewide coalition of agricultural groups is
collecting confidential information from growers to ensure that the
California Air Resources Board incorporates real data as it
develops new air quality rules for farm equipment.
Read More Dec. 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
Nov. 2009 Newsletter
-
Next Deadline for Ag
Motors in SJV - - Growers in the eight-county San Joaquin Valley
Air Pollution Control District have until January 2010 to replace older,
high-polluting, Tier 0 diesel engines greater than 50 hp with
EPA-certified Tier 3 or Tier 4 engines.
<more> Nov. 2009
California Almonds Newsletter
-
Feds Address California
Water Crisis - - The federal government said it is calling for
a coordinated federal effort and review of the science surrounding
environmental protections that have severely crimped California's water
supply.
<more> Nov. 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
Government Affairs:
Greenhouse Gas Legislation - What Is Going On? - - While
Congress and EPA are still grappling with a national greenhouse gas
reduction strategy, California is already in the midst of implementing a
more stringent reduction in greenhouse gases than any of the current
Congressional proposals.
<more> Nov. 2009
California Almonds Newsletter
-
Endangered Species Act
Drives New Restrictions on Pesticides - - The Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) in September announced new rules on the use of
three organophosphate pesticides—chlorpyrifos (Lorsban), diazinon and
malathion—to protect endangered salmon and steelhead in western states.
<more> Nov.
2009 California Almonds Newsletter
Oct. 2009 Newsletter
-
EPA Issues New Fumigant
Application Requirements - -
The U.S. EPA
in May released a new set of safety measures designed to minimize the
risk of worker and bystander exposure to applied soil fumigants. Some of
these new rules will show up on 2010 labels for almond orchard
fumigants, including methyl bromide (MB) and chloropicrin (Pic). The new
rules are in addition to, or conflict with, current air quality
application restrictions on soil fumigants in the San Joaquin Valley.
<more> Oct. 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
Almond Pest Management
Courses November 4-5 - -
The Almond Pest Management Alliance
is sponsoring a one-day almond pest management training event at two
locations this fall. The first will be at the University of California
Kearney Research and Extension Center
in Parlier on Nov. 4, and the second will be at the
UC Cooperative
Extension San Joaquin County Office
in Stockton on Nov. 5.
<more>
Oct.
2009 California Almonds Newsletter
Sept. 2009 Newsletter
July/August 2009 Newsletter
- New NRCS Air-Quality Incentives Target
Polluting Farm Equipment - - The USDA’s
Natural Resource Conservation Service for the first time will provide
cost-share opportunities for growers to replace, retrofit or repower
older polluting mobile engines and farm equipment as part of a new round
of initiatives targeting air quality emissions in troubled air
basins.<more> July/August 2009 California Almonds Newsletter
-
Dealing with Dust - -
by Environmental Committee Chairman Dave Baker - - The San
Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is crediting the long-term
dust-reduction efforts of production agriculture with helping bring the
San Joaquin Valley air basin in compliance with federal PM10 standards.
<more> July/August 2009 California Almonds Newsletter
-
Pre-Harvest Checklist:
Managing the Orchard Floor - - Managing the orchard floor prior to
harvest can help harvest run more smoothly and reduce food safety risks
from microbial contamination in the orchard, according to UCCE Farm
Advisor Joe Connell. Connell offers the following tips for preparing the
orchard floor during summer months for harvest:
<more>
July/August
2009 California Almonds Newsletter
June 2009 Newsletter
-
Almond growers call
NRCS conservation planning process a “win-win” - - Grower Darrell
Cordova first visited the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service
office in Modesto several years ago looking for financial assistance
with conservation tillage in open ground. Cordova, who farms 800 acres
of almonds and grain near Denair, has since used program funds from NRCS
to offset the cost of weed control technology that has greatly reduced
the amount of herbicides he applied on his 200 acres of young almonds,
and has also applied for technical and financial support of strategies
to reduce the cost and environmental impact of his insect and fertility
management programs.
<more> June 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
Court ruling adds new
permitting requirements for pesticide applications - - Agricultural
groups are scrambling to make sense of a federal court ruling that may
require additional permits for anyone making pesticide applications in,
over, or near a body of water. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in
January overturned a 2006 ruling by the U.S. EPA that pesticide
applications were exempt from National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) permit requirements under the Clean Water Act.
