MEMBERSHIP BASICS
Power in Partnership “Power in Partnership” has been a core principle of Blue Diamond since its founding in 1910. In 1911, just a year after becoming a cooperative known as the California Almond Growers Exchange, J.P. Dargitz, the primary founding organizer, stood before the members with a report on overcoming the adversity they faced in the first year. Naturally, we have had many obstacles to meet and overcome as you are all aware, but with the very generous assistance rendered by the members and directors of this Exchange…and by the very earnest and upright method of doing business, that [sic] we have been able to overcome practically every obstacle that has presented itself. —J.P. Dargitz, Founding Organizer of Blue Diamond
As we begin the 2025 crop year, I thought it would be good to outline the most critical areas where we will need your partnership to work towards the most effective year possible. Blue Diamond leadership and staff have a robust plan, and what I will outline below are some elements that you can get involved in to be a force multiplier. Accurate Acreage Records The Membership team has a key initiative for 2025 to verify accurate records as we prepare for harvest. With nearly 50,000 deliveries each year there’s no doubt that it can be hard to keep up with changes, and maintaining accurate records is a serious task. Please let your regional manager know right away if you plan on pulling out acreage or planting new acreage this year. Receiving updated acreage records allows us to forecast effectively, ensuring that we understand the upcoming supply for the new year. Later this spring, we will provide an acreage survey that asks you to verify your current orchard configuration. Please be sure to send those back to us as complete as possible. Taking a Digital First Approach We have seen tremendous growth in sign-ups for access to the Blue Diamond Portal. One recently added feature is notifications for updates, such as new deliveries, grades, and payments. We will continue to enrich the portal feature, so that it serves as your one source of truth as a member- grower. One aspect that has been essential is the ability to run reports and pull up key information which has enabled member-growers to support their year-end bookkeeping, as well as serving as the basis to verify volumes for recent USDA payment programs. Moving toward a digital first approach is something you will hear much more about in the coming year. We are seeking to make gains in efficiency by enrolling most member-growers, assignees, and renters to receive payments via direct deposit. Direct deposit is a much more secure, efficient, and timely
So, true as it was during the founding of our cooperative, for the most part, we face the same challenges today. We just experienced an unprecedented period of poor market conditions, coupled with high production costs, and ever-increasing regulatory burdens. Although the horizon looks brighter from a supply and demand balance perspective, many challenges
remain. We will always face headwinds as a business and on the farm, yet the solution remains the same: partner together to stand strong in the face of these challenges.
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ALMOND FACTS
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