Van Groningen & Sons In Full Harvest Mode

Bryan Van Groningen, with Van Groningen & Sons, a farming operation in Manteca, in San Joaquin County says the operation is in full harvest mode, rounding out what has been a good year.

“Right now we’re still in peak season of the watermelon harvest. We’re also getting geared up for the pumpkin season. We are going to be harvesting some of our ornamental gourds pretty soon, and that’s going to lead into our normal-sized pumpkins of all types of varieties. That’s going to get underway soon, probably in another week, and will continue all the way until the end of October. We are just completing our sweet corn harvest, and almond harvest has begun as well,” said Van Groningen.

Van Groningen thinks the drought has affected pricing this year. “I think the lack of water up and down the state has affected the pricing because it has been pretty strong. We haven’t had those valleys in some of the pricing throughout the season, but I think, further down south, guys are irrigating only their permanent crops and going into more of their higher-dollar crops. For crops like sweet corn, there are not a lot of acres growing in California, and that has kept the price high,” said Van Groningen.

The farm’s water supply was sufficient this year, but Van Groningen is guarded about the future. “We’re fortunate in our areas because we are irrigating most of our land with a deep well, and we don’t have to rely on district water so much, so we are kind of lucky. We are in control of our own water supply,” he said.

Van Groningen notes that the operation has had well issues. “We did have one well collapse on us, so that tells me the water table continues to drop. We irrigate from probably 60 different deep wells, and I’d say one out of sixty–that isn’t too big of a problem at this point. But if it continues this way, and we remain in a drought, and we don’t get enough rainfall to recharge some of that groundwater, it’s going to get pretty dicey, I think,” he said.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:29-07:00August 27th, 2014|

Pistachios May Benefit Heart Health in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

Stress Tests Show Blood Vessels More Relaxed and Open in Published Study

In the Journal of the American Heart Association

It was announced TODAY, that a healthy diet including pistachios may benefit heart health in adults with Type 2 diabetes, according to a Pennsylvania State University study published online in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Adults with well-controlled type 2 diabetes, who were otherwise healthy, participated in a randomized, controlled clinical study and showed a more positive response to stress following a diet containing pistachios than when following a standard low-fat control diet. The healthy diet, which included two servings daily of pistachios, significantly reduced peripheral vascular resistance, increased cardiac output, improved some measure of heart rate variability and importantly reduced systolic ambulatory blood pressure.

Dr. Sheila G. West, principal investigator and professor of biobehavioral health and nutritional sciences at Penn State, and her colleagues reported similar beneficial results in a study of adults with elevated LDL cholesterol and stress, published two years ago. Increasingly it has been found that pistachios, both salted and unsalted, contribute to a heart-healthy diet in high-risk groups. Pistachios contain good fats and fiber, potassium and magnesium.

In this Penn State study, test diets included a low-fat control diet with high carbohydrate snacks (27 percent fat and 7 percent saturated fat) compared to a moderate-fat diet (33 percent fat and 7 percent saturated fat) that included 3 ounces, or 20 percent of the calories, from pistachios. The servings consisted of equal amounts of salted and unsalted nuts. All meals were provided to the 30 participants, an equal number of men and women, ages 40-74. The calorie levels for the subjects were based on the Harris-Benedict equation so that calories and body weight did not change throughout the study.

A two-week run-in period on a typical western diet preceded the first test diet. Participants discontinued all dietary supplements at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the study. These adults were then administered each test diet for four weeks, separated by two-week compliance breaks, randomized and in a counterbalanced order. At the end of each diet period, including the run-in weeks, participants underwent comprehensive testing.

Researchers measured blood pressure and total peripheral vascular resistance, both at rest and during stress tests, which consisted of holding a hand in ice water for more than two minutes and a difficult math challenge. “After the pistachio diet, blood vessels remained more relaxed and open during the stress tests,” confirmed Dr. West. She continued, “The pistachio diet reduced their bodies’ responses to stress.”

