News

US almond growers to get a boost for planting cover crops

Almond Kernel
United States
Published Oct 31, 2022

Tridge summary

Almond growers will soon get a sorely needed ray of sunshine in an otherwise dismal year in the form of access to money to support efforts to expand the habitat and forage for honey bees, and other native pollinators now have another pot of money to help them pay for that important work. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced a $1.7 million grant this past summer to the Pollinator Partnership and partners from the California almond, wine, dairy, and cattle industries. The Almond Board is pleased to be a part of this program and, together with Pollinator Partnership, a founding member of the California Pollinator Coalition.

Original content

The coalition was formed in April 2021 and includes more than 20 agriculture, conservation, and government organizations. Their shared goal is to provide enhanced habitat for pollinators. The state’s almond growers require more than 2 million hives each year, nearly two-thirds of the captive honey bees in the U.S. The grant money will be used to underwrite a portion of the cost for growers and ranchers in 10 counties to plant new pollinator habitat or expand the use of integrated pest management (IPM) practices. The eligible counties are Fresno, Madera, Merced, Monterey, Napa, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Sonoma. Details about how and when growers can apply for the money are expected to be announced later this year. The NRCS is working with the Pollinator Partnership to finalize the grant. Josette Lewis, the Almond Board of California’s Chief Scientific Officer, says the grant “is a great manifestation of the power of the coalition to bring partners ...
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