It's not all fun and games.
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Boards & Bytes is a podcast dedicated to games we play! The team from Ironmark Games talk about games played on the table, tablet, or television, be it with cards, consoles, or c...dice. Come listen to us talk about ALL THE GAMES!
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This show explores how almond growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich is visiting with almond leaders throughout California who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry. Hearing the voices of these industry leaders might spark a connection or idea you can use in your own journey. That’s why we want to feature these stor ...
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Marketing Bulletin: Creating an "Avocado Toast" Moment for Almonds
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4:53In April's Marketing Bulletin, Laura Morin of the Almond Board of California shares the story behind the Board’s first major food service collaboration—a spring promotion with Smoothie King, the world’s largest smoothie chain. Currently running around the country from March through May, the partnership positions almonds as a go-to ingredient, promo…
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Episode 78: Almond Advocacy with Mallorie Hayes
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24:19Mallorie Hayes joined the Journey to discuss the importance of storytelling, outreach, and education to consumers, legislators, and key stakeholders. During this conversation, she shares her journey into the almond industry and her role in advocating for almond growers. Hayes highlights the industry's efforts in sustainability, legislative engageme…
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Almond Byte, April 2025: New Protocol for Japan, EU's New "Vision"
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3:21In this episode of the Almond Byte, the Almond Board of California’s Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team highlights two major regulatory developments shaping almond exports. First, a major milestone for U.S. almond trade with Japan: USDA and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare have signed a voluntary aflatoxin pre-testing protocol.…
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Episode 77: Almond Genetics and Variety Development with Chuck Fleck
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29:19Chuck Fleck joined the Journey to discusses the latest in almond genetics and variety development. Fleck is the director of horticulture research at Sierra Gold Nurseries. During this conversation, he shares his journey into breeding almonds and almond rootstocks, what’s driving his breeding program and what excites him about the future of almond g…
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Almond Byte, March 2025: Tariff Updates, Morocco and Turkey Market Progress
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6:50March’s Almond Byte brings you the latest insights from the Almond Board of California’s Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team. This month, ABC made waves at Gulfood 2025, connecting with key buyers and exploring future opportunities in Dubai’s expanding trade landscape. Meanwhile, new tariffs on Chinese imports are impacting the global almo…
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Episode 76: Three Board Members Share Their Almond (Board) Journeys
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33:59Justin Morehead, Christine Gemperle and Darren Rigg all joined the Journey to share about their involvement with the Almond Board of California (ABC). These industry leaders discuss why they’ve decided to stay engaged with ABC over the years, and how their perspectives have changed since becoming involved with committees, work groups and board lead…
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Episode 75: Before You Plant Your Next Orchard with James Chinchiolo
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27:54
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27:54Fourth-generation farmer James Chinchiolo grows primarily cherries and walnuts in Linden, California. He has two blocks that he’s looking to re-plant and he is considering planting almonds. In this episode, Chinciolo walks us through his thought process for how he’s approaching this decision and shares his framework for determining the best tree cr…
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Almond Byte, February 2025: America First Trade Policy, Tariff Implications and Aflatoxin Update
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5:23In this episode of Almond Byte, highlights from the February Global Update breaks down the America First Trade Policy memo, new tariffs on major U.S. trading partners, and what this could mean for the almond industry. With Canada and Mexico negotiating last-minute tariff postponements and China implementing targeted retaliatory measures, how will g…
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Episode 74: Winning Over Consumers with Laura Morin
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34:51Laura Morin is the director of marketing for North America and China at The Almond Board of California. She joined the Journey to talk about some of the latest marketing initiatives by the almond industry to boost the relevance, value and of course the demand for California almonds. Morin explains the partnership with Deon Sanders (AKA Coach Prime)…
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Marketing Bulletin: Own Your Prime at Radio Row
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4:47What happens when one of the biggest names in sports takes over one of the biggest stages in marketing? In the January Marketing Bulletin, we dive into Coach Prime Deion Sanders' powerhouse presence at Radio Row ahead of the NFL championship game. Representing California almonds through the Own Your Prime campaign, Coach Prime isn’t just talking fo…
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Episode 73: 2025 Outlook - Ten Industry Perspectives
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22:58
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22:58People from around the industry joined the Almond Journey Podcast at The Almond Conference 2024 and were asked to share what’s on top of their minds headed into 2025. In this episode, you’ll hear highlights from Craig Duerr, Mallvinder Kahal, Rob Kiss, Michelle Penney, Bobbie Williams, Mallorie Hayes, Scott Hermann, Kabir Tumber, Chris Chavez and C…
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Episode 72: Reflecting on the Almond Journey in 2024
