Central Valley pistachio growers, including a number from Kings County, are moving to expand their processing capacity this year. One big player in this group is Setton Pistachios with their main processing headquarters in Terra Bella. The company has now purchased the former Touchstone Pistachio plant owned by the Assemi Group also in Terra Bella. The purchase was through the bankruptcy process that has now been completed says Setton Pistachios general manager Lee Cohen. The facility is the former Aro Pistachio plant just a few miles from Setton.
“We are planning to operate the plant this fall” in time for the harvest of 2025, states Cohen. The facility is small by Setton standards — they are the No. 2 pistachio grower in the US, producing about 125,000,000 pounds of pistachios annually. That number is growing not only with this new local facility but a new Yolo County plant.
The collapse of the Assemi empire not only provided an opportunity for Setton to again expand their processing capacity, it also likely has motivated other smaller pistachio growers to think about expansion at this time. Another key factor is the growing popularity of pistachios, particularly new food uses for the popular snack nut as well as new research indicating the health benefits of pistachios. Helping to bolster demand for pistachios is a new food product called Dubai chocolate — a bar that contains filling made with pistachios. The product was promoted by social media influencers, especially on TikTok, and has spread like wildfire to other companies offering a similar products. The product is now a hot seller on Amazon and on the shelves at Costco and at the ice cream parlors of Baskin Robbins.
NPR reported last fall that the internet had “gone bananas” for Dubai chocolate. The chocolate bars are like a KitKat bar stuffed with pistachio nuts and aromatic pistachio nougat, says NPR. On the health front, new research says the snack nut provides a measurable source of lutein, a powerful antioxidant that helps protect your eyes. Pistachios are the only nut that provides a source of lutein.
Cohen says this fall’s pistachio crop looks smaller than previously thought, likely to come in at 1.5 to 1.6 billion pounds offering good quality on about 25,000 new bearing acres to harvest. The predictions are for the pistachio crop in California to grow typically most years, having reached the 1 billion pound mark in 2020 and perhaps a doubling by 2030 over today’s numbers.
Also looking to boost their production, at least three pistachio growers and processors in Kings County are indicating expansion plans.
Those include a new company, Golden Harvest Pistachios, who is converting a walnut operation to the pistachio nut project — filed with the county. The new plant is at 14662 Seventh Ave., Hanford, says the Kings Planning Department. Applicant Nader Malakan plans a dry hulling and peeling system at Golden Harvest Pistachio. The company plans to construct an 8,000 square foot warehouse, 21 silos covering approximately 64,537 square feet, catwalks, and additional parking.
California Pistachios has filed a plan with Kings County as well near Kettleman City. The company is proposing to expand an existing pistachio processing facility in two phases. Phase 1 includes a new 72,000 square foot processing building and truck dock, two shaker decks, two silos, two cat walks, two silo feed conveyors and three EV charging stations. Phase 2 includes the installation of 22 additional silos for a total of 24 silos. The existing pistachio processing facility is located at 30650 Quebec Avenue.
Nichols Farms wants to enlarge capacity as well. A proposal to expand an existing pistachio plant located at 13868 First Avenue, Hanford, Assessor’s Parcel Number 016-230-036 in two phases. Phase 1 includes the installation of two silo dryers, two harvest receiving pits, five harvest dryers, six silos, one 12,000 square foot processing building, one product receiving pit and four aspirators. Phase 2 includes the installation of nine additional silos for a total of 15 silos.
The family-owned farm is already a major player in the Kings County pistachio industry. They have a one-megawatt solar facility on First Avenue that powers their processing plant.
Between these three Kings processors they plan to add some 60 new massive silos, a good measurement to gauge what growers expect to store and ship in the near future. Pistachios must be hauled and dried quickly after the harvest, and then stored in the big silos.
Other pistachio processors in the two county region include Keenan Farms in Kettleman City, Horizon Nut in Tulare and Wonderful Pistachios in Lost Hills, the largest of all the pistachio growers. Many of the workers who work at the Lost Hills farms live in Avenal in King County.