Twenty-four hour systolic blood pressure was significantly lower following the pistachio diet compared to the control diet, with the largest reduction observed during sleep. According to Dr. Kathryn Sauder, a co-investigator who conducted the measurements, “This finding was important because individuals who do not display a dip in blood pressure during sleep may be more likely to experience a cardiovascular event.”

Dr. West concluded, “A moderate-fat diet containing pistachios may be an effective intervention to reduce cardiovascular risk in persons with type 2 diabetes.” In spite of being obese and having a diabetes diagnosis, participants had normal blood pressure and only moderate dyslipidemia. However, even in relatively healthy diabetics, there is room for improvement. The results of this study suggest that a healthy diet containing pistachios can add to the protective effects of drugs for persons with type 2 diabetes.

The researchers suggested future studies should enroll larger samples, include ambulatory blood pressure as a primary outcome and test the effectiveness of pistachio consumption on cardiovascular risk factors in a free-living setting.

The study was supported by the American Pistachio Growers, Fresno, Calif., with partial support from the National Institutes of Health-supported Clinical Research Center at Pennsylvania State University.

Pistachio Facts

Pistachios are nutrient-rich and full of antioxidants, vitamins, protein and fiber. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts, more per serving than any other snack nut. They are cholesterol free and contain just 1.5 grams of saturated fat and 12.5 grams of fat per serving, the majority of which comes from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat. In addition, they contain a significant amount of potassium, 300mg, and 3g fiber per serving.

About American Pistachio Growers

American Pistachio Growers (APG) is a non-profit voluntary agricultural trade association representing more than 600 grower members in California, Arizona and New Mexico. APG is governed by a democratically-elected board of directors and is funded entirely by growers and independent processors with the shared goal of increasing global awareness of nutritious American-grown pistachios. APG pistachios are the “Official Snack” of USA Water Polo, professional snowboarder Jeremy Jones, British pro cyclist Mark Cavendish and the Miss California Organization. For more information, visit www.AmericanPistachios.org

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:33:32-07:00August 11th, 2014|

American Pistachio Growers Team Up with Anheuser-Busch

A Boon for APG Members and Michelob ULTRA

By Patrick Cavanaugh, Editor

Move over peanuts. You’re not wanted anymore by active consumers who drink Michelob ULTRA. American Pistachio Growers’ pistachios will soon be marketed alongside the beer to adults with an active lifestyle.

“In 2015, the nationwide partnership with Michelob ULTRA Beer will roll out with a series of promotions throughout the year,” said Judy Hirigoyen, Director, Global Marketing for American Pistachio Growers.

“We worked with Anheuser-Busch this year in a pilot project in California, Arizona and Nevada. It offered a $2 off coupon for eight member brands within the American Pistachio Grower membership, or any store private label. Anheuser-Busch, not us, paid the retailer the $2,” said Hirigoyen. “The campaign went very well. So we have signed a contract to go nationwide with a series of promotions in 2015.

“In the future nation-wide promotion, consumers will get anywhere from $2.00 to $6.00 off their pistachios, making it a great boon to pistachios and beer lovers alike,” said Hirigoyen.

The discount coupon for pistachios will be available right where the beer is sold.

“What’s really exciting is the Michelob ULTRA shares the same target audience that pistachios do,” she said. “We look for active, fitness enthusiasts, and we want people who care about their nutrition and their health and who are looking for a lower fat, yet very delicious option. And that is true for both pistachios and Michelob ULTRA Beer.”

It’s a good fit as about 50 percent of all beer sold in the U.S. is an Anheuser-Busch brand. Furthermore, Michelob ULTRA was a big sponsor of the Amgen Bicycle Race Tour this year in California.

“Since everyone loves our product, Anheuser-Busch wanted to team up with us. They want to find ways to get out of the beer aisle, and we want to find ways to get into the beer aisle. They now can get their beer displays in the snack aisle, and in the produce aisle, and we can get our pistachios into the aisles where beer is promoted,” said Hirigoyen.

“We are promoting very actively on social networks to let people know that there is free money for pistachios,” said Hirigoyen. “So look for those coupons and purchase some great pistachios from members of the American Pistachio Growers.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:14-07:00July 27th, 2014|

California Almond Board Blog Goes Live!

