Environmental Stewardship Campaign Status Report 8/05-10/05

Activities  July Newsletter published on innovative harvest practices to reduce dust. AirWay Farms General Manager Fred Olmstead was featured in this article discussing his company’s commitment to investing in environmentally friendly farming practices.  Aug Worked in partnership with the Coalition for Urban/Rural Environmental Stewardship (CURES) to promote their Watershed Coalition newsletter which was published in August.  Oct Newsletter published on Almond Board-funded research by Dr. Ken Giles and other researchers on measuring dust from harvest activities. Newsletter also featured almond growers participating in a PG&E and So Cal Edison rebate program for converting from diesel to electric pump engines.  DPR informed us that Pesticide Use Report data for almonds would be released near the end of October and asked Board staff to review the data. Consultants Looker, DeMont and Barney are working with Chris Heintz and Gabrielle Ludwig on preparing possible Board’s responses to the release of the data which shows an upward trend for 2004.

Activities (cont’d)  Work continues on the project to develop a definition of “sustainable” for the almond industry through a series of focus groups to be held in December 2005 and January Dr. Keith Warner, Santa Clara University Environmental Studies Institute, has been retained as the focus group facilitator. Almond farm advisors, Board members and members of the Environmental Committee have been asked to submit names of growers and PCAs who may be interested in participating in the focus groups. A discussion guide is in the process of being developed.  Thomas Vetsch of Bakersfield, an Almond PMA cooperator since its inception, was awarded the IPM Innovator Award by DPR Oct. 11. We are in the process of interviewing him for a press release and story to be placed in a future newsletter, as well as pitched to print media and trade publications.  Plans continue to be made for the February 2006 regulator tour. Officials from the California Air Resources Control Board, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District, the State Water Resources Control Board and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board will be invited, along with state and local elected officials, as well as media. The tour’s purpose is to educate regulators and local officials about the proactive efforts being made by almond growers on water and air quality issues.

Upcoming Schedule  Oct/Nov Press Release on air quality research.  December Presentation on Stewardship Project to Almond Conference.  December Press Release on IPM, PESP awards and industry innovation.  December Sustainable Definition Focus Groups  January Sustainable Definition Focus Groups  January Environmental Newsletter – topic to be determined  February Regulatory educational tour  March Press release- - topic to be determined  April Environmental newsletter - - topic to be determined  May Press release - - topic to be determined July Environmental newsletter - -topic to be determined