Election cycle begins Friday, Feb. 7 asking candidates to declare by April 1

The 2025 election cycle for the Almond Board of California (ABC) Board of Directors launches on Friday, Feb. 7 with the call to all potential candidates to file their intent to run by April 1, 2025.

A one-year and a three-year seat are open to represent independent growers in the 2025-26 crop year, and a one-year and a three-year seat are also open to represent independent handlers. Alternate seats for those positions are open, as well. Voting starts April 21 and ends May 22.

To qualify for an independent grower or alternate seat, candidates must be a current grower and must submit a petition signed by at least 15 independent almond growers, which ABC will verify. Independent handler and alternate candidates must declare their intention in writing to ABC.

All details, documents, open positions, the election timeline and deadlines, and frequently asked questions can be found at Almonds.com/Elections.

All petitions and declarations must state the position for which the candidate is running and be sent to abcbodelections@almondboard.com or printed and mailed to ABC, 1150 Ninth St., Suite 1500, Modesto, CA 95354. The deadline for all filings is April 1. Potential candidates who’d like more information can contact ABC at abcbodelections@almondboard.com.

“The ABC Board of Directors plays a crucial role in the success of our industry,” said ABC President and CEO Clarice Turner. “More than 7,600 growers and 100 handlers count on Board leadership to guide the work of the Almond Board. It’s crucial to have dedicated people from across the industry to help navigate these complicated times and work toward a positive, prosperous future.”

The ABC board sets policy and recommends budgets in major areas, including marketing, production research, public relations and advertising, nutrition research, statistical reporting, quality control and food safety.

Serving on the Board provides an opportunity to help shape the future of the almond industry and to help guide ABC in its mission to promote California almonds to domestic and international audiences through marketing efforts, funding and promoting studies about almonds’ health benefits, and ensuring best-of-class agricultural practices and food safety.

ABC encourages eligible women, minorities and people with disabilities to consider running for a position on the Board of Directors to reflect the diversity of the industry it serves.

The outstanding 16^th class of professionals begins a year-long immersion to become the next great leaders of the California almond industry

The Almond Board of California is proud to announce the Almond Leadership Program class of 2025, a group of 18 exceptional professionals expected to help lead the industry into the future.

Bayer Crop Science has sponsored the Almond Leadership Program (ALP) for a number of years and is again the sponsor of this 2025 class of next-generation leaders who were chosen from more than 40 highly qualified applicants. They come from diverse backgrounds across the full range of the industry and include growers and processors, sales representatives, agronomists, pest control advisors, supply chain analysts, ag realtors and more.

ALP began in 2009 and has graduated 244 industry members. Dozens now serve on ABC workgroups, committees and even the Board of Directors.

“This 2025 class is outstanding. They are bright, accomplished and they care about our industry,” said Rebecca Bailey, the ABC senior specialist who oversees ALP. “This program helps great people become great leaders and our industry continues to see the huge benefits from 16 years of this program. We are certain these 18 people will continue to be great assets and advocates for the almond industry.”

Members of this 16^th class – while still working at their jobs – will be immersed in every aspect of the industry, including ABC activities in global marketing, production, nutrition research, food safety and more. They’ll sharpen their communication skills and build lasting relationships with industry leaders, ABC staff and each other.

“The Almond Leadership Program brings together passionate people from all parts of the industry to learn, collaborate and grow,” said Katie Driver, a class member and technical service manager with UPL. “Through this experience, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of the almond industry so that I can better support the growers, who make it all happen.”

Class members are guided by volunteer mentors – many of them ALP graduates – who will help them develop the skills, knowledge and perspective to improve their industry and their communities.

“Being a mentor gives me the chance to pass along not just what I’ve learned in the last 25 years as a farmer and a conservation biologist but the new challenges we face every year,” said mentor Christine Gemperle, a grower and member of ABC’s Board of Directors. “I believe this next generation of industry leaders has the ability to take that knowledge and grow an even better future for California almonds.”

The leadership program will also offer class members thorough looks at the impacts on the industry of social, economic, environmental and regulatory issues. In addition, participants will take on a yearlong, self-directed project focused on improving the California almond industry. Some past projects have led to important breakthroughs for the industry.

Leadership class members kicked off their training with a two-day orientation at the ABC offices in Modesto, which included one-on-one talks with their mentors and hearing from ABC CEO Clarice Turner.

Once again, class members will raise money for California FFA, pledging to raise more than $25,000 in scholarships for high school students interested in pursuing agriculture in college. Through the years, ALP has raised more than $320,000 for FFA.

The 2025 Almond Leadership class members are:

• Arik Bains of Turlock, a pest control advisor with Wilbur Ellis.
• Cristal Da Silveria of Modesto, a plant and food safety supervisor with Grizzly Nut.
• Katie Driver of Woodland, a technical service manager with UPL.
• Raquel Gomez of Atwater, a technical agronomist with Brandt.
• Zach Harcksen of Ballico, a pest control advisor with Mid Valley Agricultural Services.
• Evan Koftinow of Los Banos, an operations manager with RPAC.
• Laine LaGrande of Colusa, a product and system specialist of high value crops with John Deere.
• Brenden Lusk of Modesto, an ag realtor with Real Broker.
• Joseph McManus of Shafter, a farm manager with Wilson Ag.
• Luis Mendoza of Denair, a sales representative with Syngenta.
• Rajan Nagra of Yuba City, a sales representative with Flory Industries/COE Orchard Equipment.
• Crystal Nay of Manteca, the managing editor of Modern Ag Media.
• Ricky Robledo of Colusa, a sales manager with TRECE Inc.
• Kiki Sandrini of Bakersfield, a regional sales manager with Chandler Automation.
• Ranvir Tung of Selma, the general manager of Tung Corporation.
• Elizabeth Vander Weide of Sacramento, a supply chain analyst for Blue Diamond Growers.
• Jake Wiley of Chico, a sales manager with ProFarm Group.
• Bobbie Williams of Tracy, a clinical dietitian and almond grower with Sutter Memorial Medical Center in Modesto and WMD Farms.

Irrigating Almonds, Four Crops Per Drop

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Ag Information Network

There are significant myths regarding almonds. Most of it is about how they use too much water, but they get four crops from every drop of water. They’re very efficient.

Clarice Turner is president and CEO of the Almond Board of California. “Part of what we’re doing is just making sure that the public is aware of the facts, Turner said.  “And by the way, it’s not marketing hype because we are a quasi-government overseen by the USDA. Everything we publish has to be fact-based. That’s coming from at least three peer-reviewed academic studies in the traditional process. That’s how we get our information,” she said.

“It’s unfortunate that people think almonds use too much water.  A statement like this grows arms and legs.  When you irrigate almonds, you get four crops per drop— There’s the kernel we eat, which grows inside a woody shell, fuzzy outer hull, and the tree. The trees store tons of carbon each year, the shells become livestock bedding, and the hulls are nutritious dairy feed, reducing the water needed to grow other feed crops,” explained Turner.

About 90% of almond farms are owned by families. “And that’s the sad part: misstatements negatively impact the multi-generation family farms. And I’m pretty sure the end consumer doesn’t understand that either,” noted Turner.

“We’re trying to set the record straight on many things and also continuing to try to help our farmers prosper in the state,” she said.  “I feel excellent about the direction we’re going and the input I’m getting from all over the world. I genuinely hear everywhere you guys produce the highest quality, most consistent volume of almonds worldwide.