Richard Waycott, President and CEO of the Almond Board of California, launched its new Almond Board blog, almonds.com, TODAY, with the inaugural post (dated 7/22/14), “The Almond Board of California is a What? Understanding Federal Marketing Orders.”

Back in 1950, almond growers asked the United States Department of Agriculture to approve a Federal Marketing Order, so they could all work together to improve the quality and marketing of their crop. The Almond Board of California was born. A lot has changed since our establishment 64 years ago, including a name change (we used to be called the Almond Control Board) and the broadening of our programs from what initially was just quality standards compliance. Today, we call ourselves an agricultural promotion group.

In their current form, agricultural promotion groups are made up of farmers – in our case growers and handlers – who work together to educate consumers and to research, innovate and promote what they produce.

While you may have never heard of us before, these groups are part of an American tradition and are ingrained in our culture. Whether it’s the dancing California raisins, “Got Milk?,” “Incredible Edible Egg,” “Pork: The Other White Meat” or “Beef: It’s What’s for Dinner,” agricultural promotion groups have created and funded these campaigns. (By the way, have you seen our own “Crunch On” ad campaign that was launched in 2013?)

Different ag promotion groups work in different ways, but essentially they are founded and funded by industry members. They are not funded by taxpayers, which is an occasional misconception. Each year almond handlers contribute money to fund Almond Board marketing and research programs. We develop our own programs and direct our own research, with the USDA providing oversight and review of all external messaging, to make sure they are accurate and comply with FDA and FTC regulations.

At the Almond Board of California, we have worked hard not only to help our favorite nut overcome certain negative perceptions due to their oil content, but more importantly to become the number one nut that surveyed North American consumers associate with being nutritious and heart healthy.*† By creating demand for almonds, we work to build global markets for California Almond growers and handlers.

In terms of research, we have funded $42 million in almond quality and food safety, nutrition, environmental, and production research since 1973. From developing a new nutritional supplement for our pollinators – the honeybee – to improving water efficiency by 33 percent per pound of almonds produced over the last two decades, the Almond Board constantly strives to be a stellar guardian of the natural resources that almond growers and handlers employ to produce one of the finest foods in the world.

Click here to learn more about the Almond Board of California.

__________

*ABC North American Attitudes, Awareness and Usage Study, 2013

†Good news about almonds and heart health. Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces of almonds as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. One serving of almonds (28g) has 13g of unsaturated fat and 1g of saturated fat.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:14-07:00July 23rd, 2014|

The Benefits of Eating Almonds

Source: Alissa Fleck; SF Gate

Natural, unsalted almonds are a tasty and nutritious snack with plenty of health benefits. Loaded with minerals, they are also among the healthiest of tree nuts. Just a handful of nutrient-rich almonds a day helps promote heart health and prevent weight gain, and it may even help fight diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Nutrition

Eating about 23 almonds a day is an easy way to incorporate many crucial nutrients into your diet. Almonds are rich in vitamin E, calcium, magnesium and potassium. Additionally, almonds are a significant source of protein and fiber, while being naturally low in sugar. One 23-almond serving packs 13 grams of healthy unsaturated fats, 1 gram of saturated fat and no cholesterol or salt. Of all tree nuts, almonds rank highest in protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin content by weight. There are 160 calories in 23 almonds. While many of these calories come from fat, it is primarily the healthy unsaturated fats and not the unhealthy saturated kind.

Heart Health

According to the FDA, eating 1.5 ounces a day of most nuts, like almonds, may reduce the risk of heart disease. Many of the nutrients in almonds help contribute to increased heart health. For one, almonds are rich in magnesium, which is critical in preventing heart attacks and hypertension. Several clinical studies have also shown almonds can be effective in reducing bad cholesterol and preserving healthy cholesterol, which plays a major role in heart health.