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19:27In this episode of the Almond Journey Podcast, we revisit some of the insights captured on this show over the past year. You'll hear highlights from Nav Athwal, Alicia Rockwell, Tim Jackson and Michael Kelley. These interviews highlight the vast array of almond-related topics covered monthly on the Almond Journey podcast. These year-end reflections…
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Almond Byte, December 2024: China Trade Mission, Food Labeling Law, Alternaria Mycotoxins
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4:20Highlights from December's Global Update by the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California details ABC's participation in the U.S. Ag Trade Mission to China, where ABC staff joined a large team of U.S. Ag Trade Associations at the China International Import Expo. ABC CEO Clarice Turner presented on California alm…
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Episode 71: Effective, Efficient and Safe Applications With Franz Niederholzer
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26:18UC Cooperative Extension Tree Crop Farm Advisor Franz Niederholzer joined the Journey to provide a practical overview of best practices for spray operations in an orchard. Trained as a soil scientist, Niederholzer started with Cooperative Extension over 20 years ago. Over the past few decades, he has developed and shared expertise on spray-related …
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Episode 70: Continuing Education and the Almond Learning Hub with Huller Manager Dan Lawson
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27:38Dan Lawson is a licensed Qualified Applicator and the Huller Manager at Treehouse California Almond. Lawson joined the Journey and shares about his job as a huller manager, what they’ve seen come in from the orchard these past couple of years, and how he keeps current in his continuing education efforts to stay up to date on best practices. “Navel …
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Almond Byte, November 2024: EU Meetings, Post-Election Updates and Country of Origin Labelling
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4:44Highlights from November's Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of Californian dive into key international developments impacting the almond industry. Get updates from ABC’s recent EU meetings, where staff members engaged with European trade and regulatory bodies to address critical issues affectin…
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Episode 69: Connecting with Consumer Through Cooking with Elisabeth Watkins
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29:17
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29:17As a kid growing up on her family's farm in San Joaquin County, Elisabeth Watkins won TV cooking competition Chopped Junior. Since that time, Watkins has dedicated herself to teaching others about agriculture through cooking. Today she continues to make regular media appearances, including recent appearances on several Sacramento TV station morning…
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Marketing Bulletin: Mexico's Bakery Scene Gets Almond Exposure
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6:53In October's Marketing Bulletin, we're diving into the Almond Board of California's (ABC) latest market expansion strategy: bringing California almonds to Mexican bakeries. Join us as we explore how ABC's recent tour of California's Central Valley hosted top Mexican chefs and bakers, offering an in-depth look at the potential of almonds as a key in…
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Almond Byte, October 2024: World Food India, EU Elections, Japanese Inspections
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4:05In this episode of the Almond Byte podcast, we dive into ABC’s debut at World Food India, where almonds took center stage in discussions on food processing and health-conscious consumers. Hear about the key insights shared by the Ministry of Food Processing and how ABC is leveraging new connections to expand almond innovation in India. Plus, we’ll …
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Episode 68: Almond Industry Delegation Visits Washington, D.C.
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28:03In this episode, Almond Board of California Directors Brandon Rebiero and Kelli Evans discuss the almond industry delegation that recently traveled to Washington, D.C. The trip was an opportunity to engage with key government and legislative offices, providing an update on almond industry issues. They also discussed market development and innovatio…
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Episode 67: Off-Ground Harvesting and Soil Health With Bret Sill
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26:15Kern County almond grower Bret Sill shares some of his experiences building the soil biology in his orchards through practices like integrating sheep into the orchard and planting cover crops. Sill also discusses his experiments with off-ground harvest and reflects on how this approach might fit into his overall system. Ultimately, Sill is looking …
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Almond Byte, September 2024: China Visit, PEC Program Analysis, Morocco Potential
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4:15In September's Almond Byte podcast, we dive into the recent visit of a Chinese Nut Delegation to California's Central Valley, hosted by the Almond Board of California (ABC). Learn how this delegation of 25 Chinese importers explored the almond industry and why this group is a critical partner for trade relations. We also discuss ABC’s analysis of t…
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Episode 66: Red Leaf Blotch Found in California Almond Orchards
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26:37According to a report produced by a collaborative effort between UC Davis and UC Cooperative Extension, the fungal pathogen red leaf blotch (RLB) was first detected in California almond orchards on the border of Merced and Madera counties in late May 2024. Previously known for its impact on almonds in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, RLB’s pr…
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Marketing Bulletin: Own Your Prime Back and Bigger for 2024/2025
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4:59In the August Marketing Bulletin, we dive into the exciting return of the Almond Board of California's "Own Your Prime" campaign, featuring NFL legend Deion Sanders for a second year. Tune in to hear how this partnership will expand its reach with fresh content, new media strategies, and why Coach Prime's genuine love for almonds makes this campaig…
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Episode 65: Evaluating Farm Technologies With Joseph Jackson
