Mike Sonke joined the Journey to share his perspective as a farmer and grower rep. He also is active with the Almond Board of California (ABC), serving on both the Technical & Regulatory Affairs Committee and the Global Communications Committee. In this interview recorded at the Almond Conference 2024, Sonke shares about his journey into farming, his role with Star Nut, and his thoughts on the industry going forward.

“If you want to change something, the best way to do it is to show up and tell someone that this is what I think. And if more growers did that, you can certainly get your finger in the pie too and change things if that's what you want.” - Mike Sonke

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Mike Sonke, an almond grower, farm manager and grower rep for Star Nut
• Explore Sonke’s journey throughout the industry that has led him to be involved on many levels of the supply chain
• Learn about the most exciting technology Sonke sees developing for the industry
• Discover the top priorities for the Almond Board committees Mike participates in and the impact they have

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.

Highlights from May's Global Update, from the Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team at the Almond Board of California, detail the latest in the complex world of tariffs, examining the recent 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs between the U.S. and China, and the potential impacts on the supply chain. Hear about the significant trade deal announced by President Trump on May 8, which promises new market access in the UK for American products. Additionally, learn about the European Parliament's decision to postpone the new due diligence and sustainability reporting requirements application dates.

Finally, get the latest outreach efforts in Turkey and Morocco, where the team participated in the Tuksiad conference and conducted the first Almonds 101 workshop in Casablanca. Discover how Turkey's almond imports have surged from 77 million pounds in 2020 to over 151 million pounds in 2025 and learn about the optimistic outlook for further growth as the port of Mersin expands its capacity. Meanwhile, in Morocco, the workshop provided valuable insights into import procedures and fostered new collaborations with local industry stakeholders.

Craig Duerr joined the Almond Journey Podcast to talk about marketing almonds around the world. Duerr has over 25 years of experience in marketing almonds, first with the Almond Board of California, then with Campos Brothers Farms where he currently serves as vice president of global marketing and sales. This discussion explores the past, present and future of growing the demand and value of California almonds.

“ The more we can sell that is involved in what we grow on an almond tree, the better off we're all going to be. We'll keep pushing for innovative ways to use almonds sliced, slivered, diced, meal, and flour and I think we need to push for ways to utilize the hull and the shell and anything else that we can.” - Craig Duerr

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Craig Duerr, vice president of global marketing and sales at Campos Brothers Farms and the current chair of the Almond Board’s Global Marketing Development Committee
• Understand the history of expanding the volume and value of the global market of almonds
• Discover the strategy in promoting almonds as an ingredient to ensure market stability
• Learn about shifts in consumer perception of almonds and the value the industry can get from collecting retail data

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 April's Marketing Bulletin, Laura Morin of the Almond Board of California shares the story behind the Board’s first major food service collaboration—a spring promotion with Smoothie King, the world’s largest smoothie chain. Currently running around the country from March through May, the partnership positions almonds as a go-to ingredient, promoting exercise recovery and offering customers the option to add almonds to any smoothie. Morin explains that food service trends play a big role in how consumers adopt new foods at home, and ABC saw this as a timely opportunity to highlight current almond messaging. “Smoothie King was an amazing partner to help tell our exercise recovery story,” Morin says. “They already have a health and wellness focus, and when we brought them our nutrition research, they saw real potential in the recovery space.” The collaboration is not only aimed at boosting visibility and volume, but also at gathering insights on consumer behavior to inform future promotions.

Mallorie Hayes joined the Journey to discuss the importance of storytelling, outreach, and education to consumers, legislators, and key stakeholders. During this conversation, she shares her journey into the almond industry and her role in advocating for almond growers. Hayes highlights the industry's efforts in sustainability, legislative engagement and the significance of building strong relationships to advance the industry.

“ Tell everyone about the almond industry: the good work that we're doing, the wonderful product that we have…The more we can get our story out there and be the ones to tell it, I think the better off we will be and the more success we will have.” - Mallorie Hayes

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Mallorie Hayes, government and public affairs manager at Blue Diamond Growers
• Discover the efforts being made by Hayes and others to advocate for the almond industry and reach out to key stakeholders
• Understand the importance of grower involvement in advocacy for the almond industry
• Consider key challenges and opportunities ahead in 2025 and beyond.

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 episode of the Almond Byte, the Almond Board of California’s Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team highlights two major regulatory developments shaping almond exports.

First, a major milestone for U.S. almond trade with Japan: USDA and Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labor & Welfare have signed a voluntary aflatoxin pre-testing protocol. Years in the making, this agreement significantly reduces Japan’s inspection frequency for protocol participants, helping streamline exports and reduce costs. The episode discusses how handlers can participate and what to expect from implementation.

Then, we shift to the European Union, where the European Commission recently unveiled its “Vision for Agriculture and Food.” In response to last year’s farmer protests, the EU is moving toward tighter import controls — emphasizing mirror clauses, food safety, pesticide regulations and sustainability requirements for imported goods.

Chuck Fleck joined the Journey to discusses the latest in almond genetics and variety development. Fleck is the director of horticulture research at Sierra Gold Nurseries. During this conversation, he shares his journey into breeding almonds and almond rootstocks, what’s driving his breeding program and what excites him about the future of almond genetics. Fleck also discusses a project with Ohalo using gene editing technology to create a self-fertile nonpareil almond tree.

“Nonpareil is the industry standard, but what if other items can come along and create a new industry standard, giving growers more options and not just different versions of the same old options they've got.” - Chuck Fleck

In Today’s episode:

• Meet Chuck Fleck, the director of horticulture research at Sierra Gold Nurseries
• Discover the process of evaluating different rootstocks and the amount of time it takes to produce results
• Explore the advancements being made to create a self-fertile nonpareil almond tree

Check out the Almond Variety Considerations Page as a resource for picking the best variety for your operation and register for the Regional Variety Trial Field Days coming up in April and May.

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.

March’s Almond Byte brings you the latest insights from the Almond Board of California’s Global Technical and Regulatory Affairs team. This month, ABC made waves at Gulfood 2025, connecting with key buyers and exploring future opportunities in Dubai’s expanding trade landscape. Meanwhile, new tariffs on Chinese imports are impacting the global almond market, with retaliatory duties adding more challenges for exporters. On the opportunity front, Morocco’s booming almond demand is creating exciting prospects for U.S. growers, while an upcoming exploratory trip to Turkey aims to strengthen ties with major processors. Stay tuned for more details on these industry-shaping developments.