Blue Diamond Almond Facts March-April 2021

ADVOCACY REPORT companies to expand their fleets and increase availability for smaller orchards. In addition to on-farm alternatives, we also need to increase the utilization of woody biomass as an input to bioenergy processes within the San Joaquin Valley through processes such as gasification, pyrolysis, and torrefaction which produce a variety of products including heat, power, syn-gas, bio-oils, and biochar. Bio-economy facilities are still more in the research and development phase but show promise that they can produce products that enhance quality of recycled plastic, pre-cursors inputs for bio-plastics, and other valuable chemical compounds. Supporting development of a new agriculture based bio-economy and the bio-products developed and produced in Central Valley will show policy makers that agriculture is a key partner in reaching the State’s greenhouse gas reduction goals by producing alternative fuels like syngas and contributing to new methods of green energy production. It also brings technical jobs to the San Joaquin Valley. Lastly, it adds value to ag co-products and processes them locally for jobs movement toward a bio-economy. Incentivizing early adopters with up-front investment helps to defray the costs of developing markets for the new types of ag produced bio-energy and bio-products. While some of these solutions have been around for some time, they are not being built at a pace that would match potential needs due to a rapid phase-out of ag burning. Therefore, we believe it is necessary to develop a stakeholder group and a six month summit with CARB to review technologies and assess potential solutions and any barriers for wide implementation. Meeting with State Leadership Our coalition has also met several times with the Administration to express our concerns about ending agricultural burning without the availability of feasible alternatives. We have made an official request for additional funding to expand the “Alternative to Agricultural Burning” program, increase the availability of chipping and shredding equipment, the purchase of air curtain burners and investment in bio-energy research and solutions. We continue to request assistance for the companies and farmers that are seeking bio-energy and bio-economy solutions, but who also face hurdles such as lack of markets for products, necessary equipment, permitting and infrastructure. For now, farming operations in the San Joaquin Valley within allowable acres may still apply for a permit to burn prunings. The number of operations actually receiving a permit, however, will be gradually reduced. Similarly, CARB’s ruling will reduce the size of an operation that is allowed to apply to legally burn orchard removals. The Almond Alliance in partnership with Blue Diamond will be participating in a discussion on this issue in early April. It is our hope to provide an update on resources available for smaller growers that face hurdles to implementing available alternatives to agricultural burning. For more information on this issue, visit the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District website resources: Main Page: ww2.valleyair.org/agriculture/agricultural-burning Compliance Assistance Bulletin: ww2.valleyair.org/media/4uugbkb5/ag-burn-cabposted.pdf Elaine Trevino, President, Almond Alliance of California 2 2 A L M O N D F A C T S