<more> June 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
Almond growers planning
soil fumigations face challenging year - - Almond growers expecting
to replant orchards this season should plan ahead as regulatory and
economic conditions are putting pressure on the price and availability
of soil fumigants. There is a restricted supply of soil fumigants
available this year for almonds. Methyl bromide has become a limited and
expensive option for protecting against replant disorder, nematodes and
other problems associated with orchard replanting.
<more> June 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
May 2009 Newsletter
-
Start Process of Applying
for EQIP Funds Now - - Nearly $38 million in NRCS Environmental
Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) funds have been authorized in the 2008
Farm Bill to help growers implement conservation practices related to
reducing erosion, improving water use efficiency, and protecting air and
water quality.
<more> May 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
Last Year for Guthion - -
This summer marks the last time California almond growers will be
able to use Guthion (azinphos-methyl or AZM) on their crop under terms
of the EPA phase-out of the organophosphate. As of Oct. 31, 2009,
Guthion can no longer be used on almonds. Its use in nut crops has been
limited under the phase-out to existing stockpiles. Applications can
only be made in June, July or August and with specific mitigation
requirements for nearby waterways and applicator exposure.
May 2009
California Almonds Newsletter
-
Almond Growers Get Help
for Coping with Drought - - Three meetings were held
throughout almond growing regions in California in recent months to help
growers deal with a severely restricted water supply. Speakers urged
caution with dramatic measures, such as severe pruning, crop thinning
and early crop removal, which might have long-term impacts on almond
tree survival and yield beyond the current season.
<more>
May 2009 California Almonds Newsletter
April 2009 Newsletter
- Environmental stewardship tour highlights
efficiency - - More than 25 regulators and media members were among
the nearly 100 invited
 guests
who attended the Almond Board’s annual Environmental Stewardship Spring
Tour on a beautiful bloom day in March to learn the steps almond growers
are taking to address environmental issues in their farming operations.
The spring tour at Quinn River Ranch in Waterford highlighted several
new and emerging technologies grower Sharon Naraghi and farm manager
Bavaro Farming Co. are utilizing to ensure that inputs are applied
judiciously and with minimal impact on air, soil and water quality.
<more> April 2009 California
Almonds Newsletter
March 2009 Newsletter
-
Air Board meetings to
address regulations, loans - - The Air Resources Board staff is
holding three informational sessions on the new Voucher Incentive
Program, the new AB 118 Providing Loan Assistance for California
Equipment (PLACE) program, and regulations affecting on-road heavy-duty
vehicles in California.
<more> March 2009 California Almonds
Newsletter
- Help with VOC
emissions - - ABC is participating with the California
Department of Pesticide Regulation, USDA-NRCS and UC Extension on a
collaborative project to educate PCAs and growers on pest control
options that reduce VOC emissions from pesticides used in nut and tree
fruit orchards in the San Joaquin Valley. The project, funded by a grant
from U.S. EPA, will focus on developing a VOC calculator, and outreach
and education on VOC emissions. The project will also focus on
techniques to reduce water contamination. March 2009 California
Almonds Newsletter
Feb. 2009 Newsletter
-
Greenhouse gas scoping plan passed - -
The
California Air Resources Board
(ARB), in mid-December, passed the scoping plan for reducing emissions
that contribute to global warming. The scope is likely to lead to
significant price increases for any business or individual who relies on
fossil-fuel–derived power. The scoping plan provides a road map for ARB
to comply with
AB32, the first
state legislation to address climate change, which calls for a reduction
in statewide greenhouse gas emissions by 2020 to 1990 levels.
<more>
Feb. 2009 California Almonds
-
More with less? - -
CALIFORNIA ALMONDS concludes its series on recent studies
likely to play a role in future water policy and infrastructure
decisions with a look at perhaps the most controversial study related to
agricultural water use and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. A study released in September 2008 by the
Pacific Institute of
Oakland, a think-tank emphasizing environmental issues, focuses on
reducing agricultural water usage in California.