His success in business is evident across the southern Central Valley, in sprawling ag fields and in a large distribution hub in Shafter. But it’s not often Stewart Resnick is seen at large events in Kern County. Late Thursday morning, though, the co-owner of Los Angeles-based The Wonderful Co. walked up, stood before an audience of more than 200 people just north of 7th Standard Road and took a moment to adjust the microphone downward. Then he opened with a joke.
Resnick, diminutive in a blue button-down, long-sleeve shirt and jeans, said normally when he comes to such events people look around and say, “You’re Stewart Resnick?”
He’s humble, folks. Even when surrounded by dignitaries celebrating another one of his company’s large investments in the local economy. Resnick had come to join them to mark the opening of Wonderful’s new Amenities Center, a gleaming new complex with a tech training center, office building and subsidized restaurant with an urgent care center still to come. The center serves as the welcoming heart of the Wonderful Logistics Center, which the company proposes to almost double in the years to come. If the City Council approves, the company hopes also to build thousands of new homes for workers and their families.
Resnick called the already large development “one of our most ambitious projects,” a state-of-the-art facility populated by Fortune 500 companies on land where three decades ago there were only orchards.
“This is an overnight success that has taken 30 years,” he quipped after thanking those in attendance for sharing the day.
“Now let’s go show the world what Shafter and the Central Valley can do!” he said in closing.
Wonderful has already had a big impact on farming communities in the valley portion of Kern County, especially in Lost Hills and Delano, where in addition to being a major employer, the company has opened charter academies, wellness centers and more. Shafter is the next big focus. If Wonderful moves forward with an expansion of the distribution-center hub, the logistics center’s employment base is expected to expand over time from about 13,000 to 50,000. Housing units the company proposes to build would expand Shafter’s population by about 40%. The Amenities Center is sort of a precursor to those developments. Its training center works in partnership with Amazon and Bakersfield College to introduce job-seekers to tech-oriented warehouse jobs. The office building boasts numerous art pieces, and the restaurant serves healthy meals at relatively low prices.
Thursday’s gathering drew representatives of many of Kern’s most prominent business, government and educational organizations, many of whom accepted offers to tour the new buildings. Resnick’s humility was matched by that of invited speaker Supervisor David Couch, who said he was coming from a local government perspective when he told the audience, “We can’t do anything, and I mean anything, until you all make something, provide a service.”
“The revenue that local government gets comes because you all come to work every day,” Couch said. “It all starts because somebody … took the risk to invest their money in this community.”
Shafter Mayor Chad Givens was up next. He said the city prides itself on how business operates in Shafter and how it is able to move in operators as fast as possible.
“We’re a very business friendly city and we’re thankful for that,” he said before expressing gratitude to Wonderful for its work in the city.
Former City Manager John Guinn, now Wonderful Real Estate’s executive vice president and chief operating officer, told the crowd Resnick and his wife, Lynda Resnick, have shown their commitment to the families of the Central Valley. In his experience, they want nothing more than for the region to become a strong, vibrant place to live.
“Everything they talk about, they actually do,” he said. “That’s uncommon.”
When you think of Kern County, you may think about oil rigs by the thousands, as the county feeds the nation. Now, move over, because Kern County’s dairy industry is taking off with Wednesday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“This is going to take us to a place of leadership,” said Brad Anderson, with California Dairies. “Leadership in California. Leadership in the U.S., and leadership globally as we look to ship out, and feed the world with the world’s most nutritious product.”
California’s dairy community came together to celebrate the opening of the Valley Natural Beverages milk processing plant, which was funded by dairy farmers. The 200,000 square foot plant is located at 8801 Gosford Road in southwest Bakersfield. California Dairies Inc. said the Valley Natural Beverages dairy plant is the most technologically advanced processing facility in the world, and state government wants to keep it that way.
California Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, said, “We, certainly in the office of the Lieutenant Governor, but across the administration, will do everything we can to promote your products so that you have the widest reach for markets everywhere.” The plant makes (ESL) milk, or extended shelf life milk, extending the shelf life up to six months, but you still have to refrigerate it after opening.
