Mel Machado joins the Journey to provide a wide-ranging “state of the almond orchard” discussion. Machado is the Chief Agricultural Officer at Blue Diamond Growers and discusses the current challenging grower economics, the decline in almond acreage, the decision to end the objective estimate and some of his thoughts on pollination, cover crops, bee health and more. In addition to his 34-year career at Blue Diamond, Machado also serves as an alternate on the Almond Board of California and holds positions on the Production Stewardship Workgroup and Strategic Ag Innovation Committee.

“Excell at the basics. You can have all the fancy stuff in the world like remote sensing tools. But if the nutrition's not right, if the water's not right, you're going to have a problem. Master the basics.” - Mel Machado

In Today’s episode:

• Hear from Blue Diamond Growers Chief Agricultural Officer Mel Machado
• Explore the impacts of bloom, weather, bee health and other agronomic factors
• Discover the significance and tradeoffs of crop estimating and average yield calculations
• Understand how the almond industry benefits by supporting the bee industry

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.

In this month’s Almond Byte, we’re digging into highlights from May’s Global Update and what they mean for California almond growers. We’ll cover the latest developments in trade and tariff activity, including movement on the farm bill and ongoing discussions tied to key export markets. We’ll also look at how the Iran conflict is disrupting shipments in the Middle East, creating delays, reroutes and added costs for handlers. And we’ll share news on new USDA funding that will help ABC continue building demand and expanding opportunities for California almonds overseas.

Irrigation and technology advisor Tom Devol has been helping growers with their irrigation system needs for years and he joined the Journey to discuss a couple of important resources that are freely available to the almond industry. Devol provides an overview and discusses the thought process behind two irrigation guides from the Almond Board of California: “Questions to Discuss with your Irrigation Designer” and “Guide to Irrigation Automation in Almond Production”.

“The growers should be driving that conversation, not the designer…If you ask the right questions at the beginning, that may pay dividends for twenty years. It could also cost you for twenty years. Knowing the right questions to ask and being prepared for that meeting with your designer is really beneficial.” - Tom Devol

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Tom Devol, irrigation and technology advisor
• Understand the thought processes behind the “Questions to Discuss with Your Irrigation Designer” and “Guide to Irrigation Automation in Almond Production”
• Discover where the industry is in the evolution of irrigation technology and how to be prepared for what comes next
• Dive deeper by watching the recording from the “Soil and Irrigation Management” session from the Almond Conference 2025 and by downloading “Questions to Discuss with Your Irrigation Designer” and “Guide to Irrigation Automation in Almond Production”

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.