<more> Feb. 2009 California Almonds
Jan. 2009 Newsletter
-
Sustainability: Responding to Consumer Demand -
- The role of growers in shaping and responding to consumer demand took
center stage at the 36th annual Almond Industry Conference as a diverse
group of speakers discussed the future of sustainability and
traceability in almonds and how "What Happens in the Orchard Affects the
Shelf." Almond Board President Richard Waycott said that what growers do
to make almonds the "crop of choice" among regulators, legislators,
suppliers and researchers has an impact on making almonds the "nut of
choice" among retail buyers, manufacturers and consumers. "Everything is
interconnected, and what you do as a grower matters," Waycott said.
<more> Jan.
2009 California Almonds
- Air Board Passes New Rules for on-road
Diesel trucks - - The California Air Resources Board on Dec. 12
passed its long-awaited new rules for on-road heavy-duty diesel trucks
that will require retrofit or replacement of nearly the entire fleet of
long-haul trucks that travel in California. The rules were established
to help bring California in line with Clean Air Act requirements for air
pollutants including particulate matter and NOx emissions, and to reduce
diesel soot, which California considers a toxic air contaminant. In a
nutshell, the regulation requires all trucks and buses operated within
the state of California with a gross vehicle weight ratio more than
14,000 pounds comply with 2010 engine standards for PM10 and NOx
emissions within the next 14 years. "In the short term you will have to
have a soot trap filter in place and in the long term the new rules will
require replacing diesel engines with a newer, cleaner burning engine.
When you have to get this done depends on the age of the motor," said
ABC's Gabriele Ludwig.
<more> Jan. 2009 California Almonds
-
DPR Issues Revised VOC
Rules for Public Comment - - The California Department of Pesticide
Regulation has released a revised draft of its rules to reduce volatile
organic compound (VOC) emissions from pesticides that may give San
Joaquin Valley almond growers more latitude to fumigate replanted
orchards. While the new draft increases the pesticide VOC emissions cap
during the peak ozone period from May 1 through Oct. 31, SJV growers
during that time period will continue to be confined to lower emissions
soil fumigant application methods and other restrictions that may impact
the efficacy of those fumigations. In response to a 2006 federal court
order, DPR enacted a set of regulations on the use of VOC-emitting
pesticides, notably soil fumigants and emulsifiable concentrate (EC)
pesticides that severely restrict application methods, timing and volume
of all commonly used fumigants during the peak ozone period from May 1
to Oct. 31 in the San Joaquin Valley. The new rules went into effect
January 2008.
<more> Jan. 2009 California Almonds
Dec. 2008 Newsletter
- Delta Vision: Dual conveyance
read more
- Orchard replant field day offers insights on
soil fumigants.
read more
- Meeting regulatory challenges. read
more
Nov. 2008 Newsletter
Sept/Oct 2008 Newsletter
-
SIGN-UPS BEING ACCEPTED
FOR CALIFORNIA EQIP FUNDS FOR 2009
CALIFORNIA ALMOND GROWERS should act now to secure technical and
financial assistance for integrating conservation practices into their
operations and facilities in 2009.
read more
-
SJV GROWERS FACE JAN. 1
DEADLINE FOR NEW RULES ON INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY almond growers have until Jan. 1, 2009, to meet new
emissions requirements for gas-powered irrigation pump engines.
read more
July/Aug 2008 Newsletter
May 2008 Newsletter
-
Survey of Target Almond Consumers Reveals
Global Interest in Sustainability
Consumer surveys in major markets for
California almonds show that target consumers are becoming more
sophisticated about how the products they eat are grown and appear
willing to pay more for sustainably grown food. In Western Europe, where
over half of all California almonds are exported annually, more than 80
percent of so-called "Jane" consumers say it is important to them that
farms practice sustainability when producing the food and drink they
consume. The 27-member states of the EU represent the world's second
largest market for almonds.
<more>
-
Soil Fumigants Rules Likely to Tighten
Just months after the California Department of
Pesticide Regulation enacted new soil fumigant rules, regulators are now
saying that restricting the timing and application methods of soil
fumigations may not be enough to meet air quality mandates for volatile
organic compounds, or VOCs, in the San Joaquin Valley. In January, DPR
rolled out regulations on soil fumigants for regions of the state with
the dirtiest air in an effort to curb pesticide emissions of
smog-forming VOCs during the peak ozone period from May 1 to Oct. 31.