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39:17Joseph Jackson grew up in his family’s farming operation in the Visalia area. Upon deciding to downsize the family farming operation, Jackson took on an off-farm job as a Customer Success Director for Phytech. Jackson shares his perspective as someone who has implemented technology as a farmer, and someone who helps other farmers utilize technology…
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Marketing Bulletin: Exploring Market Opportunities in Turkey
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7:36Listen to July's Marketing Bulletin as we dive into Keith Schneller's recent trip to Turkey, representing the Almond Board of California. Discover how this journey – spanning Istanbul to Antalya and Mersin – unveiled significant market opportunities for California almonds. Schneller's meetings with major almond processors, insights from the TUKSAID…
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Episode 64: Farm Business Strategy With Nav Athwal
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35:04Nav Athwal joined the Journey to share his perspective on growing a farming business amid tough economic conditions. Athwal is the president of Tri-Nut Farms and president and managing member of Terra Ag Ventures. After growing up on the family farm, he became a real estate and land use attorney and then a technology entrepreneur. Seven years ago, …
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Almond Byte, July 2024: DC Trip, Export Webinar and EU Election Highlights
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4:44Highlights from July's Global Update from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California begins with the ABC annual industry delegation's recent visit to Washington, DC, where almond growers and handlers engaged with key government and legislative offices. In addition, learn about the Ag Export Finance/Insurance …
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Episode 63: Precision Plant Nutrition And Finding A Career Calling In Ag with Joe Palomino
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27:48Joe Palomino is a Clovis-based agronomist and Certified Crop Consultant (CCA) who works for Axiom Agriculture. His work focuses primarily on crop fertility and soil health, but he also does some irrigation consulting as well. On today’s episode, Palomino shares how he ended up in agronomy without an agricultural background, his thoughts on finding …
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Marketing Bulletin: From Morning Ritual to Anytime Snack, New Almond Ads in India
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6:11
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6:11California almonds are taking the Indian market by storm with a new advertising campaign aimed at younger consumers. The Almond Board of California's innovative ads blend humor with health benefits, encouraging Indians to snack on almonds beyond their traditional morning routine. Hear about the market dynamics, ideas behind the new advertisements, …
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Episode 62: Making Recharge and Cover Crops Work with Christine Gemperle
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31:38Almond grower and Almond Board of California (ABC) Director Christine Gemperle joined the Journey again, this time to discuss groundwater recharge, crimping cover crops, and continuing her efforts to build soil health in her orchards. Gemperle also provides an update about her work on the almond board and the trip this past year to meet with grower…
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Almond Byte, June 2024: Meeting and Trade Delegation Highlights
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5:44Discover how the Almond Board of California is helping to grow markets globally with key updates from recent trips by the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team. From insightful participation in the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council Congress to engaging discussions at the AgTC Annual Conference, the team continues to address opportuniti…
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Episode 61: Almond Stewardship with Alicia Rockwell
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20:56Alicia Rockwell, vice chair of the Almond Board of California and chief government affairs officer at Blue Diamond Growers, joined the Journey to share her perspective on stewardship and advocacy for the almond industry. Rockwell discusses lessons from her work at Blue Diamond and Save Mart Supermarkets, the critical role California Almond Stewards…
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Almond Byte, May 2024: Expanding Shipments to Both Existing and New Markets
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5:18In recent months, the ABC Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team has been helping to expand global markets by meeting with key players in India, Turkey and Pakistan, and creating opportunities for the industry through both market promotional proposals. Hear the details from the trips and efforts, and about an upcoming webinar to help exporter…
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Episode 60: How to Plant a Tree and Orchard Recycling Update with Brent Holtz
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26:04Tree planting is a tremendous investment. The details of how to plant an orchard properly can have a big impact on the bottom line. In today’s episode, Dr. Brent Holtz explains the reasons that he regularly receives calls from growers about their young trees dying. These problems led Holtz to work with the Almond Board of California to create a vid…
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Episode 59: Return on Investment of Integrated Pest Management With Thomas Martin
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30:18Effective integrated pest management (IPM) programs for almond pests, especially for navel orangeworm, are not a one-size-fits-all situation and Thomas Martin says especially during these challenging economic times. Martin, a chemist by training and a regional technical representative for Trécé, was a participant in the Almond Leadership Program la…
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Marketing Bulletin: The Over Delivery of the Own Your Prime Campaign
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8:01Coach Prime and the Almond Board of California joined forces around the big game earlier this year, further extending their game-changing campaign. Dive into the behind-the-scenes action and unprecedented success of the 'Own Your Prime' partnership, as ABC's Laura Morin reveals the remarkable impact on California almonds and beyond.…
