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for Tree Nut Growers

Rooted in the Orchard. Focused on What’s Next.

The West Coast Nut Archive

What’s on Your Mind?

Reporting and practical advice from the people closest to the crop.

West Coast Nut Events · 2026

The Conversations Worth Bringing Home

Return to the ideas, people and practical questions from our grower gatherings. Explore event photos, key takeaways, original presentations and reporting from the year.

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Growers and industry partners talking with exhibitors on the Pistachio Day show floor in Tulare in 2026.
Pistachio Day, Tulare · 2026
JCS Marketing event photography

January 14, 2026 · Chico

North Valley Nut Conference

A Wider View of the Orchard Business

In Chico, the conversation reached beyond the orchard to the markets and people that keep it working. Original presentations from James E. Sayre and Greg Jones put trade, long-term growing conditions and agricultural labor in focus.

A presenter gestures at the West Coast Nut podium during North Valley Nut Conference in 2026.
On stage at North Valley Nut Conference in Chico, 2026. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.
Three people talk beside an exhibitor display at North Valley Nut Conference in 2026.
Conversations continued on the exhibit floor. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.

Key Takeaways

  • Watch the Markets Beyond California

    James E. Sayre examined export dependence across almonds, walnuts and pistachios, and how trade policies and competing origins shape market access.

  • Plan for Changing Growing Conditions

    Sayre introduced the UC Davis Ag Suitability platform, which lets growers explore location-specific projections for chill hours and winter precipitation.

  • Weigh Labor and Capital Together

    Greg Jones discussed how labor costs and uncertainty encourage automation, while equipment investment brings its own costs, utilization demands and financial risk.

Keep Exploring

Reporting and resources from the event.

Takeaways summarize the original 2026 conference presentations by James E. Sayre and Greg Jones. Figures and policy references in the slides reflect the presentation date.

Explore the Next North Valley Nut ConferenceBack to the Recaps

February 19, 2026 · Turlock

California Walnut Conference

Quality, New Markets and Better Orchard Decisions

The 2026 gathering in Turlock brought the walnut industry together around a shared question: how to strengthen the crop’s value from the orchard to the customer. Market discussions sat alongside research posters, grower conversations and new ways to use walnuts.

Attendees gather around the California Walnuts exhibit at the 2026 California Walnut Conference.
The California Walnuts exhibit at the 2026 conference. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.
Attendees examine walnut research findings at a poster during the 2026 California Walnut Conference.
Research posters made room for questions and discussion. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.

Key Takeaways

  • Protect Quality Beyond the Farm Gate

    Robert Verloop emphasized retail quality, better crop forecasting and stronger coordination across the walnut supply chain.

  • Give Walnuts More Places on the Menu

    Chef Robert Danhi explored walnut creams, sauces and other food-service applications designed to make walnuts a more versatile ingredient.

  • Keep Research Close to Orchard Decisions

    Sessions addressed replant nematodes, rootstock development and orchard pest management. The expanded poster session connected attendees directly with researchers.

Keep Exploring

Reporting and resources from the event.

Takeaways are drawn from West Coast Nut’s March 13, 2026 conference report. This recap covers Turlock in 2026; the next conference has its own current event details.

Explore the Next California Walnut ConferenceBack to the Recaps

2026 · Fresno

Almond Day

What Really Shapes a Grower’s Return?

Almond Day brought growers, advisers and industry partners together in Fresno. The industry panel took a practical look at water, production costs and the management details that influence the check at harvest.

Almond Day attendees fill the conference hall for a presentation in 2026.
The almond community gathered in Fresno for the 2026 program. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.
Two Almond Day panelists discuss the industry at microphones in 2026.
Perspectives from the Almond Day industry panel. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.

Key Takeaways

  • Measure Return, Not Just Yield

    Paige Gilligan and Mel Machado urged growers to examine input costs, equipment use and whether extra production actually improves the bottom line.

  • Get the Timing and Details Right

    Panelists stressed irrigation, pest management and the basics of farming. Cost reductions need to preserve the practices that protect crop value.

  • Keep Water and Compliance in the Plan

    The panel discussed groundwater constraints, recordkeeping and regulatory pressures, with a focus on staying informed and making steady operational improvements.

Keep Exploring

Reporting and resources from the event.

Takeaways are drawn from Cecilia Parsons’ published Almond Day panel coverage. The recap video is the one featured on the JCS Almond Day website.

Explore the Next Almond DayBack to the Recaps

June 17, 2026 · Tulare

Pistachio Day

From Bloom Questions to Harvest Protection

Growers, crop advisers and researchers gathered in Tulare to compare notes on pollination, pest pressure, irrigation, nutrition and crop value. The program connected orchard questions with research and industry experience.

Attendees talk with exhibitors on the Pistachio Day show floor in 2026.
Between sessions at Pistachio Day in Tulare, 2026. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.
Pistachio Day attendees listen to industry panelists during the 2026 program.
The industry panel connected the program with grower questions. Photo: JCS Marketing event archive.

Key Takeaways

  • Understand What Happened at Bloom

    Elizabeth Fichtner explained how early heat, uneven bloom and pollen viability contributed to the season’s low nut set.

  • Build Pest Management on Sanitation

    Idongesit Mokwunye emphasized removing mummy nuts as the foundation of navel orangeworm management, alongside monitoring and well-timed in-season decisions.

  • Limit the Crop’s Exposure Before Harvest

    The discussion connected early splits, orchard history, pest flights and harvest timing with the risk of damage to yield and quality.

Keep Exploring

Reporting and resources from the event.

Takeaways are drawn from Cecilia Parsons’ published Pistachio Day reporting. The event date is documented in JCS’s 2026 recap, and the video is featured on the JCS Pistachio Day website.

Explore the Next Pistachio DayBack to the Recaps

Keep the Conversation Going

We’ll See You at the Next One.

Find upcoming dates, registration and exhibit opportunities on the JCS event calendar.

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