Investing in water helps achieve healthy harvests through precision farming and zero waste

2023-12-19 07:51:57

Investing in water helps achieve healthy harvests through precision farming and zero waste

Jenny Holtermann, Global Farmers Network*

They say it takes a gallon of water [4,5 litres] to grow an almond.

The strange thing regarding this statement is that it is true – and also that it might not be more false.

Why trust me? As a fourth-generation California farmer, I grow almonds for a living. I also love eating them and promoting them on social media as “ Almond Girl Jenny ».

My home state dominates the global almond market. About 80% of the almonds produced worldwide come from California. It is the golden culture of Golden State, whose value exceeds that of any other agricultural export. About two-thirds of almonds are shipped to customers in other countries, which means we sell U.S.-grown almonds to people in the European Union, India, China and elsewhere. More than 100,000 American jobs depend on almond production.

Almond trees thrive in what is called a “ Mediterranean climate “. There are only five such climates in the world and they thrive best in California’s Central Valley, where cool, mild winters combine with the dry heat of summer to create the ideal conditions for a nut that is both a healthy food and a delicious snack. Each almond contains protein, fiber, vitamin E and more.

And here’s a fun fact: almond trees are closely related to peach trees; Inside a sweet, juicy peach is a pit that looks a bit like a hard, bitter almond.

Putting all this together, it’s no wonder that almonds have billions of fans among farmers, nutritionists and consumers.

Yet they also have some detractors, as we discovered nearly a decade ago when the magazine Mother Jones published an article with the provocative title: “ How much water does it take to produce an almond?! »

I have a lot to say regarding this article, the firestorm of negative attention it created for almonds, and the lasting impression it left on people around the world, but I’ll start with both punctuation marks in the title. By attaching a question mark and an exclamation point, the article attempted to achieve a hybrid vigor in sensationalism. It was intended to shock and outrage its readers and cause them to disapprove of almonds and the farmers who produce them.

Yet I have to admit the truth: it does indeed take regarding a gallon of water to produce a single almond.

But that’s not the right way to think regarding almonds and water use.

Anything that grows requires a lot of water. A head of lettuce and a regular tomato both require between three and four gallons [entre 14 et 18 litres]. A gallon of milk requires approximately 4.5 gallons.

Many things that don’t grow also need water. The average American’s shower uses more than 77 liters of water. A data center that stores everything from the photos on your phone to the information on that web page can require up to 22 million liters per day, the equivalent of the needs of a small town.

This is why water scarcity and management are so important to agriculture, and it’s one of the reasons our almond farm has invested heavily in precision irrigation technology. We have developed a sustainable system that delivers exactly the right amount of water at the right time and in the right place, wasting virtually nothing. Drip irrigation allows farmers to target water use efficiently. We also use various soil moisture sensor systems that monitor soil water content.

Therefore, we do more with less. We use regarding a third less water than before and our yields are improving.

Each almond still needs regarding a gallon of water, but that gallon allows you to grow more than just one almond.

The almonds we love to eat are produced in shells surrounded by shells. These are also resources. The woody hulls, once crushed, are used for all sorts of things, from landscaping materials to livestock bedding to plastic composites. The softer hulls are used in animal feed, particularly on dairy farms and cattle feedlots in California.

Even the wood of an almond tree is a resource. A tree has a productive lifespan of approximately 30 years. At the end of this cycle, we chip the tree and put its bark in the ground to enrich the soil. Almond trees are a real culture “ zero waste »: nothing is lost and every element of the almond tree is used.

A final byproduct of almond trees is beauty. The flowers are magnificent. When they hatch in February, they transform our farm into a place of breathtaking splendor and allow us to do agritourism. We open our orchards to families looking for portraits with pretty backgrounds, we organize “ brunches in flowers » on our farm and we invite everyone who simply wants to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Flowering is also a vital time for bees migrating to California. Almond production requires bees to transport pollen from one tree to another. Without bees, we would not have almonds to harvest. Our flowering orchards are often the first taste of spring for bees and provide a natural habitat where they can thrive when they emerge from overwintering.

That has no price.

So yes, it takes a gallon of water to produce an almond, but in addition to a tasty almond, we get an economic boost, versatile materials, and a wonder to behold.

This seems like a good way to use a gallon of water.

_________________

* Jenny Holtermann

Jenny Holtermann joins us at the Global Farmers Network (Global Farmer Network) as a fourth generation almond farmer in California, USA. Jenny’s passions run strong, as she is the Executive Director of a water awareness and education non-profit, which allows her to be an advocate for the agricultural community on social media!

Source : Water Investment Produces a Healthy Crop Using Precision Agriculture and Zero Waste – Global Farmer Network

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