Jerry Riggs (62) is the owner and manager of Mayfield Ranch, a huller in Hughson, California. He grew up farming, starting with peaches, and has since moved on to running his own hulling business after receiving a degree in Accounting at California State University, Stanislaus, (Stan State).

It has become noticeable that the air has become particularly thick in recent weeks due to the billowing dust clouds permeating from the Central Valley’s almond orchards.

A matured almond ready to be shaken and processed. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

However, the almond harvest is much more than a billowing cloud of dust. It is a process from local community’s farms to the consumer’s table, which involves individuals working together on different levels to get almonds found in products seen in local fruit and nut stands today.

“From farm to table there are a lot of steps. Usually the crops have to be processed in some way, packaged, or, in our case, they’re hulled and shelled,” Riggs said.

After almonds are swept into piles, they are moved into moving trucks to be taken to the huller. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

Students, faculty, and staff should remain aware of the various farm activities taking place in the orchards surrounding the campus and within Turlock because the almond harvest has begun.

The dust created to gather the masses of almonds is a process enacted every fall throughout the Central Valley.

Dust enveloping the road from transferring almonds to the moving truck. (Signal Photo/ Kristen Dias)

Allie Assali is the plant manager of Assali Hulling and Shelling, Inc. and California Grown Nut Company in Hughson as well as a former Stan State graduate with a degree in Agricultural Economics.

She stated that the huller acts as a processing facility that grades, sizes and packs the almonds to be shipped internationally.

“I take great pride in being a California farmer, I take great pride in putting healthy food on people’s tables,” Assali said.

“Living in the Central Valley, we have it really good. We have the best food in the world from local farmers that work hard every day to really put their work on our table.”

Almond sorters at Assali Hulling & Shelling, Inc. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

Assali stated that she always tries to encourage the harvesters to work at controlling the dust that they turn up while working in the orchards. This aids in increasing the idea of harvesters farming sustainably and marks farmer’s role as “stewards of the land” in taking care of the earth and air, Assali said.

Assali and Riggs stated that there has been an increase in labor demands because of the harvest this fall.

“It [the almond harvest] supplies a lot of jobs, the almond industry in general, and during the harvest there’s a spike in hiring,” Riggs said.

“I usually carry five to six workers year ‘round, then I hire another ten during the harvest, and all the processors, huller, everything ramps up, so there’s hiring for seasonal help that sometimes comes back,” Riggs said.

Riggs’ huller alone is a 24/7 operation that goes beyond the typical 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. jobs found in urban settings. According to Riggs, a farmer in the almond business must keep up with watering, spraying, harvesting, sweeping and pick up schedules daily.

“We’ll work for another three months to finish it all,” Riggs said.

Workers, like those found in Assali’s huller, will sort almonds by hand, or sweep them into sectors like Riggs’ employee Tim Stevens (a.k.a the pit boss), to ensure that the nut is of good quality to sell to brokers, who in turn sell the farmer’s treasure to retail stores like Bella Viva Orchards.

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Tim Stevens, Riggs’ “pit boss” sweeping almonds into sections at Mayfield Ranch. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

Bella Viva’s Store Manager Maria Jimenez and the store’s Social Media Coordinator Emily Olide work at the one of many local fruit and nut companies found in Hughson.

“We keep everything local,” Jimenez stated. “Eighty percent of the store is California grown.”

The almonds sold there, among most of the other products found in the store, have no added sugar to them, which make them a likely healthy alternative for a midday snack in order to keep the almonds “as natural and as organic as possible,” Olide said.

Bella Viva Orchards’ Social Media Coordinator Emily Olide. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)

Riggs stated that the best thing about his job was being self-employed and having the opportunity to profit share with his employees in order to make their lives better during the “good times.”

“The culture is, you have to get things done, not just putting in the hours,” Riggs said. “It’s not just ‘we’re producing a product, and that’s how we get paid.’ It’s not hourly work. There are hours involved, but we have to be productive.”

Jerry Riggs, owner and manager of Mayfield Ranch. (Signal photo/ Kristen Dias)