MAY | JUNE 2016
Almond Facts
27
clone. Cloning allows growers to copy all of the data they
have entered for one field or block into another field or block,
and then just modify the data where there are differences
between blocks. It also allows growers to go back to the
forms in the future to reassess the same blocks, which will
demonstrate improvement in sustainable practices.
“Filling out the forms online also gives you access to
online tools — the nitrogen budgeting calculator, the
mapping tool and the irrigation calculator, which we
learned about at the March workshops and will soon be
available online,” Stenderup pointed out. Growers can
access these tools by going to
SustainableAlmondGrowing.org.
This provides a portal both to
participate in CASP by filling out
modules, and to access the online
tools – all you need is a username
and password.
Industry
Reputation
CASP has also been a “big
performer” for the almond industry
as a whole, Stenderup noted. “The
collective data substantiates the
industry’s progress as stewards
of our land,” he added. “It has
done wonders for the industry’s
reputation management in the
past year and a half.” Realizing this, Stenderup has
become more transparent in everything he does. “We have
more than a million acres of almonds in California,” he
continued. “When you get to that level, you have to be
responsible. Every grower who has an acre is part of that
one million. Participation in CASP by every almond grower
– large and small – is vital to the integrity of the industry.
Being transparent about our cultural practices builds the
trust of our buyers and the consuming public.”
