Use Sustainability to Connect
with Consumers
Almond grower, Jennifer Dickey, encourages others in
the industry to use sustainability as a tool to share her
family’s farming story with consumers.
On an average day during the almond harvest, Jennifer
Dickey can be seen lining up harvest crews, ordering
parts for a downed sweeper or fixing a hydraulic line
on a box scraper. Dickey knows every square inch of
the 200 acres of almonds and walnuts she manages
for the family’s CR Orchards in Stanislaus County near
Turlock, California.
Her parents, Caroline and Randy Dickey are still
involved in the farming business, but Jennifer in recent
years has taken over most of the daily operations, along
with 35 acres she farms on her own nearby and custom
farming operations on an additional 200 outside acres.
In that time, Dickey has enrolled much of the acreage
in the Almond Board’s California Almond Sustainability
Program
1
, and plans to enroll her newly planted 20-
acre block of almonds on double line drip. Having
an intimate understanding of the day-to-day farming
operations made entering data into the program’s nine
modules relatively easy.
A graduate of
Blue Diamond
and ABC’s Leadership
Programs, Dickey said she enjoys sharing her farming
story with others, particularly the urban audience who is
not connected to agriculture.
“I love learning and I love public speaking; I think it’s
fun,” she said. “But mostly I like telling the story about
agriculture. These are your consumers and if you want
people to be passionate about what you do, you have
to explain it to them.”
Participation in CASP, she said, helps the almond
industry collectively tell its story.
“It’s an easy way for farmers to educate people without
dealing directly with those people, because the Almond
Board can take that information out and educate them
for you.”
The recent drought helped illustrate the importance of
having data in a time of crisis.
“ABC had proof during that water crisis about what
almond growers were doing to implement water
conservation,” she said. “The Almond Board has to
have facts to back that up and CASP gives those facts
to them.”
The California Almond Sustainability Program documents
the almond community’s efforts to adopt cost-effective
environmentally and socially responsible practices.
Confidential information through grower and handler
self-assessments of current practices is aggregated
for use in communications, education and continuous
improvement.
1 Sustainable almond farming utilizes production practices that are economically viable and are based upon scientific research, common
sense and a respect for the environment, neighbors and employees. The result is a plentiful, nutritious and safe food product.
A new pump, well and double-line drip irrigation system will
help Dickey continue to improve sustainability on the newly
planted 20-acre block of Independence almonds.
IN YOUR ORCHARD
4 6
A L M O N D F A C T S
