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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
Sustainable methods are transforming tree nut orchards. Discover ways to boost yield, cut costs and grow smarter for the future. » Explore how 2025 ag labor policies under the new administration may affect your farm. Learn what to expect and how to prepare.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
When I discuss sustainable practices with growers, the focus is always firstly, and rightfully, on sustaining farm profitability. Without a profitable farm, there is no possibility of environmental or social benefit that comes from such practices. I will discuss three transformative practices that are shaping the future of agriculture by optimizing resource use and increasing farm profitability. These practices have the potential to boost crop productivity and/or reduce or replace input costs.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
As the third-generation owner of Oakdale, California’s Burchell Nursery, Tom Burchell isn’t one to rest on his laurels. He maintains a steady focus on the future, with a particular interest in nut breeding programs that have the potential to revolutionize almond cultivation. Burchell has dedicated years of effort and significant resources to develop a new, self-compatible almond variety known as Nonpareil+.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
Denfeld Nut began planting hazelnuts and walnuts in the 1950s on the Chehalem mountain range in Laurel, Oregon. Now, it is a grower, processor and value-add operation of high-quality nuts. Seventh-generation descendants of the original grower still live and work on the family farm, which dates back to 1872. “My grandfather got into washing, drying and aggregating crops for neighbors, and my dad scaled that more in the mid-’80s, but that was still pretty rudimentary.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
The U.S. agriculture sector is poised to witness significant shifts with the advent of the new Trump Administration and the 119th Congress. For agricultural employers, understanding the potential impacts of these policies on agricultural labor is crucial to effectively navigate the forthcoming changes. Some of these shifts could be more advantageous for farm and ranch families than others. One of the paramount concerns for agricultural employers will be shifts in immigration policies.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
Women are making a significant impact in agriculture, taking on leadership roles in farming, advocacy and agribusiness. As they manage orchards, drive sustainability initiatives and spearhead advancements in the field, women are challenging norms and shaping the industry’s future. From family-owned orchards to large-scale commercial enterprises, their contributions highlight both the opportunities and challenges in this evolving sector.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
Nichols Farms, a fourth-generation family operation based in Hanford, California, is committed to delivering premium pistachios and almonds from the heart of the fertile San Joaquin Valley. It farms in three California counties, growing pistachios, almonds and organic pistachios on a total of 4,000 acres — 75% of which are pistachios — accounting for more than 80 million pounds.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
The high winds and water Hurricane Helene brought to Georgia are showing pecan growers some insights into how to prepare for and endure devastating storms. Only 13 months after another storm, Hurricane Idalia, struck the region, Helene’s Category 2 and 3 winds caused massive destruction to Georgia’s pecan orchards. Buck Paulk of Shiloh Pecan Farms and Shiloh Pecan Farms Nursery grows on 4,100 acres in Ray City, Georgia.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
For the first time, hazelnut orchards are being planted on the multi-acre scale in New Jersey, as well as parts of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and other eastern locations. Using numbers of trees sold based on royalty reports, around 200 acres have been planted with Rutgers University cultivars alone. Plus, additional cultivars and seed-propagated trees available from private eastern nurseries show strong sales in recent years.
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1 week ago | 
nationalnutgrower.com | Heather Morse
In preparation for new federal water safety regulations, the Western Tree Nut Association (WTNA), in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), is offering a series of free pre-harvest water assessment regional workshops for tree nut growers. The workshops aim to help growers understand and comply with the Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).
