From the Fields: Paul Vermeulen, Stanislaus County almond grower and huller

By Paul Vermeulen
Stanislaus County almond grower and huller

We are within a week or two of being finished with harvest. Harvest went well, though many are disappointed in the yields. They’re a bit lighter than people had hoped. It could have been the early spring heat. Finding larger-sized nuts is more difficult. Overall weight from the fields looks down.

Quality of the crop has been good. We’ve had low amounts of insect damage. The increased price has helped a lot of people manage their ranches better. Prices are about a dollar more than they were this time last year. 

My perspective on pricing is that we are blessed to be where we are again. Farmers are finally able to pay off their line of credit, and it needs to go a bit more for them to replenish their savings accounts because everyone drained every penny they had to stay afloat.

The big problem was created during COVID when it was not allowing proper agricultural exports. That created a carryover that we had to work through. Now that carryover is gone, and we are at a more balanced supply and demand.

Everyone’s talking about $8 diesel. Our input prices have dramatically increased. We’re seeing it on the energy side. A lot of people have seen the cost of running their water pumps doubled because general energy prices have gone up. Input costs have risen even quicker than what would be typical inflation.

Although pest pressure in the form of insects was lighter this year, we have some new disease challenges. We saw the rise of red leaf blotch. Two years ago, nobody knew what red leaf blotch was, and this year, you can scarcely find an orchard that was not affected by it.

I’ve been a pest control adviser for 15 years as well as a farmer and huller-sheller, and I had never even heard of it until two years ago. Last year, it was present but not a problem. This year, it’s a severe problem. We have some interesting issues with gumming in certain varieties. Notably, the Bennett had a lot of gumming issues this year. 

Reprint with credit to California Farm Bureau. For image use, email agalert@cfbf.com.

In this edition…

• View full issue
• 2026 Voter Guide
• Advocacy in Action: Legislation, diesel and wolves
• Roadless Rule has kept forests from being managed
• Farm Bureau team seeks solutions in D.C.
• Diesel price spike increases financial stress for farmers
• New date crop hits market as fruit goes 'mainstream'
• From the Fields: Ray Yeung, Yolo County farmer
• From the Fields: Joe Zanger, San Benito County farmer
• From the Fields: Blake Wilbur, Tulare County farmer
• From the Fields: Paul Vermeulen, Stanislaus County almond grower and huller
• Vineyards turn to UV-C light to fight powdery mildew
• Pumpkin growers target trends, Halloween demand
• Calls open for Agricultural Educator of the Year award
• How to effectively manage stored grain fire risks