A Message from Mark Jansen

As my tenure at Blue Diamond Growers comes to a close, I feel a great sense of pride as I turn the page on this particular chapter of my professional narrative.

My friends have asked how long it will take to get almonds off my mind. The truth is that will never happen.  I’ve spent my entire career in the food retail industry, and I have a similar attachment with every business I have had the honor of leading.

I love to go grocery shopping and reconnect with the products I once championed. I open the freezer door to straighten the Haagen-Dazs pints, move down the aisle to check out the new varieties of Pillsbury Toaster Strudel and evaluate the latest merchandising strategy on Freschetta pizzas.

Blue Diamond will always have a special status because of its unique purpose as a co-op and because so many of the 3,000 farm family owners have become my friends. Leading Blue Diamond was more than a great honor. It was a calling for me. 

I look forward to beaming with pride this spring as I watch our new TV advertising campaigns, this fall discovering the next generation of new products on the shelf, and this winter giving a thumbs up to the holiday almond displays.

Thank you to my family, and to the colleagues, growers, customers and industry peers who have supported me throughout this journey and through my transition onto the next chapter. It’s been an incredible ride.

And thank you to all of our Almond Insights subscribers and viewers for your interest in our co-op and our industry. Going forward, the new CEO Kai Bockmann will take over updating this blog and sharing his insights on relevant agriculture, market and almond industry news.