The rules limit soil fumigations and application methods during that
time to lower emissions.
<more>
April 2008 Newsletter
Environmental Stewardship Success: Almond
Board Shares Success with Regulators
State and federal regulators had high praise for
almond industry efforts to address environmental issues during the Almond
Board of California’s fourth annual Environmental Stewardship Tour on Feb.
22. More than 30 regulators, media members, and local dignitaries saw
first-hand what growers and handlers, like tour host Braden Farms, are doing
on a voluntary basis to address endangered species, air and water quality,
reduced-risk pest management, and other environmental issue.
<more>
Almond Industry Explores Sustainability
It seems everybody is claiming that their products
are “sustainable” or “green” nowadays. But what exactly is sustainability
and what does it mean to California almond growers? Sustainability is about
ensuring the health of a particular industry or company while also ensuring
the health of the environment and local community. With the help of Dr.
Keith Warner, Director of the Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project at Santa
Clara University’s Environmental Studies Institute, the Almond Board has
created a working definition of sustainable almond farming. That definition
was developed based on input from focus groups of almond farmers, PCAs, farm
advisors and handlers, all of whom unanimously agreed that the almond
industry should continue to pursue the concept of sustainability.
<more>
March 2008 Newsletter
New Soil Fumigant Rules for Almond
Orchard Replants
The
Department of Pesticide Regulation, as of
Jan. 25, has placed new restrictions on soil fumigant applications that will
impact almond growers planning to do orchard replant fumigations in the San
Joaquin Valley from May to November. The new rules apply to the San Joaquin
Valley and other areas of the state with poor air quality as part of DPR’s
effort to curb emissions of smog forming volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
during the peak ozone period from May 1 to Oct. 31.
<more>
DPR Recognizes Almond Industry’s
Environmental Commitment
The agency that regulates pesticide use in
California has recognized the almond industry’s commitment to
environmentally friendly crop production by declaring it an
“IPM Innovator” and
awarding a new grant to revive the successful
Almond Pest Management Alliance Project. “The
almond industry has always been a leader in developing and using
environmentally sound, sustainable crop production practices, and DPR’s
latest IPM Innovator Award and new Pest Management Alliance grant reflect
that commitment,” said the Almond Board’s
Gabriele Ludwig.
<more>
January 2008 Newsletter
State's Water Woes
 Irrigation
water is likely to be a scarce commodity for many growers this year.
According to a panel of water experts at an ABC-sponsored water seminar in
November, growers are facing several issues that will limit deliveries for
2008 and beyond.
<more>
Environmental Regulations Facing the Industry
 The
impact of environmental issues on the California almond industry continues
to expand, said researchers, government officials, industry members and
environmental advocates attending the ABC’s annual conference. A panel
discussion on environmental regulatory issues highlighted how the latest
regulations are likely to have profound effects on the future of almond
production.
<more>
Sustainability Takes Stage at Almond Industry
Conference
Sustainable production practices can help the
almond industry distinguish itself as the crop of choice
among consumers and regulators, experts told attendees of the annual Almond
Industry Conference in December. During a presentation on Targeting
Sustainability, panelists shared perspectives and experiences about what it
means to incorporate sustainability into commercial production and what
steps growers can take to get there.
<more>
December 2007 Newsletter
November 2007 Newsletter
Sept/Oct 2007 Newsletter
July/August 2007 Newsletter
June 2007 Newsletter
May 2007 Newsletter
April 2007
Newsletter
Winter 2007
Newsletter
-
Grower Takes
Simple Steps to Reduce Spray Drift - -
As water and air
quality issues continue to focus scrutiny on how pesticides are
 applied,
Kerman farmer Paul Toste is among the state’s almond growers taking simple
steps to keep those sprays within the targeted orchard canopy. Toste, a
Kerman area veterinarian who took over the family’s 400-acre almond orchard
in 2004, has been working since to improve the efficiency and sustainability
of his orchard. He reduces air quality impacts of his farming operation by
maintaining a no-till floor and converting older diesel engine pumps to
electric powered pumps or newer, low-emission diesel engines. He is also
addressing water quality issues by working to reduce the offsite movement of
applied pesticides. Toste says one of the simplest things he does to keep
applied pesticides in the orchard canopy is to tune up and calibrate his air
blast sprayer prior to each application.
