New Orchards Anchor Future of Campus Farm

Thanks to a host of support from industry partners, the University Agricultural Laboratory is improving its long-term economic sustainability with the addition of new almond and pistachio orchards that were planted the past year.

The campus farm’s 20 units and 1,000-acre span tries to match the Central Valley’s breadth as the nation’s agricultural leader that teems with over 400 commodities. 

The new orchard areas, created from repurposed row crop fields and retired orchards, also provide a valuable resource for students in plant science and mechanized agriculture farm equipment classes, as well as innovative research by campus faculty, students and industry partners.

“We anticipate that the new almond and pistachio plantings will provide us with an added revenue flow that will support other parts of the UAL - such as the dairy - that are essential to our educational purposes, yet which must be operated at a less than economically viable size," said Dr. Dennis Nef, Dean of the Jordan College.”

The installation process for both orchards began last fall with soil ripping by AgSoilworks. The precision process created a new raised berm foundation for each row that included soil amendment mixed in to help the trees maximize their early growth potential.

Soil amendment and compost were provided by H.M. Holloway Agriculture, and GAR Bennett provided additional fertilizer and irrigation equipment.

To help with irrigation planning, Landmark Irrigation provided a irrigation equipment and design that matches the specific soil characteristics and infiltration rates of the different sandy and loam combination soil types throughout the field.

In January, the 35-acre almond field was planted with Nonpareill and Monterey variety trees that were donated by Woolf Farming.

Last March, 36 acres of Golden Hills variety pistachio trees were planted just east of its current 25-acre, mature pistachio orchard that borders Cedar Avenue between Sierra and Bullard Avenues. The trees were donated by Mazzei Nursery through campus farm supporter Ron Colburn. 

After all the past year’s updates, the UAL now has 173 acres of almond orchards, 103 of which are in the ‘production’ phase and are three years or older. Next year, campus almond production will factor in another 36 acres of orchards that were planted in 2020.

Looking ahead on the pistachio side, another 36 acres of trees are planned to be planted in the winter of 2021-22, thanks to support by the Ron Fanucchi Farming Company and irrigation support by Cal West Rain (which has already donated an irrigation system used in another campus almond orchard). This winter addition will increase the total pistachio orchard campus footprint to 97 acres and will be in full production in 2028.

To help with various orchard needs throughout the year, the orchard unit full-time and student staff is also thankful to utilize a new Orchard-Rite ‘Hydra-Shaker Bullet II’ shaker that was provided by Pacific Distributing Incorporated and a new sprayer for orchard use by Air-O-Fan. 

An additional benefit of the recent almond orchard addition is an innovative, groundwater recharge system project that hopes to demonstrate a new way that the state can start to reverse groundwater deficit issues.

The one-acre underground pipe system, which was installed last winter, will capture excess rainwater during the wet winter and spring seasons and divert it to the natural underground aquifer. The extra water can be then reused by urban and agricultural communities, instead of flowing as runoff surface water that ultimately ends up in the ocean.

The campus and industry research project is being overseen by Cordie Qualle, campus civil engineering faculty and interim director of the California Water Institute. The Lyles College of Engineering faculty member, who has nearly 40 years of private civil engineering experience, has enlisted planning and management help from engineering graduate student Gabriela Bonilla.

Another key resource for the project has been Greg Wegis, of Wegis and Young Property Management, who had developed a similar groundwater recharge system for his farm. 

The research team also partnered with LIDCO, INC, CalWest Rain, Grundfos Pumps Corporation, Red-Trac, City of Clovis, Moore-Twining Associates, Davis Instruments and the Agriculture Research Institute and other donors on various aspects of the project.

"We greatly appreciate the support of so many friends, industry supporters and alumni who have made these investments possible," said Mark Salwasser, campus farm manager. “The orchards provides hands-on experience to students who are future leaders in agriculture in the Central Valley, and its truly humbling to see how this support makes such a difference in so many ways.”

To learn about other opportunities to support UAL farm units and projects, contact Alcidia Freitas Gomes or Shannon Fast at the Ag One Foundation at (559) 278.4266.