California Dairies Chairman, Cory Vanderham, said, “It allows us to send it over to the international market. Be able to send it overseas. Also, (UHT) ultra high temperature milk…where we’re able to pasteurize it at a really hot temperature with some steam, where it doesn’t change the components of the milk, and be able to bottle that as well.”
It took 18 months, from the shovel going into dirt at the groundbreaking, to the first truck transporting milk. The milk bottling facility has been operating since December.
But, the plant full of innovation and collaboration, wouldn’t let 17 News in with a camera to bring you video.
Plus, the milk is still missing a brand. California Secretary of Agriculture, Karen Ross, said, “Do we have a name for the milk? Something really special, right? Well, there’s a branding opportunity to make sure that everyone who bought that knows that farmer’s, and families stand behind us. I’m just sayin’.”
The first of three phases was completed after 100 people were employed at the plant. Phase two includes installing more production lines.Phase three involves expanding the milk bottling plant another 150,000 square feet, according to California Dairies Inc.
https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/kern-county-dairy-community-celebrates-new-milk-bottling-plant/
Lactalis USA announces a major investment in its Tulare, California facility that will allow it to significantly increase the volume of Président Feta cheese produced in the United States. This comes as feta cheese continues to grow in popularity with American consumers. The $55 million investment creates Lactalis’ largest feta production line in the United States. Lactalis USA is a subsidiary of Lactalis, the world’s largest dairy company.
This new, 38,000 square foot manufacturing line will bring additional capacity for Lactalis USA feta production in the United States at its facilities in Tulare and Belmont, Wisconsin. The project creates 20 full-time positions in Tulare along with 100 temporary or contract positions during construction. The construction timeline spans from 2023-2027, with the line becoming partially operational in May of this year. When completed in 2027, Lactalis USA will have increased its U.S. feta production capacity to address current and future customer and consumer demand.
“We are expanding to increase our cheese production capacity at our facility,” said Esteve Torrens, chief executive officer, Lactalis USA. “This investment into new jobs and expanding operations supports our local communities and demonstrates Lactalis’ long-term view for business success in the United States. This expansion helps us meet the growing demand for Président Feta cheese in the United States, which is good news for our retail customers and consumers who continue to choose Président Feta for cooking at home and creating new occasions to enjoy feta.”
The Tulare manufacturing facility is one of the most advanced of Lactalis’ 11 manufacturing facilities across the United States, incorporating the latest technologies from Lactalis Group. This new production line is outfitted based on a complete 3D ergonomic analysis to support worker well-being and safety, in addition to automated air flow control and in-line production. Lactalis USA produces a variety of products at its Tulare facility including Kraft® Parmesan, Knudsen® Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream, and Kraft sweet whey powder.
About Lactalis USA in California
Lactalis has a significant footprint in California with three locations and approximately 500 employees. The company has manufacturing facilities in Tulare and Turlock along with a corporate office in San Fernando. Lactalis manufacturers Kraft® Parmesan, Président® Feta, Knudsen® Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream, and Kraft sweet whey powder in Tulare, and specialty ethnic food and beverage products, including cheeses, yogurts, spreads and dips in Turlock under the Karoun®, Parmalat®, Gopi®, Arz®, Queso Del Valle®, Damavand® and Yanni® brands.
About Lactalis USA
Lactalis USA is committed to enriching lives by producing nutritious and great tasting dairy products. The company offers an unrivaled house of beloved dairy brands in the United States including Galbani® Italian cheeses, Président® specialty cheeses and gourmet butters, Kraft® brands in natural and grated cheeses, Breakstones® cottage cheese, ricotta and sour cream, Cracker Barrel® cheese, Black Diamond® cheddar cheese, Parmalat® milk, siggi’s® and Stonyfield Organic® yogurt brands. In the United States the company has approximately 4,000 employees, is present in eight states with 11 manufacturing facilities and corporate offices located in New York City and Buffalo, N.Y., Chicago, Ill., Bedford, N.H., and San Fernando, Calif. Lactalis USA is part of Lactalis Group, the world’s leading dairy company, a French family business founded in 1933 in Laval, France.