<more> March 2007 Almond Newsletter
-
Tips to Reduce Offsite Movement of Pesticides - -Stewardship
through the use of Best Management Practices (BMPs) are aimed at minimizing
off-site movement to waterways and sensitive sites. These practices, when
followed with product label directions, can provide growers and applicators
the necessary tools to complete a successful spray application while
minimizing potential environmental impacts.
<more> March 2007 Newsletter
-
Panel Urges Growers to Stay Involved in Environmental Issues - -
Environmental issues ranging from groundwater monitoring to air quality and
food safety will top legislative and regulatory
 agendas and continue to
remain high on the minds of consumers in 2007, according to a panel of
experts speaking at the Almond Board Conference in December. Panelists said
almond farmers must be involved at all levels, from how their products are
marketed, to holding their legislators and regulators accountable to be sure
science prevails above uninformed reaction when it comes to environmental
laws and regulations. State Senator Jeff Denham (R-Merced), an almond farmer
and former chair of the Senate Ag Committee, said a number of bills were
passed in 2006 or are on the horizon for 2007 that will place higher
standards on air and water pollution and are likely to affect how farmers
operate in California.
<more> March 2007 Newsletter
-
Regulators Show Interest in Sustainability at International Conference - -
State
and federal regulators were well represented at the International Conference
on the Future of Agriculture in Sacramento, illustrating intensifying
interest in the dominant themes of stewardship and sustainability.
California Department of Pesticide Regulation chief Mary-AnnWarmerdam
emphasized, “Governor Schwarzenegger wants clean water, air, and soils and
no excuses. He wants environmental improvement with economic growth within
the concept of sustainability.” Bottom line? Assessment of sustainability
could become a tool for development of agricultural policy.
<more> March 2007 Newsletter
-
Book Cites Cooperative Learning Model for Solving Environmental Issues - -
In Agroecology in Action, author
Keith Douglass Warner provides detailed case studies in agroecology, an
emerging scientific approach to agriculture's environmental issues
characterized by cooperative public/private partnerships between growers,
scientists, agricultural groups and public agencies.
Agroecology in Action
shows that agroecology can be put into action effectively only when networks
of farmers, scientists, and other stakeholders learn together. Warner
outlines how these successful cooperative learning models, including the
Almond Industry’s Pest Management Alliance, have helped develop and
incorporate innovative, ecologically based techniques into conventional
farming systems to reduce reliance on agrochemicals.
Warner is Faith, Ethics, and Vocation
Project Director in the Environmental Studies Institute at Santa Clara
University, where he is also a lecturer and Franciscan Friar.
For information or to order Agroecology in Action, log on to the MIT
Press web site at
www.mitpress.mit.edu.
-
Statewide Rules
Enacted on Diesel Engines - - New statewide regulations will require
that older stationary diesel powered engines be upgraded or replaced with
newer, cleaner engines beginning in 2011. The new rule requires that all ag
diesel motors greater than 15 horsepower be registered with the local air
district by March 1, 2008. “Air districts will impose registration
application fees and annual maintenance fees on each registered motor, which
could run from $30 to $250 per year,” said Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager
of Global Technical & Regulatory Affairs for the Almond Board. In addition,
older motors greater than 50 hp would need to be replaced or retrofitted
with cleaner technologies.<more> March 2007 Newsletter
-
Guthion phase out for almonds detailed by EPA
- - The U.S. EPA has issued its final decision to phase out the remaining 10
uses of the organophosphate insecticide azinphos-methyl (AZM, known by its
trade name Guthion, over the next few years. The EPA decision means that
almond growers will be able to continue the use of Guthion for a total of
three more growing seasons, explained Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager of
global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California. Guthion’s use on almonds will be canceled by October 2009. Originally, EPA had
proposed canceling the nut uses for Guthion in September 2007. In return for
extending the use, EPA is requiring several additional measures to protect
waterways, farmworker housing and other residential sites and reduce
applicator exposures. Use in almonds is now limited to June, July and August.
Additionally, there must be a 300 or 500 foot buffer to waterways depending in
which county the orchard is located, a 60-foot buffer for all residential or
occupied structures (excluding farm structures) and applicators must use an
enclosed cab.
