Quality Begins in the Orchard
Blue Diamond Growers is driving a corporate sustainability program that supports our growers through their participation in the Almond Board’s California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP). We are asking all Blue Diamond growers to complete at least three of the CASP modules: Bee Health, Irrigation Management, and Pest Management. This initiative ensures we can provide information to our customers and consumers on Blue Diamond’s specific sustainability practices.
The Almond Board announced in December 2018 a set of industry-wide goals around four areas critical to the continued growth of our industry: water use, pest management, zero waste, and reducing dust. Through Almond Board committee involvement and board participation, Blue Diamond contributed to the development of the Almond Orchard 2025 Goals. Our grower-owners are encouraged to explore the goals and work closely with us to employ best practices in and out of the field.
Industry-wide, Blue Diamond Growers supports the Almond Board’s Almond Orchard 2025 Goals:
Reduce the amount of water used to grow a pound of almonds by 20%. We have improved water use efficiency 33% over the past decade with the adoption of micro-irrigation and are committing to further improvements by continuing to conserve water and improve yields.
Achieve zero waste in our orchards by putting everything we grow to optimal use. We already use everything we grow in the orchard. The key here is finding higher-value uses for hulls, shells and woody biomass, both economically and environmentally.
Increase the adoption of environmentally friendly pest management tools by 25%. Growers are being asked to adopt more integrated pest management strategies, such as winter sanitation and mating disruption, as more traditional pest management tools are phased out.
Reduce dust during almond harvest by 50%. For our neighbors, and our own families, we need to reduce the amount of dust during harvest. With new low dust equipment and off-ground harvest machines becoming more prevalent, the industry can increase the quality of life in the Central Valley.
In partnership with the Almond Board, Blue Diamond is committed to producing more with less and being good stewards of our water, air, and land resources.