Holly King Leads California’s Ambitious Almond Industry

Source: Yaser Wakid on Canva

Living in California, you’re likely aware that we are home to the production of a majority of the nation’s produce. But did you know that California produces 80% of the world’s almonds!? That’s nuts. *bah-dum-tshh*

Almonds are amazing, a nutritionally dense and healthy snack that is great by the handful or mixed into a variety of recipes. However, they require a lot of resources to produce here in the semi-arid regions of California, especially water. As someone passionate about agriculture and policy-making, Holly King set out to create new environmental standards for almond growing. And as International Women’s History Month nears its end, we wanted to make sure we highlighted her innovative work so close to home.

Source: Unknown, headshot for Almond Board

King grew up on a family farm in Northern California, which partnered with an almond growing farm some 25 years ago, instilling her understanding and passion for the industry. After a 20 year ag-lending career, King switched lanes to the nonprofit sector as Director of Agricultural Programs for the Great Valley Center in Modesto, California. It was there that Holly developed conservation programs to protect agricultural lands through partnerships with the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and landowners. She also used what she learned watching winemakers use sustainable growing practices to influence the design of the Great Valley Center and it’s programs involving other commodity produce groups. From there she saw that the almond industry was in need of reform.

So, she jumped on the Almond Board as its newest chairwoman in 2018, sparing no time in getting to work. Since her induction, Holly King has set 2025 goals for the California Almond industry that include reducing water use by 20% using new technologies, achieving zero waste in orchards and creating markets for almond byproducts, and using environmentally friendly pest control. She even aims to improve the local air quality during harvest season because the dust from drying out the almonds becomes a huge nuisance to local communities.

Source: Deyan Georgriev on Canva

The Almond Board has had achievable sustainability goals in the past, like King says, “We’ve always been focused on minimizing our environmental footprint and being good neighbors—and we have the track record to prove it. But for the first time, we are publicly setting goals for how we will farm in the future and committing to transparently reporting on the progress we are making.” It is so refreshing to hear that a leader in her “field” has committed to real innovation and transparency, traits of a healthy relationship between a crop organization and the future of our lands.

It is obvious that King’s goal is to be a steward of the land, the almond industry, and the people surrounding it. She’s empowered by a long history in agriculture and policy making to serve her community. We know if every crop industry had someone like Holly spearheading their environmental efforts, we would likely be in a greener, healthier place. It’s people like her that inspire us to make real change by getting involved in local governances and setting optimistic goals. Today, we honor Holly King for the work that she does in California’s agriculture industry and setting a gold standard for female leadership within an ever evolving fight for a healthier planet.