Weight Maintenance

Nuts, like almonds, are also beneficial for maintaining a healthy weight. The fiber, protein and fat content of almonds means it only takes a handful to keep you feeling full and satisfied so you won’t have the urge to overeat. According to “Fitness” magazine, the magnesium in almonds helps regulate blood sugar, which is key in reducing food cravings. Almonds may even be able to block the body’s absorption of calories, making them the ultimate weight-loss-friendly snack. Because almonds are naturally high in calories, it’s important to limit your serving size to the recommended 1 ounce, or 23 nuts.

Other Health Benefits

Almonds may also promote gastrointestinal health and even combat diabetes. The high fiber content of almonds gives them prebiotic properties, which contributes to health in the gastrointestinal tract. Prebiotics are non-digestible food substances, which serve as food for the good bacteria in the intestinal tract and help maintain a healthy balance. According to a study by the American Diabetes Association, a Mediterranean diet incorporating nuts, such as almonds, helps fight diabetes even without significant changes to weight, physical activity or caloric intake.

Raw vs. Roasted

Almonds are available in a variety of preparations and it can be tough to know which is healthiest. Raw, unsalted almonds are a safe bet, but some people prefer the roasted taste. Both raw and roasted almonds pack a high dose of nutrients and minerals. Raw almonds have more naturally occurring beneficial fats, as some are lost in the roasting process. Dry roasted almonds have the same amount of calories as raw almonds, while almonds roasted in oil contain slightly more calories.

The Fresno County Department of Agriculture reported that almonds have become the county’s newest billion dollar crop; producing a total gross value of over $1.1 billion.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:34:16-07:00July 17th, 2014|

Chocolate Company Looks to California for Ingredients

A major candy company always looks to California for a major ingredient.

The Hershey Company looks to California almond growers’ for their most important ingredient for their products.

Jeff Beckman is the Director of Corporate Communications with the Hershey Company based in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

“In fact, they’re so important that the Hershey company is the number one purchaser of California almonds in the entire nation. It was Milton Hershey himself who in the early 20th century married almonds with chocolate and discovered something that was unbelievable and consumers today love that product and thats why we sell so many products that are a combination of delicious California almonds and chocolate.” said Beckman.

Beckman mentions the type of partnership that Hershey and the California almond industry have.

“We have a great, long relationship with the California almond industry. In fact in 2012 we opened the largest and most technologically advanced chocolate making factory in Hershey, its our new western Hershey plant,” said Beckman. “Representatives from the california almond industry came out and joined us for that opening ceremony as a sign of their commitment to our company and how important we are to the California almond industry as the number one purchaser.” he added.

Beckman said the California almonds are so important to the Hershey family, they have a team of people with a watchful eye on the state.

“California almonds are so important to us we have people on our sourcing team who are constantly keeping an eye on the California almond crop because really its such an important input to our product. he said. “Their watching the water conditions, their tracking how the pollination season is going, they are always looking at understanding what’s happening out in the Central Valley in California because thats so important to us to know that theres going to be a good almond crop each and every year.” added Beckman.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:25-07:00June 16th, 2014|

Good Almond Branch Structure Leads to Healthier Trees

At the recent San Joaquin Valley Almond Symposium in the Fresno County town of Kerman, one speaker was Roger Duncan, a UC Cooperative Extension Farmer Advisor from Stanislaus County. Duncan talked about the very important training phase in Almond Tree structuring.

“It’s during the first one or two maybe three years and this is when we select the scaffolds in order to build the structure of the tree and make sure that we don’t have branches that break later in the life or are in the way of other operations.” said Duncan.

Main branches coming from the trunk of the tree are known as “scaffolds”.

“When we select scaffolds we want to make sure that they are staggered up and down the tree as well around the tree. Also want to choose scaffolds that are not too flat and not too vertical, Essentially we want to have good attachment so that we have good solid architecture of the tree.” said Duncan.

Duncan talks about a common mistake made by growers.

“I think probably the biggest mistake that growers make when their select scaffolds they like to choose the largest scaffolds which typically are right at the top of the tree, the problem is if we have all the scaffolds originating from the same vertical plane then they are very weak. So we eventually those scaffolds will split. We just have to make sure we stagger those scaffold up and down the tree as well as all away around.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:26-07:00June 11th, 2014|

UC Researchers Trying to Understand Roll of Green Waste and Manure

Almond Growers Are Asked to Return Survey

Researchers are trying to find out the benefit of adding green waste from animal manure and adding it to the soil of permanent crops, and they are looking for information from local growers.

