Register Now For California Almond Sustainability Program Workshops
March 9, 2016 As part of the California Almond Sustainability Program (CASP), a three-part series of sustainability workshops is being offered to growers.
The first series will concentrate on Almond Board of California tools to ease irrigation and nitrogen-budgeting compliance pressures. Industry experts will review the following topics:
Using CASP online tools to meet your growing needs (Nitrogen calculator, mapping, irrigation)
These tools are associated with CASP’s online system, explains Joe Browde, Consultant for SureHarvest, which helps coordinate ABC’s CASP program. “Almond growers and handlers currently use the CASP online system to confidentially assess practices for their operations and compare results to others statewide,” he says. “By doing practice-based assessments, growers and handlers can consider changes in practices that lead to improved efficiencies and, obviously, cost savings.”
Browde says the nitrogen calculator and irrigation calculator help growers make decisions to improve efficiency, resulting in cost savings and environmental benefits. The farm mapping tool allows growers to create and save electronic maps of their farms and structures, such as wells.
“Moreover and importantly, the nitrogen calculator and farm mapping tool help growers comply with requirements of the Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program by producing ‘regulatory compliant’ nitrogen management plans and farm maps,” he adds.
Water use efficiency in the 22nd century (Irrigation scheduling and infrastructure, presented by UC farm advisors, specialists and private-sector experts)
This session will offer a more detailed description of ABC’s Irrigation Continuum Standards, according to Browde. The standards were presented at the December 2015 conference and are part of the Accelerated Innovation Management Initiative.
Additional topics to be covered include:
- Available incentive programs – Southwest Energy Efficiency Project (SWEEP), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) EQIP and Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), among others
- Irrigated Lands Regulatory Program (ILRP) updates – Nitrogen management plans, farm evaluation surveys
These regional workshops will be held in Tulare on March 15, Modesto on March 16, and Chico on March 18.
Part two of the series of workshops will feature pest management, and part three will focus on dust management, renewable energy, and incentives. More information will be forthcoming.
All workshops are free to attend and include a complimentary lunch. Attendees are encouraged to bring laptops, tablets, or other electronic devices to demo tools on-site.
Please RSVP to Rebecca Bailey at [email protected] or call 209-343-3245.
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