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Episode 58: Almond Nutrition Facts with Elena Hemler
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26:29In this episode of the Almond Journey Podcast, we return to The Almond Conference 2023 where we sat down with Almond Board of California Director of Nutrition Research Elena Hemler. Hemler joined the Almond Board over a year ago to work with the Nutrition Research Committee to lead efforts in expanding the body of knowledge about the health propert…
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Almond Byte, April 2024: Tariff Suspensions, Endocrine Disruptors and More
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4:22Highlights from April's Global Update – from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at ABC – include the details behind the suspension of tariffs on almonds going into the UK, the findings from ABC's look into a French decree that was requesting information on endocrine disruptors properties on imports, and the latest on China's facility …
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Marketing Bulletin: Takeaways from Promising India Trip
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7:55The March edition of the Marketing Bulletin from the Almond Board of California features President and CEO Clarice Turner who details her takeaways from ABC's annual trip to India in February. Turner and ABC staff hosted an almond conference in India where conversations circle around market access and regulation, and then exhibited at the colossal …
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Episode 57: Navel Orangeworm Damage with Michael Kelley
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20:02Michael Kelley, President and CEO of Central California Almond Growers Association joined the Journey to share the challenges with the 2023 crop, especially the major problems with navel orangeworm damage. We also discuss other factors that led to it being such a difficult year and what producers can watch out for in the future. Kelley first appear…
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Almond Byte, March 2024: Gulfood, India Trade Conference and a Pakistan First
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4:19March's highlights from the Global Update, by the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California, include a recap of the annual India Tradeshow, ABC workshops at Gulfood that spurred almond interest from new markets, and the first exploratory trip to Pakistan for the Almond Board which revealed strong almond-related …
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Marketing Bulletin: Trade Marketing and the Tastemaker Trials
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7:07In February's Marketing Bulletin, here about the busy month of March set for the Trade Marketing and Stewardship group at the Almond Board of California. The team is set to attend three different types of conferences with three different types of attendees, all talking about the role almonds can play in food and recipe ingredients. Manager Charice …
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Episode 56: Australian Almonds and the Carpophilus Beetle
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17:14At The Almond Conference 2023, Almond Board of Australia CEO Tim Jackson, and Senior Specialist of Pest Management at the Almond Board of California Lauren Fann joined the Journey. Jackson shared some of the similarities and differences between almond production in California and Australia and discussed the new pest to California almonds, Carpophil…
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Episode 055: Getting To Know Clarice Turner, CEO of The Almond Board of California
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16:41In this episode, we are joined by Clarice Turner, president and CEO of the Almond Board of California. Turner shares about her listening tour with multiple stops throughout the state to hear from growers and to better understand their needs. She also discusses her previous experiences from farming to working for corporations like Pepsi and Starbuck…
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Marketing Bulletin, January 2024: QR Code Shares Almond Stewardship Story
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4:41In January's Marketing Bulletin, learn how the Almond Board of California introduced a pioneering QR code initiative aiming to redefine consumer interaction with the almond industry. Placed in high-traffic areas, the billboard-sized QR Code emphasizes transparency and stewardship in almond cultivation. With already hundreds of scans in just a few m…
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Episode 54: Hopes for the New Year From Nine Almond Industry Leaders
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25:23This episode is taken from nine different interviews conducted during The Almond Conference last month. People from around the industry were asked to share what’s on top of their minds headed into 2024. You’ll hear highlights from Alicia Rockwell, Bret Sill, Nav Athwal, Joe Palomino, Christine Gemperle, Julie Adams, Ambassador Doug McKalip, Michael…
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Almond Byte, January 2024: Suez Canal Delays, Great Britain PEC Launched
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4:01Highlights from January's Global Update – from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California – include information on shipping delays and possible additional costs for cargo avoiding the Suez Canal, the new Great Britain-specific Pre-Export Check program has launched, and the latest update on China facility regi…
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Episode 53: Thankful for the Last Twenty Years with Richard Waycott
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32:22In this episode, we celebrate the last twenty years of the Almond Board of California under the leadership of Richard Waycott. Waycott joined the Almond Board as President and CEO in 2002. He joined the Journey to reflect on the past couple of decades in almonds and share his hopes for where the industry goes in the future. We discussed the evoluti…
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Episode 52: Employee Engagement with Jonnalee Dunn
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26:24Almond grower Jonnalee Dunn joins the Journey from Arbuckle, California. Dunn is the growth and development manager at Henderson Farms, which is a 52-person company that farms around 5,000 acres in Northern California. Dunn and her husband also own 120 acres of their own. In today’s episode, Dunn discusses why Henderson Farms prioritizes employee g…
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