The California almond industry is
attracting the interest of beekeepers all over the
country. The almond orchard's demands for honey bees is
so strong that many beekeepers in Florida have actually
defaulted on their contracts with local watermelon
producers to bring their bees to the west coast where
they lease their hives and bees to the almond growers.
Almonds were first found growing a long way from
California's sunny landscape. The first almonds were
found in China and central Asia. Franciscan Padres first
brought almonds to California in the middle of the
1700's, before the American revolution. Sadly Padres
efforts were unsuccessful. It wasn't until the early
1900's that almond lovers discovered that California's
Central Valley had perfect growing conditions for
genetically improved almond orchards. Nearly a half
million Californian acres are devoted to growing
almonds. It is estimated that there are six thousand
almond growers in the state.
Today, California is the only place in North America
where almonds are successfully grown for commercial use.
The reason that California is so successful for almond
producers is the climate. Almond trees love hot summers
and cool winters. Almonds don't like sub-zero
temperatures. Because almond trees are not
self-pollinating they require the use of bees in order
to produce almonds. Every February, when the almond
trees are in bloom, beekeepers set up hives in the
orchard so that the growers can enjoy a lucrative
harvest. The inability to self-pollinate force almond
producers to plant multiple variety's of almond trees.
Almonds are harvested when the split in the shell widens
enough for the nut to dry. This typically happens
between the middle of August and early October. When the
hull is completely open its time for the almond harvest
to begin.
When its time to harvest the almond crops, orchard
owners have the orchards swept so that they are
completely free of debris. Once the orchards are debris
free, the mechanical tree shakers are brought in . The
mechanical tree shakers gently shake the trees. The
almonds fall from the trees. The almonds are left on the
ground to finish drying. When the almonds are dry they
are swept into rows where they are gathered by a machine
and deposited in the huller.
Nutritionally almonds have a lot going for them. There
are only seven grams of fat in one ounce (a single
serving of almonds is one ounce). Almonds do not have
sodium and cholesterol free. Almonds are an excellent
way to get magnesium and vitamin E. Almonds are also a
source of Riboflavin, Phosphorus and copper.
Seventy-five percent of California's almond crop is
exported.