The Almond Board of California’s upcoming Almond Conference will bring vital information and practical guidance to growers facing challenging decisions around land use due to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). Scheduled for December 10-12 in Sacramento, the conference will feature a session titled “What to Do with Unplanted Lands,” led by Senior Specialist in Field Outreach and Education, Michael Roots.
This session aims to support almond growers as they navigate SGMA regulations, which are creating significant shifts in California’s water management landscape. Roots, who will moderate the session, explains the purpose of the event: “This session is going to walk through options that growers have as SGMA is being implemented. We have several speakers discussing funded programs like Landflex and MLRP that can assist growers considering land fallowing.”
The session’s speaker lineup includes notable figures like Mike Wade from the California Farm Water Coalition, Mike Tietze of East Turlock Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), Anya Raudabaugh with Western United Dairies, Joe Choperena from Sustainable Conservation, and almond grower Bret Sill. Each will provide insight on strategies and programs that help alleviate the challenges growers face, from crop rotation to land fallowing and beyond.
Roots underscores the importance of offering diverse solutions to match California’s varied agricultural regions: “Rather than just a one-size-fits-all approach, we want to provide growers with different options, whether it’s funded programs or sustainable practices,” he says. For example, Sustainable Conservation will discuss practices such as cover cropping and groundwater recharge, both of which can help maintain soil health during periods of rest between plantings.
The concept of resting land, or fallowing, is not new, and some research suggests that allowing soil time to rest can benefit long-term productivity. “Sometimes it’s good to leave land fallow for a year or two between plantings to give the ground time to rest,” Roots notes, adding that this practice is often considered alongside other operational factors like water budgeting and crop rotation.
For those interested in learning more about this critical topic, registration for the conference and additional information on the agenda are available at almonds.com/conference.
By exploring innovative land-use strategies, the Almond Conference aims to support growers through complex regulatory changes, equipping them with tools to manage both their resources and land sustainably.
Sabrina Halvorson
National Correspondent / AgNet Media, Inc.
Sabrina Halvorson is an award-winning journalist, broadcaster, and public speaker who specializes in agriculture. She primarily reports on legislative issues and hosts The AgNet News Hour and The AgNet Weekly podcast. Sabrina is a native of California’s agriculture-rich Central Valley.