MEMBERSHIP BASICS
The Orchestra of Harvest When it comes time to think about almond harvest, I often refer to it as the “Orchestra.” In an orchestra, a conductor motivates and directs all the musicians playing diverse instruments to bring the final sounds together to create a masterpiece. Even though each musician is reading the same musical score, the conductor nudges some players to add nuances to bring the combined sound to life. This also happens when you, as the almond harvest conductor, set in motion the collaboration amongst all your harvest resources, including multiple pieces of harvest equipment, operators, field trucks, hulling and shelling operations, delivery trucks and the chain of people responsible for your crop. This ends with Blue Diamond receiving the crop and placing it into a warehouse for processing. That is just the first song. The results of that delivery set off another round of activity behind the gates of Blue Diamond culminating in your first delivery advance payment. I wanted to highlight and explain a few lesser-known instruments in the Stockpile Advance, Volume Premium Program and the ability to request a breakdown request, that are available to you to fully optimize your harvest. Should I Stockpile in 2024? No matter how many acres you farm, you may be faced with the option (or requirement in some cases) of stockpiling your almonds before hulling. Most hullers must stockpile a sizable portion of their customer’s product to efficiently schedule their hulling runs for the season. With estimates projecting the 2024 crop to be around 2.8 billion pounds, this year will be no exception as hullers will likely need to run into the next year to finish running their stockpiled product. Most stockpile decisions are based on logistics. Does the huller have the capacity to run the product when it arrives ? The quality of the finished crop is also a consideration. Virtually all orchards have a natural variation in soil types that can produce inconsistency in the moisture of the
crop at harvest. If hulled and shelled immediately upon arrival, this variation can complicate the adjustment of the shelling machinery. When stockpiled properly, this moisture variation can “equalize” within the pile, providing greater consistency during the shelling process and resulting in more efficient shelling and a lower level of chipped and broken kernels. Let me make a very important point: almonds do not dry in a stockpile . The moisture level within the pile will equalize, at best. Almonds should not be stockpiled if the hull moisture is greater than 12% or the kernel moisture is greater than 6%. If piled above these levels, fungal growth within the pile can ruin your crop. With that in mind, one of the recommendations for managing Navel orangeworm is “early harvest.” However, if shaken while still green and not given sufficient time to dry, stockpiling green almonds can create serious problems and a decrease in crop value.
Simply stated, do not stockpile green or high moisture almonds.
To avoid problems with stockpiles, be sure to shake the crop at the proper timing and leave almonds in the orchard to properly dry. If you run into a situation such as a major rain event, please contact your huller immediately or consult with your regional manager for guidance. For more information on stockpile best practices, please refer to the “Stockpile Management” section of your 2024 Crop Delivery Guide. Manage Cash Flow with Stockpile Advances Trade-offs are always part of farming. You may be thinking now that your crop is in a stockpile, what do you do for cash flow ? This is where Blue Diamond ’s Stockpile Advance Program comes into play. You can receive partial payment of the Delivery Advance based on the weight of the crop in each stockpile. This year’s advance is $0.25 per Estimated Good Meat pound.
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ALMOND FACTS
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