"Our commitment to sustainability isn’t just lip service — you’ll find examples of it throughout our own office and plant."
Our growers continue to define new boundaries of conventional farming. As early adopters of advanced processes such as real-time soil- moisture monitoring, micro and drip irrigation, precision nutrient application, pressure bombing, collection of localized weather data, integrated pest management, grinding (not burning) old trees or pruning waste, and low dust cultural and harvest technologies, they are now focusing on innovations that will characterize the next generation of almond production. Our growers recognize that ensuring a bright future for the next generation means finding a balance between production and management of resources.
After we’re done hulling, our hulls are shipped directly to dairies and repurposed as feed, reducing the need to feed other water-intensive crops such as alfalfa to dairy cows. The remaining part of our hulling refuse is used as compost filler, which will be used as fertilizer.
Rocks picked up from the field during harvest are removed by a destoner during the pre-cleaning process. Those rocks are then used to fortify our company’s internal road system, eliminating excess dust that can be kicked up by traffic.
Plant materials such as plastic bin liners, plastic stockpile tarps, and unused packaging supplies are recycled.
Caring for your employees is not a new concept within the world of agriculture. For years, farmers and processors alike have treated their employees like family. Many of us have 20+ year veterans on our staff, with very low turnover rates. Many of our growers have embraced a better, more “socially responsible” way of doing business. This includes managing the welfare of their employees with socially responsible programs, including company benefits such as healthcare and financial savings options. Dental days and flu shots are not typically the norm in this industry — not to mention mentoring and scholarship options — but you’ll find they are common among our growers.