For additional information about the AZM phase out:
http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/azm/phaseout_fs.htm
-- The agency's AZM reregistration web page:
http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/op/azm.htm
-- AZM docket number EPA-HQ-OPP-2005-0061:
http://www.regulations.gov
Fall 2006
Newsletter
-
Click here to download as PDF file
-
 Almond
Grower Looks Long-Term with His Orchard Growing Practices - - Matt
Billings, a fourth-generation almond farmer based in Delano, Calif., takes a
long view of his vertical almond operation. The father of two young
children, Billings said sustainable farming will help ensure the health and
production of his land and orchard for future generations. “For us, the goal
is to not use such heavy inputs that you ruin the soil, tree or orchard for
short-term gains,” he said. “Especially with a permanent crop. If you have
an orchard in the ground, you are committed for 25 to 30 years, so you have
sustainability built in from the beginning.” The key to successful
sustainable farming, he said, is more footwork in the orchard, carefully
monitoring pest and disease pressures and staying on top of irrigation and
nutrient status on a block-by-block—and even tree-by-tree—basis. Billings
never sprays on the calendar, and makes decisions about irrigation,
fertility and other inputs with consideration for variety, soil type,
petiole samples, trap counts, yield potential and orchard conditions.
<more>
October 2006
California Almonds Newsletter
-
Almond Industry Explores the Definition of
Sustainable Agriculture - - This past year, the Environmental
Stewardship Campaign has explored the concept of “sustainability,” a term
growing in popularity and use by regulators, academia, granting and funding
sources, the media and the consuming public. The use of the term
sustainability and sustainable almond growing practices was the topic of
professionally moderated focus groups with almond growers, handlers, PCAs
and UC farm advisors in Chico, Modesto, Fresno and Tulare. The first—and
perhaps most remarkable—finding of the focus groups was that not a single
participant opposed the idea of developing a definition for sustainable
almond growing. In essence, defining and pursuing efforts in sustainability
was not a controversial issue among these industry members. “From my
perspective as someone who has studied several commodities, I found this
alone surprising and encouraging,” said the focus group facilitator, Dr.
Keith Douglass Warner, Director of the Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project at
Santa Clara University’s Environmental Studies Institute.
<more> October 2006 California Almonds Newsletter
-
Regulators Show Interest in Sustainability at
International Conference - - State and federal regulators were well
represented at the International Conference on the Future of Agriculture in
Sacramento, illustrating intensifying interest in the dominant themes of
stewardship and sustainability. DPR’s chief Mary Ann Warmerdam emphasized,
“Governor Schwarzenegger wants clean water, air, and soils and no excuses.
He wants environmental improvement with economic growth within the concept
of sustainability.” “The bottom line is, assessment of
sustainability could become a tool for development of agricultural policy,”
said Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager of global technical and regulatory
affairs for the Almond Board of California. “This is the direction
regulators are going.”
<more> October 2006 California Almonds Newsletter
-
When is it “Conservation” and when is it
“Sustainable”? - - Those involved in sustainability and conservation
efforts seem to use the words interchangeably. In fact, conservation and
sustainable are two different terms, says Dr. Keith Douglass Warner,
Director of the Faith, Ethics & Vocation Project at Santa Clara University’s
Environmental Studies Institute. Warner should know. He’s got the book on
the subject due to be published in November 2006, Agroecology in Action, MIT
Press. “Conservation focuses on individual resources like air and water,
while sustainability is a broader concept, a goal or vision,” said Warner,
who also happens to be a Franciscan Friar. “Where conservation is about
certain individual practices, sustainability is a collective effort, a
mechanism to coordinate actions. It involves the behavior of institutions
and assumes organizational strength.” What does the almond industry need to
do? The Friar has an answer: “That same organizational strength that
brought farmers together for marketing purposes is now needed to survive the
pressures of farming in California.” October 2006 California Almonds
Newsletter
-
ABC Funds Environmental Research
- - The Almond
Board of California’s Environmental Stewardship Committee is funding a
number of ongoing research projects for 2006-07 to address environmental
issues related to almond production and orchard management. For a closer
look at some of these projects,
click here.