A team of UC Davis and UC Merced researchers are trying to find how and why fruit and nut growers are using organic matter amended to their soils. These amendments might include green waste composted or non composted animal manure.

The goal of this survey is to help develop better approaches so the organic matter amendment can be used more safely, according to Daniel Schellenberg, postdoctoral scholar at UC Davis, who is the coordinator of the project.

“We’re hoping to find out the benefit to the orchard for using these types of materials and how they might improve environmental quality but as well as to find out are they benefit tree nutrition are they changing the biology in the soil, or they simply increasing the capacity of the soil to hold water.” said Schellenberg.

All California almond growers will be getting a survey in their mailboxes this week.

“We’re working with in partnership with the Almond Board of California we were able to have a mailing that will go out to almond growers about their practices and have also built a website that will allow all growers of trees, fruits, and nuts to be able to take the survey.” said Schellenberg

The survey can be found here.

Previously, the Almond Board of California stated that growers should not use these amendment due to food safety, but there has been no field trials to show the risk. A research goal is to find how amends can be used safely, and to determine how much nitrogen certain amendments can provide for tree and vines.

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:27-07:00June 10th, 2014|

Annual Nickels Field Day May 14

Report Title

NICKELS SOIL LAB ANNUAL FIELD DAY

Wednesday, May 14, 2014 Marine Avenue, Arbuckle, CA

Popular Nickels Field Day will focus on research.

8:30 am — Registration
Coffee and Danish provided by Farm Credit Services of Colusa-Glenn, ACA

9:00 am — Field Topics:

Monitoring soil moisture to guide irrigation decisions

Larry Schwankl, Cooperative Extension Specialist, LAWR, UC Davis

How well is your irrigation system performing?

Kevin Greer, Tehama Co. Resource Conservation District Mobile Irrigation Lab Post-harvest canopy health and yield the next season

Ted DeJong, Professor, Plant Sciences Department, UC Davis

Applying crop evapotranspiration estimates in on-farm water management

Allan Fulton, UCCE Water Resources Advisor, Tehama, Glenn & Colusa Counties Measuring crop stress to make irrigation decisions

Rick Buchner, UCCE Farm Advisor, Tehama County

Almond orchard hedging

Bruce Lampinen, Cooperative Extension Specialist, Plant Sciences Dept., UC Davis

Rootstock trial review

Franz Niederholzer, UCCE Farm Advisor, Colusa/Sutter/Yuba Counties

Nitrogen cycle inhibitors

Martin Burger, Research Scientist, LAWR, UC Davis

12:15 pm – Lunch by reservation, proceeds to benefit the Pierce FFA Program RSVP to the UCCE Colusa Office at (530) 458-0570

$12 prepaid, $15 at the door

Luncheon talk:

Active Groundwater Management – An Assessment of the Sacramento Valley’s Groundwater Resources

David Guy, President, Northern California Water Association
Paul Gosselin, Director, Butte Co. Department of Water and Resource Conservation

Program organized by:
Franz Niederholzer, UC Cooperative Extension, Farm Advisor, Colusa/Sutter/Yuba Counties

UCCE Colusa County • 100 Sunrise Blvd., Suite E • Colusa, CA 95932
Office 530.458.0570 • Fax 530.458.4625 • lcpingrey@ucanr.edu • Website: cecolusa.ucanr.edu

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:35:33-07:00May 11th, 2014|

Groundwater Farming: a Blessing or a Curse?

By Michael Kuhne, AccuWeather.com

Mining groundwater for agricultural use in the San Joaquin Valley has not only created one of the most productive agricultural regions in the United States, but it has also simultaneously altered the surface of the land causing noticeable subsidence or sinking in the region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

“The maximum subsidence, near Mendota, was more than 28 feet,” USGS reported, citing a 1970 comprehensive survey.