United States Cold Storage Inc. expects to complete an 8.56- million-cubic-foot refrigerated addition at its Tulare North warehouse in Tulare come February 2025. This $75.7 million expansion will include some of the industry’s latest storage and retrieval automation and bring the operation’s total space to more than 24.7 million cubic feet, the largest single footprint in the company’s network.
“I am thrilled for our fifth strategic expansion in Tulare,” said Rod Noll, USCS senior vice president for the Western Region. “This expansion reflects the continued growth of some of our major customers who are broadening their manufacturing capabilities. Specifically, we have a consumer-packaged goods customer relocating its business to northern California and to this facility.
“Meanwhile, we also look forward to contributing to the local Tulare business community and creating additional job opportunities.”
Tulare City Manager Marc Mondell added praise. “US Cold Storage has been a fantastic local employer and partner for over 20 years,” he said. We are thrilled that they are making another large investment into their Tulare facility and look forward to many more years of successful collaboration.”
US Cold Storage plans to break ground for the attached expansion this month, which will ultimately include two new refrigerated rooms capable of storage down to -20F degrees. Officials expect by this November to complete a conventional storage space spanning 3.08 million cubic feet. A second, 5.48 million-cubic- foot room is scheduled to open in February 2025. That space will feature very narrow aisle storage serviced by a warehouse guidance system and semi-automated, turret-style storage and retrieval forklifts.
Upon completion, Tulare North will have approximately 98,500 available pallet positions. The addition also includes 23 more shipping and receiving doors for the operation’s dock, which will boast 73 doors after completion.
“Tulare North is one of our largest facilities in the West Region,” Noll added. “Being a multi-dimensional facility, it can handle a large range of storage temperature requirements. Offering the flexibility of food grade ambient, refrigerated, frozen, and ice cream storage temps allows us to customize our services for many types of customers and many stages of production.”
USCS first built its Tulare North operation in 2002 as a 3.4 million-cubic-foot dry warehouse. Tulare North also offers import and export services, rail handling and product re-pack services. It also is certified according to the BRCGS Food Safety Global Standard. USCS also services the area from a second Tulare operation, a 7.3 million-cubic-foot Tulare South facility, which also offers ambient and refrigerated storage. USCS’s cold storage and logistics network spans 40 sites from coast to coast, including nine California locations from Sacramento and south to Bakersfield. The company is a subsidiary of the U.K.’s John Swire & Sons Ltd.
United States Cold Storage Inc. expects to complete an 8.56- million-cubic-foot refrigerated addition at its Tulare North warehouse in Tulare come February 2025.
This $75.7 million expansion will include some of the industry’s latest storage and retrieval automation and bring the operation’s total space to more than 24.7 million cubic feet, the largest single footprint in the company’s network.
“I am thrilled for our fifth strategic expansion in Tulare,” said Rod Noll, USCS senior vice president for the Western Region. “This expansion reflects the continued growth of some of our major customers who are broadening their manufacturing capabilities. Specifically, we have a consumer-packaged goods customer relocating its business to northern California and to this facility.
“Meanwhile, we also look forward to contributing to the local Tulare business community and creating additional job opportunities.”
Tulare City Manager Marc Mondell added praise. “US Cold Storage has been a fantastic local employer and partner for over 20 years,” he said. We are thrilled that they are making another large investment into their Tulare facility and look forward to many more years of successful collaboration.”
US Cold Storage plans to break ground for the attached expansion this month, which will ultimately include two new refrigerated rooms capable of storage down to -20F degrees. Officials expect by this November to complete a conventional storage space spanning 3.08 million cubic feet. A second, 5.48 million-cubic- foot room is scheduled to open in February 2025. That space will feature very narrow aisle storage serviced by a warehouse guidance system and semi-automated, turret-style storage and retrieval forklifts.
