This article is part one in a series that highlights how each of the Almond Board’s various department teams strive to support growers and the broader California almond industry.
(March 13, 2020) – As a grower, you’re constantly on the lookout for the latest research and tools to help you improve your orchard management practices. But you’re also a busy person – from early morning paperwork to fixing broken equipment to phone calls with your PCA, your irrigation system provider, your applicator, custom harvester… the list goes on. You simply don’t have the time to analyze every issue you see in the orchard and seek out the latest research on best practices for successful almond production.
Enter the Almond Board of California (ABC) Agricultural & Environmental Affairs (A&E) team.
Since 1973, ABC’s A&E team has managed California almond research directed by the industry for the industry. To date, the team – working in lock step with industry volunteers who provide practical and expert guidance to ABC’s Strategic Ag Innovation Committee (SAIC) – has managed an investment of $48.5 million in 438 research projects spanning the entirety of orchard management practices, from integrated pest management to bee health to irrigation and soil health and more. Because of this investment, growers, handlers and the broader industry have been able to rapidly adapt to change, whether that be new government regulations, evolving consumer expectations, more demanding markets or environmental concerns.
Who are the driven members of your A&E team? Let us take a few moments to introduce you.
Josette Lewis, Chief Scientific Officer
Josette joined the Almond Board in February of last year as director of Agricultural Affairs, and in February of this year she officially transitioned to Chief Scientific Officer. In her role, Josette oversees ABC’s entire production research portfolio, which involves developing a research strategy that anticipates challenges on the industry’s horizon.
“Science-based evidence, paired with practical experience, has always been the foundation of how ABC supports California almond growers and processors. Increasingly, we also think about the link between how research, from nutrition to sustainability to biomass use, also supports development of the markets that keep California almonds competitive and profitable,” Josette said.
Josette serves as the staff liaison for SAIC and the Pollination and Bee Health Workgroup, and is also a staff collaborator for the Orchard, Tree & Rootstock Workgroup.
Sebastian Saa, Senior Manager, Agricultural Research
Sebastian formally joined the Almond Board in 2017, though he was hardly a stranger to California almonds before then. Sebastian’s involvement with the industry extends back to 2009, when he was a PhD student at UC Davis studying nutrient management, after which he held a tenured position as professor of fruit trees at the Universidad Catolica de Valparaiso before moving to California to work at the Almond Board.
Sebastian leads strategy and research in the areas of irrigation and nutrient management, breeding and harvesting. Sebastian is a staff liaison for three ABC workgroups: the Harvest Workgroup, the Orchard, Tree & Rootstock Workgroup and the Irrigation, Nutrients & Soil Health Workgroup. He is also a staff collaborator for SAIC.
Sebastian’s unique background blended with his farming experience (he is a third-generation Chilean table grape grower) and technical expertise allow him to act as a bridge between the almond industry’s needs and the talent of scientific researchers.
Gabriele Ludwig, Director, Sustainability & Environmental Affairs (also a member of the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs teams)
Gabriele has over a decade of experience working on behalf of the California almond industry through ABC in a role that allows her to combine her passion for agriculture and the environment with research and policy.
Among other career highlights, Gabriele was instrumental in the development of the California Almond Sustainability Program and continues to encourage a diverse range of research on almonds and environmental issues. Gabriele is working more and more with the Almond Board’s Global Market Development and Trade Stewardship teams to help translate the industry’s commitment to continuous improvement and sustainable practices to consumers who are increasingly interested in how their food is grown. She also manages ABC’s interface with regulatory groups in areas such as pest management and water quality.
Gabriele serves as the staff liaison for the Sustainability Workgroup and a staff collaborator for SAIC, the Technical & Regulatory Affairs Committee, Ag Regulatory Subcommittee and Pest Management Workgroup. She currently chairs the non-profit Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship, is a participant of the California Roundtable for Ag and the Environment, and serves on several government agencies’ advisory committees.
Jesse Roseman, Principal Analyst, Environmental and Regulatory Affairs (also a member of the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs teams)
Jesse joined the Almond Board in 2016 and touches a wide range of topics and issues in his role, including pesticide use, water supply, water quality and air quality regulations impacting almond production. His responsibilities include assessing impacts from the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in conjunction with tracking trends in almond acreage by collaborating with Land IQ, a Sacramento-based consulting firm, on the annual California almond acreage estimates. Other current projects include revising ABC’s Pest Management Strategic Plan to lay the foundation for future research to deliver new tools to growers, continuing to explore on-farm groundwater recharge, developing Integrated Pest Management solutions through research and driving grower adoption of sustainable solutions through incentive programs.
Jesse is the staff liaison for ABC’s Ag Regulatory Subcommittee and Pest Management Workgroup, and a staff collaborator for the Technical & Regulatory Affairs Committee. He earned a Bachelors in Anthropology and Environmental Studies from the University of California (UC) Santa Cruz and a Masters in Landscape Architecture and City Planning from UC Berkeley. When not in the office, he can often be found playing music locally or exploring the Central Valley’s beautiful river systems.
Tanya Wood, Specialist, Agricultural Affairs
Joining the Almond Board in January 2019, Tanya quickly immersed herself in the inner workings of ABC’s research program as well as ABC’s many workgroups and SAIC. She is currently a staff collaborator for both the Pollination & Bee Health Workgroup and the Irrigation, Nutrients, & Soil Health Workgroup. Her primary role involves developing subject matter expertise in the area of soil health for almonds. Additionally, she engages researchers and stakeholders regularly to gather and synthesize regulatory information and research data to communicate relative technical issues to growers and other key industry members.
Tanya earned her Bachelors in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems from UC Santa Cruz, where she participated in research conducting both greenhouse and on-farm trials. She is an alum of both the Math, Science, Engineering Achievement organization and Society of Advancing Chicanas and Native Americans in Science, and serves a mentor for STEM students from the middle school to college level. Tanya spends her free time in nature, hiking, camping and exploring the coastal regions.
Amanda Scott, Program Coordinator, Agricultural & Environmental Affairs
Amanda joined the A&E team in January 2020, and her main responsibility is to manage ABC’s vast portfolio of research grants. She is not new to the almond industry, as she worked as a commodity inspector in the industry prior to joining ABC. In addition to managing grants, Amanda will support SAIC and other workgroups.
To view a summary of ABC-funded research from the 2018/2019 crop year, please view ABC’s 2019 Research Update, contributed to by each member of the A&E team.
Stay tuned for future articles in our “Meet Your ABC Team” series.
