BIOS EXPANSION

The BIOS program expanded in 1994 and again in 1995-96. The 1994 expansion included the addition of an almond project in Stanislaus County and a walnut project in Yolo/Solano counties. The 1995-96 expansion involves three new almond projects in Madera, San Joaquin, and Colusa counties. The 1994 expansion projects were modeled directly after the original Merced County BIOS project. The three most recent almond-expansion projects are in the very early stages of development.

The Stanislaus almond project has enjoyed much of the same success as the original Merced project in terms of participant enthusiasm, high attendance at meetings, and positive feedback. CAFF Foundation attributes this success to several factors: the commodity is the same and cropping conditions are similar; there is overlap in the management team membership; the same person coordinates the Merced project, and program resources and activities are shared.

The Yolo/Solano walnut project has been less successful. Differences in the biology and ecology of walnut production systems may be one explanation. In particular, a later harvest and denser tree canopy make cover crops more difficult to plant and maintain than in almond orchards. A key walnut pest - the codling moth - is also harder to manage without insecticides than are most almond pests. In addition, the UC Farm Adviser responsible for walnuts in Yolo/Solano counties decided not to support the program, leaving a vacuum in terms of UC Cooperative Extension technical assistance and local credibility.

In response to these challenges, CAFF Foundation, the management team, and participating farmers have suggested several options. These include downsizing the project and perhaps using a different model from the one used in the almond projects; strengthening CAFF leadership by hiring more staff and dedicating more time to program coordination; clarifying the roles of management team members; and evaluating and developing a plan to recruit farm advisers, strategic walnut farmers, and other walnut-industry supporters of a BIOS approach.