For the California Almond community, harvest is the busiest time of year. Harvest generally occurs between August and mid-October as it spans across several different almond varieties and through varied micro-climates within California’s Central Valley.
To bring in each year’s harvest, several pieces of specialized equipment, skilled technicians and operators, growers, farm managers, hullers and shellers (a processor that removes the almond hull and shell) all work seamlessly together. With nearly 900,000 mature and productive acres of almonds in the Central Valley, harvest is an activity that touches entire communities.
Given the importance of this part of the growing season and the breadth of its impacts, the Almond Board of California is committed to sharing research-based best practices and strategies for all harvest activities. Through workshops, guidelines and toolkits, and other industry meetings and events, all of those involved in harvest have the tools they need to get the job done in the most efficient, effective, and environmentally friendly way possible.
As a way to showcase harvest activities, this post will launch a series of guest blog entries that follow this year’s almond harvest through the eyes of California Almond growers and processors. Topics to be covered include:
- Shaking
- Drying + Sweeping
- Pick up + Leaving the Orchard
- Huller/Sheller
Stay tuned to learn more!
