Summer 2023 Newsletter
Pre-Season Meeting Scheduled for July 20th
Your attendance is requested! For many
years, the Association has conducted a Pre-Season
Grower meeting at Pardini’s Banquet Hall just be-
fore harvest. This meeting is beneficial for our
members as Management provides forecasts for
the season ahead and to advise on new improve-
ments that will help with our overall processing
efficiency. An invite is in the mail for this event,
so please save the date. The meeting is scheduled
for Thursday, July 20, 2023, at 11:30 am at Par-
dini’s Banquet Hall in Fresno.
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Spring 2023 Newsletter
Nomination Period Opens on April 1
The nomination period for the election of
members to sit on the Association’s Board of
Directors opens April 1 and closes April 30. This
year there are three seats up for election.
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Winter 2023 Newsletter
Acreage Surveys
We need your help! Every year we send an
acreage survey that helps Management prepare for
the next hulling and shelling season
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Fall 2022 Newsletter
Shelling operations shutting down November 15.
No, we are not closing the co-operative. Due to several factors, our shelling operations will conclude 48 days earlier than the prior season.
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Summer 2022 Newsletter
Welcoming our new Member Relations Coordinator.
Celeste Lopes joins the team as the Association’s Member Relations Coordinator. Celeste will serve as a liaison between members and the management team.
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Spring 2022 Newsletter
A Report on Recent Grower Meetings
The Association held four meetings in late March for the purpose of educating our members about a recent change in the way the Association assesses its hulling fee.
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Winter 2022 Newsletter
2021 Report – Not a Record, but a Vast Improvement from the Season’s start.
Our shellers finally concluded a long hulling and shelling season with Sanger closing down operations on December 17 and Kerman on the afternoon of January 12. We are still closing the books as we wait for some late inshell results…
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Summer 2021 Newsletter
Pre-Season Meeting scheduled for July 22, 2021
Every year prior to harvest the Association has conducted a Pre-Season Grower meeting at Pardini’s Banquet Hall in Fresno. Last year we were unable to have this meeting due to the Covid pandemic, which also vetoed our Annual Dinner meeting. Due to the removal of safety restrictions, we feel thankful we can now schedule a Pre-Season Grower meeting for July 22, 2021, at 12:00 noon…
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Spring 2021 Newsletter
Rural Theft is a Major Issue – Please Read
These are very unusual times in our nation’s history. As you are aware, it is difficult to source parts, rural theft is rampant, and there is substantial unrest on the streets of some of our major cities.
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New Solar Array Comes Online at Kerman Site
In the past, 10% of Central California Almond Growers Association’s expenses were attributable to the cost of electricity. As customers of Pacific Gas & Electric the we have desired a hedge against the skyrocketing costs of electrical power. As such, a business decision was made by the Board of Directors to contract with Cenergy Power, LP to construct photovoltaic systems at our Kerman site to provide some predictability for planning and budgeting in our future. In the spring of 2016, a Stage 1 fixed solar array was installed. Since energizing this first array the implementation of solar has clearly demonstrated the financial merits to our business model. Since the project came online the cost of solar panels has decreased and there have been significant technological improvements to nearly all components utilized within a solar field. Recently, on October 30, 2019 a second Stage 2 solar tracker system of nearly equivalent size was put into operation.
CCAGA annually utilizes 4 megawatts of power to run our shelling operations, offices and shops at our Kerman location. The solar power generated by our photovoltaic system will offset 70% of the Associations power needs in the future. Both projects indicate a positive Return on Investment for our Association members after the second year of operation.
Both Stage 1 and Stage 2 sites have been financed as lease arrangements with Farm Credit leasing. The Stage 1 site is a ten-year lease and the Stage 2 site is a 7-year lease. In 2026 both arrays will be fully owned and operated by the Association and free of any financial obligation.