Upon completion, Tulare North will have approximately 98,500 available pallet positions. The addition also includes 23 more shipping and receiving doors for the operation’s dock, which will boast 73 doors after completion.
“Tulare North is one of our largest facilities in the West Region,” Noll added. “Being a multi-dimensional facility, it can handle a large range of storage temperature requirements. Offering the flexibility of food grade ambient, refrigerated, frozen, and ice cream storage temps allows us to customize our services for many types of customers and many stages of production.”
USCS first built its Tulare North operation in 2002 as a 3.4 million-cubic-foot dry warehouse. Tulare North also offers import and export services, rail handling and product re-pack services. It also is certified according to the BRCGS Food Safety Global Standard. USCS also services the area from a second Tulare operation, a 7.3 million-cubic-foot Tulare South facility, which also offers ambient and refrigerated storage. USCS’s cold storage and logistics network spans 40 sites from coast to coast, including nine California locations from Sacramento and south to Bakersfield. The company is a subsidiary of the U.K.’s John Swire & Sons Ltd.
United States Cold Storage Inc. expects to complete an 8.56- million-cubic-foot refrigerated addition at its Tulare North warehouse in Tulare come February 2025.
This $75.7 million expansion will include some of the industry’s latest storage and retrieval automation and bring the operation’s total space to more than 24.7 million cubic feet, the largest single footprint in the company’s network.
“I am thrilled for our fifth strategic expansion in Tulare,” said Rod Noll, USCS senior vice president for the Western Region. “This expansion reflects the continued growth of some of our major customers who are broadening their manufacturing capabilities. Specifically, we have a consumer-packaged goods customer relocating its business to northern California and to this facility.
“Meanwhile, we also look forward to contributing to the local Tulare business community and creating additional job opportunities.”
Tulare City Manager Marc Mondell added praise. “US Cold Storage has been a fantastic local employer and partner for over 20 years,” he said. We are thrilled that they are making another large investment into their Tulare facility and look forward to many more years of successful collaboration.”
US Cold Storage plans to break ground for the attached expansion this month, which will ultimately include two new refrigerated rooms capable of storage down to -20F degrees. Officials expect by this November to complete a conventional storage space spanning 3.08 million cubic feet. A second, 5.48 million-cubic- foot room is scheduled to open in February 2025. That space will feature very narrow aisle storage serviced by a warehouse guidance system and semi-automated, turret-style storage and retrieval forklifts.
Upon completion, Tulare North will have approximately 98,500 available pallet positions. The addition also includes 23 more shipping and receiving doors for the operation’s dock, which will boast 73 doors after completion.
“Tulare North is one of our largest facilities in the West Region,” Noll added. “Being a multi-dimensional facility, it can handle a large range of storage temperature requirements. Offering the flexibility of food grade ambient, refrigerated, frozen, and ice cream storage temps allows us to customize our services for many types of customers and many stages of production.”
USCS first built its Tulare North operation in 2002 as a 3.4 million-cubic-foot dry warehouse. Tulare North also offers import and export services, rail handling and product re-pack services. It also is certified according to the BRCGS Food Safety Global Standard. USCS also services the area from a second Tulare operation, a 7.3 million-cubic-foot Tulare South facility, which also offers ambient and refrigerated storage. USCS’s cold storage and logistics network spans 40 sites from coast to coast, including nine California locations from Sacramento and south to Bakersfield. The company is a subsidiary of the U.K.’s John Swire & Sons Ltd.
Ben Moore’s mom affectionately nicknamed him “Big Ugly,” but that nickname came well before his business The Ugly Company.
The Ugly Company saves unsellable fruit from being tossed out and repurposes it into dried fruit snacks. Last year The Ugly Company saved and repurposed nearly 2.1 million pounds of food waste.
Moore and his Chief Brand Officer Matt Gorells joined the show with some samples of their ugly fruit and what their plans are for the future.
The new facility could be the first large commercial production of feta cheese in California other than boutique and artisanal makers. Lactalis already markets its brands of feta cheese under various labels including its top seller, President.
