28 Almond Facts
SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2014
Welcome to the new home of
Blue Diamond’s
website for growers: www.bluediamondgrowers.com. The new
and improved site brings together the best information for
Blue Diamond’s
grower-owners to learn about
their cooperative, locate information about their business and offer convenience as a one-stop-shop for the
latest cultural or industry news. With bright, colorful pictures and movement, the site is a value-added tool
in the cooperative’s communications toolbox.
The idea for a new website, which is also
optimized for tablet and smartphone
use, stemmed from the increasingly
fast-paced fow of information that
Blue Diamond
wants to share with its
membership. “We have Almond Facts
that comes out six times a year, Update
Newsletter that comes out once a
month, and our feld reports, but what
we needed was a way to get information
to interested growers in a more timely
manner,” said Dave Baker, Director of
Member Relations. “This website allows
us to be in constant communication with
our members.”
Communication and transparent
leadership is key to a healthy
cooperative. As such, signifcant
elements of the website highlight the
individuals that interact with
Blue
Diamond’s
membership most often: the
Member Relations Department and the
cooperative’s leadership. Pictures and
contact information are readily available
for each feld supervisor, allowing
current and prospective growers to
contact their membership partner freely.
Biographies and pictures of President
and CEO Mark Jansen and Chairman
of the Board Clinton Shick kick off the
“Leadership” page. Here, visitors will
also fnd information about the levels of
leadership within the cooperative: the
Board of Directors, Liaison Committee
and Advisory Committee.
From a business standpoint, the website
offers growers information about their
grower return as well as an opportunity
to download forms to manage
potential cash-fow needs. Under the
“Grower Return” tab, visitors will fnd
descriptions of
Blue Diamond’s
various
payment plans and programs, from the
Standard Payment Plan to information
about Quality Premium Payments.
Under “Grower Forms,” downloads for
popular forms such as the AutoDeposit
Request Form or the Accelerated-
Deferral Payment Form. “We wanted
to put this information directly into the
hands of growers so they don’t have to
wait for their feld supervisor to deliver a
form,” Baker said.
Perhaps one of the most popular
features of the new website will be the
industry news available through various
tabs on the site. The Bloom/Harvest
Report is one of the most popular items
on
Blue Diamond’s
website, where visitors
can read a regular report on feld and
crop conditions throughout the growing
regions of California. From the News
tab, visitors will fnd Almond Facts
magazine, as well as other resources,
including the Update Newsletter,
Almond Insights blog and updates from
the National Agricultural Statistics
Services. These news-related efforts are
all in place to make sure
Blue Diamond’s
members are in the know when it comes
to any and all almond industry news.
Rounding out the website is the
Government Affairs section.
Information found here features the
cooperative’s government affairs strategy
as well as information about
Blue
Diamond’s
political action committee.
Visitors interested in receiving more
information about the political action
committee can fll out a form to receive
more information by email or regular
mail. Another useful tool found under
Government Affairs is a way to fnd
and contact elected offcials. Just type
in an address and a list of government
offcials will appear, allowing the visitor
to contact one or all of them on a
particular issue. It’s that easy!
Blue Diamond
hopes the new website will
prove a useful tool for its membership
to continue to be engaged with the
latest cooperative news. Check it out at
www.bluediamondgrowers.com.
NewWebsite
is Toolbox
for Grower
Communication