October 2006
California Almonds Newsletter
-
Water Board Sets Deadline for Joining Watershed
Coalitions - -
In a
5-2 vote, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board earlier
this summer agreed to extend the Irrigated Lands Program for five years and
added a deadline for landowners to join regional watershed coalitions or
face requirements to get individual waste discharge permits. The Water Board
has also ordered names of individual coalition members to be turned in to
the Water Board annually beginning in October 2006. Coalitions must provide
the lists and maps indicating properties covered by coalitions, according to
Parry Klassen,
executive Director of the Coalition for Urban/Rural Stewardship (CURES).
<more>
October
2006 California Almonds Newsletter
Summer 2006 Newsletter
-
VOC Issue Comes to the Forefront. New
air quality regulations could impact price and availability of many popular
almond compounds - -
California pesticide regulators are aggressively pushing to reduce
smog-forming emissions from pesticides, called volatile organic compounds,
or VOCs. This move is likely to change how and to what degree several major
pesticides and fumigants are used in almond orchards and other crops. The
state Department of Pesticide Regulation in June announced it is initiating
an intensive program to meet federal and court-ordered mandates to reduce
VOCs from pesticides in some of the state's smoggiest areas. The
announcement made clear that the decade-old VOC issue is becoming a priority
in the air quality regulatory arena, with potential implications for almond
growers in the very near term. "This is the first time pesticides are being
regulated as air pollutants," said Gabriele Ludwig, senior manager, of
global technical and regulatory affairs for the Almond Board of California.
"This could impact 10 to 15 compounds widely used in almond orchards."
<more> July 2006 Newsletter Almond Board
of California
-
Click here for PDF file
-
How VOCs came to the forefront - -
As with other environmental issues,
there are several often confusing, and sometimes conflicting, regulatory and
judicial circumstances placing increased emphasis on the reduction of VOCs
from pesticides. The San Joaquin Valley is currently operating under a 1994
State Implementation Plan developed by the California Air Resources Board to
bring the region into compliance with federal clean air standards for ozone.
That State Implementation Plan, or SIP, required a 12-percent reduction in
pesticide VOCs by 1999 in the San Joaquin Valley. Unfortunately, Ludwig
said, the basis for how those baseline VOC levels were calculated changed in
the process and DPR found itself out of compliance with the requirements of
the SIP in the last 2 years.
<more> July 2006 Newsletter Almond Board
of California
-
EPA announces phase out of Guthion on
almonds by 2007 - -
U.S. EPA announced June 9 a proposal to phase out all
uses of azinphos-methyl (AZM), an OP insecticide known by its trade name
Guthion, which has been under regulatory scrutiny for several years. Use on
almonds, Brussels sprouts, pistachios, walnuts, and nursery stock is to be
phased out in 2007 and other remaining uses are to be phased out in 2010.
During the phase out, EPA is proposing additional restrictions, including
reduced annual application rates, additional worker monitoring, and larger
buffer zones to help minimize ecological risks. Guthion is highly valued by
almond growers for control of Navel Orangeworm (NOW), one of the most
serious pests in almonds. NOW causes direct damage to the mature nuts.
Damaged nuts are locations where the mold, Aspergillus, can gain a foothold
and produce aflatoxins.
<more>
July 2006 Newsletter
Almond Board of California
-
Click here for PDF file
Spring 2006 Newsletter
Fall 2005 Newsletter
Spring 2005 Newsletter
Fall 2004 Newsletter
Environmental Stewardship Campaign
For more information on the
Almond Board's Environmental Committee,
click here.
|
Personal Commitment to Air Quality
Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley are
adopting environmentally friendly practices as they work to enhance air
quality. Fresno County grower Tom Steffen uses a mix of molasses and water
to suppress dust on his orchard's road.
Click here (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader) to read more
about how almond growers are meeting the challenge of
improving air quality.
Inno vation is the key to air quality solutions in California
almond industry- - Tradition has been a byword of the California
almond industry for nearly a century. But as air quality issues rise to the
forefront of public concern, it is the industry's well-established knack for
innovation that is helping to produce practical solutions.
<more>
Almond Board of California press release July 10, 2004
Environmental Champion Award
The EPA
recognized the California almond industry for its leadership on
environmental issues when it named the Almond Board a Champion for Pesticide
Environmental Stewardship.
Click here to learn more.
|
Environmental Information
