sept-oct-2019

In the 1920s, my stepdad’s grandfather came to the United States and bought the family ranch. He passed it to his son, who then passed it down to his four sons. What better way to be sustainable ? Yes, our employees get bonuses. We have helped our foremen buy their own land and send their kids to college. No, we don’t use greywater. Several of us had no idea what that was and many of us pay a high price for the water we do use, which is tested regularly. We also pay for the pumps and wells and irrigation systems that supply that water. Of course we recycle our oil and can provide receipts. I know we probably have not calculated how much energy we use per ton grown, but energy is expensive. We only use it during non-peak hours to ensure the most efficient use. We also installed solar where we could. In 2019, the same questions and many more are being asked. It is necessary to find ways to share our sustainable practices without going through the audit my family had to so many years ago. Many Blue Diamond customers are asking similar questions and require answers before buying our products. Every Blue Diamond grower has a sustainable story to share and strives to be economically viable, socially responsible, and environmental stewards of their land. In most cases, grower practices are not documented. Unfortunately, it is coming to the point where we must supply them with the data. Participating in the California Almond Sustainability Program can do just that! Blue Diamond is working with the Almond Board to utilize this valuable program. Christine Ivory, Regional Manager, Blue Diamond Growers Farming in the 2 Percent, Speaking to the 98 Percent Why should growers participate in a program like the Almond Board’s California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) ? Why should we have to share and even justify how we grow our crops and what practices we use ? And why on earth should we allow people we don’t even know to have a glimpse into our livelihoods ? Because farming responsibly and sharing that responsibility story has never been more important — and ultimately, we all have a bottom line to meet. I grew up in a time when you knew just about everyone in your community. You knew where they lived and what they did for a living, how many acres they farmed and even how many cows they milked. I imagine it was the same for many of you reading this article. The familiarity we all share in agriculture is unique. Years ago, most of our nation’s population was directly involved in production agriculture or, at most, was one generation removed from that vocation. People understood what agriculture 2 1 S E P T E M B E R – O C T O B E R 2 0 1 9