Donny and Lele Hicks have enrolled their small almond orchard in all eight CASP modules, and say the process has made them better farmers.As a field representative for almond processor Hughson Nut, Inc., Donny Hicks reminds his growers that almond buyers often want detailed information about how almonds are grown and what almond growers are doing to protect the environment.
“I try to let them know buyers are requesting this,” he said. “We have buyers and consumers who are driving sustainability,1 and if they are demanding information, that comes down the line. We are finding it more and more. Every year, we get a buyer in Japan, for instance, who wants to know what chemicals are being used by growers.”
At the same time, Hicks uses his firsthand experience as a grower participant in the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP) to mentor growers at Hughson Nut through the process of enrolling their orchards in the program.
Almond Board of California’s (ABC’s) Sustainability Program allows growers to enter information on production practices in eight modules, including Irrigation Management, Pest Management, Nutrient Management, Air Quality, Energy Efficiency, Financial Management, Ecosystem Management, and Workplace and Community.
Anonymous Information
This anonymous grower-submitted production information helps growers find ways to improve efficiencies, and is also then aggregated to demonstrate the sustainability of the industry to buyers, regulators and consumers.
The platform also contains interactive tools, such as the online Nitrogen Calculator, Irrigation Calculator and Mapping Tool, to help streamline crop input decision-making and regulatory reporting requirements. These tools, along with corresponding workshops hosted by ABC throughout the growing season, allow growers to calculate the crop’s nitrogen needs and irrigation schedules, as well as learn about improved orchard management practices.
Hicks and his wife, Lele, farm 18 acres of almonds surrounding the home where Lele was raised. They planted their first 10-acre orchard in 1985, and since that time have integrated technology and innovation that make the small orchard on two blocks a state-of-the art operation. A second 8-acre block is now in its fourth leaf.
As a field rep for Hughson Nut, Donny Hicks encourages his growers to enroll in the sustainability program not only to help meet buyer demand for information on sustainable almond farming, but also to help them improve their return on investment.
Self-Assessments Spark Improvements
Hicks has enrolled both blocks of their 18 acres of almonds in each of the CASP self-assessment modules, and he says the process has helped him become a better farmer.
“Going through the modules just makes you more aware,” he asserted.
When entering information about his flood-irrigated orchard into the CASP Irrigation Module, for instance, he could quickly see the benefits of converting the block to drip.
With financial assistance from a cost share improvement program through his irrigation district and additional funding from Natural Resources Conservation Service, Hicks converted that flood block to double-line drip irrigation.
“We are saving 30% of our applied water, and the increased electricity costs to pump are offset by savings in fuel and tractor time from running nutrients through the irrigation lines instead of broadcasting,” he said.
Participating in CASP has also prompted the adoption of other best management practices: The Air Quality module helped prompt Hicks to check his sweeper heads during harvest; the Pest Management module prompted him to start spraying at night as well as eliminate pesticide sprays altogether during pollination season; the Irrigation module encouraged him to install soil moisture probes for real-time irrigation monitoring; and the Financial Management module helps him think about opportunities to reduce costs and/or improve returns on investment.
Benefits of CASP
Compiling the information has also simplified his water quality coalition Nitrogen Management Plan reporting, as required by the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program.
“They are designed to work together,” he said.
Participating in CASP has also helped Hicks become a better field rep for Hughson Nut.
“My focus as a field representative is to help my growers improve production and their return on investment,” he added.
Encouraging their participation in CASP helps his growers see the benefits of specific sustainable farming practices, and also where they stand in comparison to other growers statewide in adoption of those specific practices.
“So when CASP asks a grower the questions, it triggers them to think, ‘Maybe I should do that,’ and it shows a comparison report of how he is doing in comparison with everyone else, as a percentage of people doing those practices statewide,” Hicks concluded.
To participate in the California Almond Sustainability Program and gain access to the N Calculator, Irrigation Calculator and Mapping Tool, go to SustainableAlmondGrowing.org.
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, safe food product.
