Almond Facts, May-June 2021

CULTIVATING SUSTAINABILITY BS: Do you think interest is growing in practices that are good for honeybee health among consumers, buyers, and retailers of almonds? If so, how does that influence almond growers and their management decisions? CR: I think that consumers are starting to realize how important honeybees are to the food system and would like for their food to be grown in a sustainable way that supports them. They are starting to ask more questions about how their food is grown. The continual growth in the organic product market is evidence of this. So, if the marketplace were willing to pay a premium for sustainably grown almonds, I think that would get the attention of many almond growers like myself. BS: What is one tool or resource you could not live without? CR: The tool I use a lot is a penetrometer that tests the soil for compaction in our orchard. BS: What is your favorite way to eat almonds? CR: My favorite way to eat almonds is to pick them right off the tree during harvest when I’m walking through the orchard. You can’t beat the flavor of fresh almonds. Otherwise, I like to soak raw almonds in a bowl of water overnight and eat them the next day. The Blue Diamond Habanero BBQ and Thai Chili flavored almonds are also a favorite in my household. The 2021–2022 Seeds for Bees open enrollment period starts June 15th. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply by going to the Project Apis m. Seeds for Bees website at www.projectapism.org/seeds-for-bees. Feel free to contact me, Billy Synk, at Billy@ProjectApism.org for any questions regarding the Seeds for Bees program, cover crops, habitat, or bees/pollination. Cover More Ground with HOBOnet! HOBOnet is a cost-effective, web-enabled, remote monitoring solution that: Uses wireless sensors to measure temperature, rainfall, wind, and soil moisture at numerous points across your entire almond orchard Eliminates the hassle of running cables Provides real-time alerts when conditions reach user-set thresholds Works with HOBOnet’s multi-depth sensor to measure soil moisture along the entire root depth, so you can make better irrigation decisions that save water 1-800-LOGGERS sales@onsetcomp.com on.onsetcomp.com/almondgrowers by Onset HOBO ® HOBOnet Wireless Multi-Depth Soil Moisture Sensor 3 2 A L M O N D F A C T S