Overall subsidence has slowed since the 1970s due to reductions in the pumping and recovery of groundwater, as well as the use of other types of surface water irrigation.

“At least some of the groundwater is stored in between clay deposits and within clay deposits,” AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Ken Clark said. “When you extract the water, you take out the water surrounding (the) clay molecules, and this then allows the clay to compress. The more water you take out, the more compacting you have, and when that happens, the valley sinks.”

In the photo above, taken Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014, a warning buoy sits on the dry, cracked bed of Lake Mendocino near Ukiah, Calif. Despite recent rains, the reservoir is currently only about 41 percent full. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

According to U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Pacific Region Office Deputy Director Dave DeWalt, nearly 11.3 percent of the total value of U.S. agriculture commodities comes from California’s prime agricultural region.

“So far (in 2014) we’ve only seen about one-third of the precipitation we normally would have,” DeWalt said, referring to the Sacramento area.

With the drought continuing, food prices will spike.

“It is some of the richest farmland in the U.S.,” Clark said. “There is talk that some commodities may not be feasible as they take a lot of water to grow. Such as almonds, a huge cash crop. It takes one gallon of water to make one almond.”

According to Fresno State University Center for Irrigation Technology Consultant Sergeant Green, understanding the utilization of groundwater and the impacts on the Valley is not as simple as it seems.

“Water, crops and productivity are all dynamic,” Green said.

The current crops using the most water in the region are almonds and alfalfa, he said.

“Almonds are a critical export that helps with balance of trade, and alfalfa is critical for the dairy industry which is a huge part of the agriculture economy in the Valley,” Green said. “The three top agricultural commodities are almonds, grapes and dairy products.”

The San Joaquin Valley is part of the Central Valley of California, includes the Sacramento Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This area produces about a quarter of the nation’s table food on only 1 percent of the country’s farmland, USGS reports.

The map above shows the impact of drought on California’s farms, forests and wild lands. (Credit: NASA Earth Observatory)

“Groundwater in the north of the Valley is relatively stable, the south Valley (Fresno south to Bakersfield) has declined consistently,” Green said. “Old pre-1960s subsidence stopped until surface water supplies from the Bay-Delta were cut back starting in the mid-’90s.”

According to the USGS, land subsidence in the Valley was first recorded in 1945 by Engineering Consultant I.H. Althouse.

“The history of land subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley is integrally linked to the development of agriculture and the availability of water for irrigation,” the USGS reported. “Further agricultural development without accompanying subsidence is dependent on the continued availability of surface water, which is subject to uncertainties due to climatic variability and pending regulatory decisions.”

The 10,000-square-mile area making up the Valley floor is comprised of continental sediments and includes fine-grained, stream and lake deposits, which are susceptible to compaction, the USGS reported.

“When farmers and ranchers have to rely on groundwater instead of stored above ground water during extended droughts, more water is being extracted than can be returned,” Clark said. “Once the clay is compacted, there is no way to ‘unpack’ it.”

According to AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Randy Adkins Jr., California has received less than their average rainfall for several years consecutively.

“It’s been a multi-year drought,” he said.

AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Jim Andrews said the last three winter rainy seasons (October to April) were drier than normal, the last winter being driest of the three. Cumulative rainfall (including melted snow) is as little as one half of normal amount for the three rainy seasons collectively, Andrews said.

“Fresno has only seen 55 percent of their normal for those three seasons,” he said. “That’s around 16 inches of rain less than normal.”

Andrews added that the Sacramento region has been doused with only 68 percent of their normal rainfall of 54.5 inches.

Green said rainfall is not adequate to recharge the groundwater, adding it needs to be stored, applied or recharged in specific areas that allow the capability to add more water than what is being extracted at those locations.

In addition, new developments in irrigation are being utilized currently, but the amount of water needed will continue to be based on what crops are in demand, Green said.

“Precision irrigation systems are now widespread and continuing to increase rapidly, but don’t always mean less water is used,” he said. “Crop requirements determine total demand, and permanent crops such as almonds have been increasing for some time.”

Patrick Cavanaugh2016-05-31T19:37:59-07:00April 30th, 2014|