Fueling the Fun
It's summertime! When school's out, we love to find adventures in the mountains or on the coast. Our family's organic almonds are the...
top of page
Search
melebenz
Mar 131 min read
Spring Brings a New Crop
It's Spring, which means our trees come out of their winter hibernation to create our crop that will be harvested in the Fall. We've had...
89 views
melebenz
Dec 17, 20231 min read
Season's Eating
As the solstice approaches, the winter season's offerings grace our table. We're reading "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Kimmerer and the...
93 views
melebenz
Nov 15, 20231 min read
Good health in MIND
We've been following the promising research on the MIND diet. We can't help but notice the prominence of nuts in these guidelines. Here's...
86 views
melebenz
Aug 10, 20231 min read
Simply Summer
Summer's bounty has arrived! We're enjoying a salad from our garden with brats from a pig raised by friends. There's just so much...
138 views
melebenz
Apr 4, 20231 min read
New Beginnings
We've had a wet winter here in Hilmar with nearly twice our average rainfall. As a result, we've learned that our annual water allocation...
111 views
melebenz
Mar 11, 20231 min read
Farming to Feed Ecosystems
Our farm is part of the 1000 Farms Initiative studying the impacts of regenerative farming practices. We're thrilled that the data...
91 views
melebenz
Aug 27, 20221 min read
Everyday Snacks & Special Treats
It's back to school for our household which means we're roasting almonds every weekend to pack in lunch bags. While I love almonds every...
156 views
melebenz
Jul 3, 20221 min read
Happy Independence Day
Independence has been a core value on our small farm, leading us to become organic pioneers back in the 1980s. We enjoy the freedom we...
701 views
melebenz
Apr 25, 20221 min read
What's the (Under)story?
Below the canopy of our orchard, there's an ecosystem that plays an important role in the work we do growing almonds. There's a...
133 views
melebenz
Feb 12, 20221 min read
Growing Almonds: A Love Story
This time of year, the almond trees in California's Central Valley bloom. It happens like clockwork. February's the month the new crop...
197 views
melebenz
Dec 27, 20211 min read
Happy Holistic New Year
The New Year is a time when folks try to course correct from decadent holiday celebrations. I've been one of the people in the gym for a...
100 views
melebenz
Dec 13, 20211 min read
Healthy Gifting
I'm working on gifts for my staff at the elementary school where I work as a principal. I like to give gifts that are useful and they...
90 views
melebenz
Sep 18, 20211 min read
Capturing a Farming Legacy
My niece Asia, a professional photographer who documents her life in the ocean in Hawaii, visited our family farm and made magic with her...
129 views
melebenz
Sep 6, 20211 min read
Real World Science on the Farm
During a recent visit to the farm, we did a science experiment to look at how Grandpa's organic farming practices impacted water...
71 views
melebenz
Aug 9, 20211 min read
Family Farming
Our family gathered at the farm this last weekend for a business meeting - with a new crop coming in the next couple of months and a new...
120 views
Mele Benz
Jul 29, 20212 min read
That Guardian Article
About a year and a half ago, I kept seeing an article from The Guardian about bees and almonds in my Facebook feed. It was going viral...
111 views
Mele Benz
Jul 26, 20211 min read
When You Don't Want to Keep Up with the Joneses
I live a few hours from my parents' farm in a place with plenty of almond orchards. On my way home the other day, I spotted our neighbor...
114 views
Glenn Anderson
Jul 23, 20211 min read
Dirt First
When customers tell us our almonds taste good, we tell them it's because we've been building our soil for forty years. Our regenerative...
119 views
Glenn Anderson
Jul 21, 20211 min read
Farming in a Drought
This time of year, we're prepping for our harvest and that means making sure our trees have sufficient water to make it to the finish...
72 views
bottom of page