Local walnut growers, PCAs, and members of allied industries braved the dense Tule fog to attend Tri County Walnut Day, an annual event hosted by UCCE Tulare County. The program attracted over 50 attendees, as well as speakers from throughout the walnut-growing regions of the state. Currently, over 3,700 growers farm the 380,000+ acres of walnuts in California. In 2025, over 800,000 tons of walnuts were produced, approximately 200,000 tons more than the 2024 crop.
Guests were welcomed by Larry Micari, Tulare County District 1 Supervisor and Leonel Jiminez, UCCE Tulare County Director. Elizabeth Fichtner, UCCE Tulare County Farm Advisor organized a meeting agenda covering pest and disease management as well as topics pertaining to enhancing crop production. Clarissa Reyes, a new UCCE farm advisor from Sutter-Yuba, Butte, and Placer Counties presented on her recent research on the use of ethephon on Chandler and Solano walnuts. Ken Shackel, Professor of Plant Sciences at UC Davis discussed his research on irrigation management in walnuts. Robert Verloop, the Executive Director and CEO of the California Walnut Board and Commission provided an industry outlook. The meeting was followed by a luncheon sponsored by the California Walnut Board.