OF NOTE

Almond Board Ad in Japanese Newspaper Wins Prestigious Award

Yomiuri Shimbun subscribers together with Japanese media industry leaders selected an Almond Board ad for the newspaper's "Advertisement of the Year" award in the health and beauty category. The ad, which appeared on Almond Day (January 23), inspired Japanese women to enjoy almonds every day and was part of broader consumer marketing efforts to encourage almond consumption as part of a healthy lifestyle. With 10 million readers, the Yomiuri is the world's largest circulation newspaper.

 

Save the Date!

The 38th Annual Almond Industry Conference will be held Dec. 8 and 9 at the Modesto Centre Plaza. Exhibitor and sponsorship packets have been sent to leading companies who provide the almond industry with innovative solutions and ground-breaking information. We invite you to be an integral part of the largest conference dedicated entirely to the almond industry. Attendee registration opens Aug. 3.

View most current conference information.

 

Burn Ban on Prunings in Effect

Almond growers in the San Joaquin Valley as of June 1 can no longer burn almond orchard prunings under the latest phase-out for burning ag materials. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District approved exemptions to the burn ban for small orchards, allowing burning on up to 20 acres for total nut growing operations less than 3,500 acres. Growers can also petition to burn additional acreage if they can prove economic hardship.

The District at the same time reduced the burning allowance for total acres of tree removals from 20 acres to 15 acres maximum. These exemptions were ratified by the state Air Resources Board May 27. Find details on the latest burn regulations on the SJVAD website at www.valleyair.org.

Learn more about air quality issues.

 

MRL and Global Regulations Workshop

Growers, pest control advisers, commodity groups, packer-shipper organizations, registrants and regulatory personnel are invited to attend the fifth annual MRL workshop in San Francisco on June 2–3. This workshop will focus on international trade, pest management, evolving regulations and global harmonization.  Although the meeting begins tomorrow, it is not too late to register.  For meeting information, click here.

 

Cutoff Date for 2010 Conservation Stewardship Program Announced

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) invites landowners to apply now for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP). The deadline to be considered for the next ranking and funding period is June 11.

Potential applicants are encouraged to use the CSP self-screening checklist to determine if the new program is suitable for their operation. The checklist highlights basic information about CSP eligibility requirements, contract obligations and potential payments. It is available from local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service offices or on the NRCS website.

For more information about CSP, please visit the CSP website.