Almonds are the edible seed of a fruit called a drupe, related to peaches and cherries. The fruit’s outer fleshy part is a leathery coat, known as the hull, which splits open when the seed inside matures. Almonds thrive in Mediterranean climates characterized by mild, wet winters and hot, dry summers, with the Central Valley of California being the world’s most significant growing region. Cultivating this crop, from planting the first tree to preparing the seed for market, involves intensive agricultural management.
Establishing the Orchard
The initial stage of almond farming begins with careful site selection, as the trees require deep, well-draining soil, such as sandy loam, to prevent root disease and ensure healthy growth. Farmers must analyze the soil for factors like salinity and potential nematode presence, which can significantly affect tree viability and must be managed before planting. Choosing the correct variety, such as Nonpareil or Carmel, and the appropriate rootstock is a long-term decision based on climate, soil characteristics, and market demand.
Almond trees are typically planted in the winter when they are dormant, often grafted onto a specific rootstock chosen for disease resistance or alkaline soil tolerance. Proper spacing is planned to allow for light penetration and the passage of large mechanical harvesting equipment once the orchard is mature. Almond trees generally begin bearing an economic yield after three to four years and reach full production capacity around year seven or eight.
Year-Round Orchard Management
Once established, almond orchards require intensive, year-round care, with water management being central to modern production. The majority of almond farms use micro-irrigation systems, such as drip lines or micro-sprinklers, to deliver water directly to the tree root zone. This method is highly efficient, minimizing water loss from evaporation and ensuring the tree receives the necessary annual water volume.
Sophisticated tools like soil moisture sensors and weather data are used to optimize irrigation schedules, applying water at the right time to prevent both over- and under-watering. In winter, during the dormant season, farmers execute pruning to shape the canopy. Pruning allows for better light penetration, air circulation, and ease of access for future machinery.
The period of bloom in late winter is crucial, as almond trees are entirely dependent on cross-pollination to set fruit. Almond pollen is not effectively windblown, necessitating the transportation of millions of honeybee colonies into the orchards. Growers contract with beekeepers who truck hives, often from across the country, to ensure successful pollination.
Growers aim for a density of approximately two honeybee colonies per acre to facilitate the transfer of pollen between different almond varieties planted in alternating rows. The beekeepers’ timing aligns the arrival of colonies with the short, few-week window of the almond bloom in February or March. Careful integrated pest management (IPM) practices are also employed throughout the season to control pests like mites and diseases, often using predatory insects or targeted fungicidal sprays.
The Specialized Harvest Process
The physical harvest of almonds is a highly mechanized, three-stage process that typically occurs in late summer, from August to early October, once the protective outer hull has sufficiently split open. The first stage involves a machine called a trunk shaker, which uses a padded clamp to grip the tree trunk and vibrate it vigorously for several seconds. This high-frequency shaking dislodges the mature almonds onto the orchard floor.
The fallen almonds are then left on the ground for about seven to ten days to dry naturally under the sun, which is essential to reduce the moisture content. This drying process is closely monitored, as the quality and storability of the almond are compromised if the moisture level is too high. Once the nuts have reached the correct moisture level, a specialized sweeping machine moves through the orchard, gathering the nuts and forming them into neat rows, known as windrows.
Finally, a pickup machine, or harvester, drives over the windrows, scooping up the nuts and separating them from dirt, sticks, and other orchard debris. The machine uses a combination of belts and air streams to clean the product before loading the almonds, which are still encased in their hulls and shells, into field trailers for transport. This mechanical system allows for the rapid and efficient harvesting of large volumes of almonds.
Post-Harvest Preparation for Market
After leaving the orchard, the almonds are transported to a processing facility, known as a huller/sheller, where the final preparation for market takes place. The initial step is pre-cleaning, which removes the bulk of any remaining foreign material, such as rocks and large debris. Following this, the almonds move through the hulling process, where specialized machinery removes the soft outer hull.
Next, the shelled almonds proceed to the shelling stage, where machines crack the hard inner shell to release the edible kernel. The machinery is precisely calibrated to the specific almond variety to minimize damage to the kernel during the cracking process. The resulting mixture is then separated using a combination of air jets, screens, and gravity tables to isolate the clean almond meats from the discarded hulls and shells, which are often utilized as livestock feed or bedding.
The final step is the sorting and grading of the kernels, which is often done using advanced optical sorters that assess size, color, and quality. Once sorted, the almonds are stored in controlled environments with regulated temperature and humidity to maintain freshness until they are packaged for domestic sale or export.