From the Fields: Laura Gutile, Madera County pistachio grower

By Laura Gutile
Madera County pistachio grower

So far, everything is fine. Everything is dormant, so we’re working on herbicides and making sure the weeds don’t get out of control going into spring. We could use a few more chilling hours and a few more really cold nights. The fog has helped keep things cooler, so the tree trunks aren’t heating up, which has been nice. Not great for traffic, but it helps keep the trees cold, dormant and doing their thing. For trees to grow and produce effectively, they need to go into a deep dormancy. To do that, they need a significant number of hours below 40 degrees. When overnight temperatures were in the 30s and the fog helped keep daytime temperatures in the low 50s, that kept the trees cold. Even if it’s 40 degrees outside, sunshine can heat the bark, so having foggy weather helps keep things on the cooler side.

It’s tough to predict how things will go in the market, especially with tariffs playing a part. Last year ended up being OK, better than I expected. Going into this upcoming year, there’s still uncertainty about the future. Our quality was pretty good, and our timing was normal for us. We’re always on the later side of harvest and usually the last ones going into our processor. There was very little pest damage and very little staining on the shells, so it was a decent year for us. We definitely encounter navel orangeworm, so we do timely applications to keep that pressure down. Other pests include stink bugs and aphids. We don’t normally get a lot of pressure from those, but we still do timely sprays to make sure everything stays in check.

One thing I’m excited to see in grocery stores is more applications of pistachios. There’s more candy made with pistachios and more salads that include pistachios. It’s nice to see the market expanding and consumers wanting pistachios in more food items.

The latest news from AgAlert.com

• Grape glut lessens as growers scrap vines
• Bill brings back ag overtime tax credit proposal
• Solving veterinary shortage is crucial for agriculture
• From the Fields: Laura Gutile, Madera County pistachio grower
• From the Fields: Jennifer Beretta, Sonoma County dairy farmer
• From the Fields: Frank Hilliker, San Diego County egg producer
• From the Fields: Bruce Fry, San Joaquin County winegrape grower
• 'Unrelenting' fog aids Central Valley fruits and nuts
• Strong beef prices keep milk replacement heifer count low
• Transplant nurseries celebrate seed improvements
• Advocacy in Action: Tricolored blackbird, government shutdown, farm bill, fumigation alternatives, air board workshop
• How California farms can reduce pumping power costs
• Award applicants sought for Leopold Conservation
• Section 179 deductions for farm machinery in 2026