IN YOUR ORCHARD
This year marks the second year of Blue Diamond ’s USDA Climate Smart Grant. Rolling out over five years, the project promotes the adoption of soil-building and pollinator-friendly practices in California’s almond farms. A response to the growing market of eco-conscious consumers, the grant also aims to expand market opportunities and premium prices for sustainably grown almonds. You can receive payments and free materials for the following practices: Cover Cropping •Planting a temporary crop, typically flowering and nitrogen-fixing species in between orchard rows •Receive no-cost seeds and a $35/acre incentive payment Conservation Cover •Planting perennial, vegetative plants on idle/fallow or marginal land •Receive no-cost seeds and a $50/acre incentive payment Hedgerows •Planting permanent, perennial woody shrubs and trees •Receive no-cost plant material and a $8/linear ft. incentive payment These climate smart practices, like installing permanent pollinator habitat and planting winter cover crops in orchard rows, provide a broad range of benefits for your orchard. In addition to increased pollination and bee health, these practices help to reduce erosion, suppress weeds, improve water-use efficiency and improve overall soil health. Last year, Blue Diamond growers planted cover crops in over 17,000 acres through the Climate Smart Grant (that’s an area of land larger than the entire island of Manhattan!). Blue Diamond partnered with Project Apis m .’s Seeds for Bees ® program to provide seed and technical assistance to support growers to adopt cover crops and conservation cover in their orchards. Grant applications are open now through the end of June; if you are interested in planting
cover crops for pollinator health and want to get paid for these practices, apply today! Applications are open! Learn more at bluediamondgrowers.com/usda-climate-smart-grant/ Planted in a Blue Diamond orchard through the Climate Smart Grant, this cover crop stand seen here was blooming on February 29, 2024. Image Credit: Project Apis m.
Brett LeDuc, Climate Smart Habitat Manager, Project Apis m .
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ALMOND FACTS
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