In addition to helping our members adopt these practices, grant funds will also be devoted to connecting these climate-smart practices to customers to enhance sales for the cooperative. The goal is to create a market premium to benefit your farm far beyond the life of the grant. Customer Partnerships We are actively pursuing ways to educate current and potential customers about the grant project to drive sales and increase customer loyalty. As was mentioned in the last Almond Facts issue, a few of us visited sustainability- minded customers in Europe this spring to share with them our journey and our plans through the grant. Often the focus on sustainability was able to attract sustainability staff and innovation teams into meetings, rather than just procurement officers. We see our program as a way to increase customers’ perception of Blue Diamond as a valued supplier. Two of the customers we visited have a joint research project and have already asked us to sign on to explore biodiversity in their supply chains. The grant
is a way to show that Blue Diamond almond orchards can benefit local biodiversity and pollinators; investing in this relationship helps keep customers coming back for more. Orchard Stewardship Incentive Program Your entire Member Relations team deserves a big thanks as well, as they have all invested enormous effort into the annual Orchard Stewardship Incentive Program (OSIP) this year. Through their efforts, you may already know that OSIP pays members a higher price per pound of almond for participation in the California Almond Stewardship Platform (CASP) from the Almond Board of California. Even more incentive can be earned for also using the Cool Farm Tool carbon footprint calculator and getting Bee Friendly Farming Certified. In the 2021 crop year, participation in OSIP involved an impressive forty percent of all Blue Diamond acres. For the crop year 2022, now ending, the team set a goal of fifty percent of all member acres. As of this writing, the final
WHEN YOUR HARVEST WRAPS UP, give us a call TO PLACE YOUR ORDERS (BIG OR SMALL) FOR REPLANTS.
1-844-DWN-TREE | @DaveWilsonNursery DaveWilson.com
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JULY–AUGUST 2023
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