Feta cheese is a pickled curd cheese with a salty and tangy taste due to its coupling with brine solution. Popular in Greek cooking the product has taken off in the US (like Greek yogurt) and now is expanding rapidly due to increased use in the fast food industry. In comparison with other cheeses, Feta is a low-fat variety often used on salads and Mediterranean dishes. In Europe and elsewhere, feta cheese is often a blend of cow milk with goat or sheep milk. Here it will be just cow’s milk.
A recent report says “The global feta cheese market size was valued at $10.5 billion in 2019, and is anticipated to reach $15.6 billion by 2028, with a [compound annual growth rate] of 5.7% during the forecast period. The market is expected to exhibit an incremental revenue opportunity of $5.0 billion from 2019 to 2028.”
Already the world’s leader in cheese production, Lactalis acquired a portfolio of iconic cheese brands from Kraft including Cracker Barrel, Breakstone’s, Knudsen, Hoffman’s and a perpetual license for the use of the Kraft brand in natural, grated and international cheeses. Lactalis also acquired the Cheez Whiz brand outside the United States, Canada, Mexico, Venezuela and the Philippines and a license for the use of the Velveeta brand in natural and international cheeses. The acquisition included approximately 750 employees and three production facilities located in Tulare, Calif., Walton, N.Y. and Wausau, Wisc. The Kraft/Lactalis plant in Tulare currently employs around 250 people to make mozzarella and parmesan varieties and now feta.
In 2021 before the acquisition of Kraft, the U.S. Department of Justice required Lactalis to divest itself of Kraft’s Athenos, the top selling feta cheese brand in the U.S., and Polly-O brands. They did that. Now Athenos is owned by a Swiss-based company called The Emmi Group.
The Tulare plant and Lactalis’ other U.S. businesses are operating as Lactalis Heritage Dairy, a newly formed division of Lactalis based in Chicago. Groupe Lactalis, the world’s leading dairy group, is a French-family business founded in 1933 in Laval, France. Present in 51 countries, with 266 dairies and cheese dairies throughout the world, its 85,000 employees promote milk in all its forms: cheese, drinking milk, yogurts, butters and creams, dairy ingredients and nutrition. The company also offers products from emblematic international brands such as Président, Galbani and Parmalat.
Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual (CCM) and the Citrus Research Board (CRB) have received more than $1 million in new federal funding for critical research programs that support the U.S. and California citrus industries. Last week, Congress passed the 2023 Appropriations bill, which includes funding to help stop the deadly citrus plant disease Huanglonging (HLB) that has ravaged citrus production in Florida and other parts of the country.
The $1 million in new funding was approved to establish a citrus breeding program at the USDA Agriculture Research Service (ARS) field station in Parlier. “The commitment of the citrus industry to delivering quality research and innovation for all farm use has taken a big step forward with the support of congress funding the citrus breeding program in Parlier,” said Justin Brown, CRB Chairman. The funding will be re-appropriated annually.
The program, which was championed by Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Representatives Jim Costa (D-Fresno) and David Valadao (R-Hanford), will identify new citrus varieties best suited for changing climatic pressures such as drought, consumer taste preferences and resistant to pests and diseases such as HLB. Parlier’s new program is an expansion of the existing national USDA ARS citrus breeding program in Florida, which focuses on varieties with higher yields, increased disease resistance, improved color and a longer shelf life. Based off of these advancements in Florida, the CCM and the CRB saw the need for a similar program in California that would work with unique environmental conditions of the state’s production regions.
CRB, a grower-funded organization aiming to further the industry’s research priorities, has committed $500,000 toward establishing the new breeding program in Parlier to bring additional representation to California’s industry. “The addition of the breeding facility in Parlier will make the ARS Citrus Program a truly national project,” said CCM President and CEO Casey Creamer. “We look forward to watching the growth of this program and its collaboration with the UC breeding program to find solutions to the issues California citrus growers are faced with every day.”
https://thebusinessjournal.com/1m-in-funding-for-central-valley-citrus-breeding/