Water Bond and Groundwater Legislation #PedalforPistachios Pistachios’ Power for Post-Exercise APG Display Bin Campaign in Japan 2014 Clovis Farmers Market Pistachio Party 2015 Annual Conference Arizona Pistachio Growers Association Harvest Party
In November, California Proposition 1 will be on the ballot— finally. After four-plus years of waiting by the agricultural community, at last this initiative will be decided upon by California voters on November 4, 2014. If approved, this measure would enact the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014. It contains $7.55 billion to improve the water quality, supply and infrastructure in California and would provide the following funds: •
Water Storage - $2.7B
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Watershed Protection, Watershed Ecosystem Restoration, State Settlements - $1.495B
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Groundwater Sustainability - $900M
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Regional Water Reliability - $810M
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Water Recycling - $725M
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Safe Drinking Water - $520M
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Statewide Flood Management - $395M
Click here to view a more in-depth outline of the bond spending.
In the last two weeks of the State legislature, several groundwater bills were introduced and passed. These bills circumvented the normal committee hearing process; therefore there was little or no discussion, debate or compromise on the contents of each of these pieces of legislation. Three bills, (click on each to view) AB 1739, SB 1168 and SB 1319 were ultimately signed by Governor Brown. This is the first time the State has implemented such extensive groundwater management regulations. APG signed onto a letter asking Governor Brown to veto these bills and conduct a comprehensive review and discussion during the next legislative session related to groundwater issues (click here to view the letter). Nonetheless, Governor Brown signed the bills early last week. The package of three laws will put local agencies in charge of managing groundwater supplies, while giving the state new authority to step in when necessary to stabilize declining water tables.
In celebration of the Tour de France and the sport of cycling, for ten days in July, APG held a contest inviting cyclists to share their favorite photos of themselves with their bikes for a chance to win pistachios plus $500 at their local Specialized Bike retailer. In order to participate, cyclists were asked to tag their photos with the hashtag #PedalforPistachios on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. The more photos they tagged, the more chances they had to win. By posting their favorite photos, they also earned the opportunity to vote on other posted photos. The top daily post received a one-pound bag of pistachios, and the top five overall posts received a $500 gift certificate to their local Specialized Bicycle retailer. In all, there were eleven daily prize winners and five grand prize winners. APG’s #Pedalfor Pistachios promotion was supported with social media posts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as paid media campaigns on Facebook and Twitter.
APG kicked off the football tailgate season with Team Nutrition Manager Bryan Synder of the Denver Broncos who demonstrated the tailgate powers of pistachios. APG teamed-up with Bryan Synder who shared tips, via video, on how tailgaters could keep their party fare delicious and healthy with American pistachios. APG plans to post this video on social media channels throughout the football season. To view the video click here. To view and download the pistachio tailgating recipes Bryan Synder talks about in the video, click here.
APG e-blasted over 30,000 registered dietitians, sport nutritionists and nutritionists with post-exercise and everyday snacking tips for fitness enthusiasts and athletes. APG joined forces with ambassadors Nigel Mitchell and Becci Twombley with an infographic that breaks down the nutritional benefits of pistachios for athletes and exercisers. Becci Twombley shared her nutrition tips for athletes as well as how to powerplan for power-snacking on rest days and what post-workout snacks to enjoy. Nigel Mitchell offered up a power-packed Pistachio Rice Cake recipe that combines pistachios with a carbohydrate to help replenish glycogen stores.
New display bins and point-of-purchase materials were unveiled in Japan. The bins featured APG athlete ambassadors pro cyclist Mark Cavendish, big mountain snowboarder Jeremy Jones and the USA Water Polo team. More than fifty display bins were strategically placed in thirty retail outlets throughout Japan during an APG promotion that ran from July through August.
Come join APG and the pistachio industry at the Pistachio Party in old town Clovis, during the Clovis Farmers Market, on Friday September 26 from 5:30 to 9pm. Various flavors of pistachios, along with free sample bags of pistachios, will be given away. Chefs from The Institute of Technology Culinary Academy will be creating and sharing pistachio dishes for the audience to sample, and market vendors will be selling their own delicious pistachio treats as well. Photos: 2013 Pistachio Party
Arizona’s Pistachio Association is having their annual harvest party on Saturday, October 25, 2014 at the Elks Club in Willcox. If you plan to attend please RSVP by emailing Angie Bennett at angie@northbowiefarming.com.
The University of California will offer research-based information on all aspects of pistachio production during its “Advances in Pistachio Production” workshops that will be held at the Visalia Convention Center on November 18-20, 2014. Course registration, via an online survey, is available by clicking here, or visit the Fruit and Nut Research and Information Center website (fruitsandnuts. ucdavis.edu) for more information.