• Almonds like hot summers and cool winters to grow.¹
• Almonds only grow if bees pollinate the blossoms in the spring.¹
• Almonds can be eaten whole, sliced, slivered, as flour, milk, butter, or oil.²
• Each fruit of the almond tree has 3 parts, which are all used. The hull is fed to livestock, the shell is used for livestock bedding, and the kernel is what we eat.³

This lesson plan is part of a five-lesson series for grades 3-5 which teaches about agriculture by focusing on all aspects of the almond industry. Students will learn about the people involved in growing almonds, development of almond trees and nuts, almond processing, different uses of almonds, almond history and nutritional information. Almonds are an important commodity in California agriculture. Approximately 6,800 growers located throughout the Central Valley of California produce close to two billion pounds of almonds each year. California produces more than 80% of the world’s almonds and virtually 100% of the domestic supply.

Producing almonds is a year-long process. Almond growers pay special attention to the almond trees in their orchard to make sure they are thriving all year long. Almond trees begin their cycle in a dormant state, which usually lasts from November to February. Once spring arrives, the almond trees burst into bloom and the bees come to pollinate. From March to June, the almond kernel is developing and hardening. In July, once the kernel has grown to its full potential, it goes into the hullsplit phase where the outside hull (the soft, pliable protective layer) splits open. In late summer, the almond trees are harvested and the almonds are transported to the processing plant, where the almonds later get shipped around the world. 

Who grows almonds?

The almond industry is driven by family farmers. More than 91% of almond farms are family farms – many operated by third and fourth generation farmers who plan to pass down their land and way of life to their children and grandchildren. Having lived – and often grown up – on the land, they understand the importance of managing their orchards and natural resources responsibly for current and future generations.⁴

What irrigation do almond growers use?

83% of almond growers practice demand-based irrigation, tracking items like soil moisture, tree water status or weather conditions to determine when to irrigate their orchards rather than watering on a predetermined schedule. 70% of almond orchards use micro irrigation systems (think mini-sprinklers for the trees), decreasing water runoff, putting water directly in the root zone and allowing for precise timing and rate of irrigation. 62% of growers use soil maps while designing their irrigation systems to best match the soil characteristics of their orchards for optimal water infiltration and distribution.⁵

Do almonds use more water than other crops?

The fact is most fruit and nut trees in California use about the same amounts of water.⁶ But what’s extraordinary is what almond growers in California are doing to increase water efficiency. They were early adopters of water-saving micro-irrigation and other technologies that have helped reduce the amount of water it takes to grow a pound of almonds by 33% since 1994.⁷

What other products come from almond trees?

Almond trees, and the water used to grow them, actually produce three products, two of which are foods. Shells are used as an alternate energy source in co-generation plants and as livestock bedding. The hull is the dry and fuzzy fruit that protects the almond when it’s growing. Hulls are sold as livestock feed, which reduces the amount of water used to grow other feed crops. The kernel is the nutrient-rich almond we eat.⁴