CULTIVATING SUSTAINABILITY
Can I be reimbursed for climate-smart activities done before grant funding is available? The grant does NOT allow for retroactive payments, only activities that occur after Blue Diamond has formally launched the program (likely in 2023). This has been made clear by the USDA multiple times already. We will send out communication when grant funding becomes available. If I cover cropped last year, can I get paid for a cover crop put in after the grant program launches? It’s not clear at this time. We will be requesting that this be eligible in our negotiations. If another state or federal program pays me for one of the four activities, can I also get payment through the BDG/USDA program? It’s not clear at this time. We will be requesting clarification in our USDA negotiations. How will I receive the grant funding? The USDA grant is cost-reimbursable,
Could a grower do Whole Orchard Recycling (WOR) of a walnut or prune orchard prior to replanting with almonds and get reimbursed? No. To the best of our knowledge, only almond WOR has an associated carbon model and is recognized by the USDA at this time. As the USDA carbon calculation is required in the grant, other WOR options are not eligible. Cool Farm Tool was mentioned in the grant announcement. What is their role in the project? We have designated money in the project to enhance a carbon calculator tool to better account for carbon reductions in almonds. This may be Cool Farm Tool, which currently does not have an almond- specific module. However, we have freedom to pursue a different tool if Cool Farm Tool doesn’t meet our market requirements as we put the project together. Will the project generate carbon credits for members to sell? Not likely. While the project may generate carbon credits (this is still to be determined), if a member sells credits to an entity other than Blue Diamond (or our customers through Blue Diamond ), then those credits are considered no longer part of Blue Diamond ’s supply chain. Thus, they don’t allow us to enhance our sales with customers by helping them to
seed, transplants, planting assistance, advice, and more. For Whole Orchard Recycling, growers will have to manage the process with their orchard removal company, and the payment will likely have a flat reimbursement rate per acre, yet to be defined. If I choose to plant conservation plantings or hedgerows, do these have to be right next to my orchard to qualify for reimbursement? No, but they do have to be within the distance limits that qualify for Bee Friendly Farming, which is no more than two miles from the orchard. Keep in mind that the closer the plantings are to the orchard, the more benefits they will bring to the bees that work your orchard during bloom. The farther away, the more time the bees may spend flying outside the orchard instead of working your crop. Will the grant cause growers to pull their orchards out early and diminish BDG supply? The grant reimburses costs. It does not create income for growers. Keeping their orchards in production will likely still be the more profitable option, rather than pulling an orchard out early. Can contracted growers use the grant on non- Blue Diamond contracted orchards? No. The project requires a marketing component, so orchards outside of our supply would not meet the requirements for the project.
meaning that growers will be reimbursed after the activity is
performed and proof of the activity is provided. Annual cover cropping, conservation plantings, and permanent hedgerows will be managed through our partners Project Apis m . and Pollinator Partnership, who will be funded to provide growers with
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ALMOND FACTS
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