This year’s California Almond Conference will expand the time allotted for seminars and discussions, meaning growers, handlers, shippers and allied industry folks will want to get there earlier than in previous years.

Seminars begin Dec. 6 (Tuesday) at 11:30 a.m. with a discussion on bringing the almond orchard story to consumers. Seminars are slated throughout the day and will cap off with the state of the industry address at 4 p.m.

The three-day event features keynote speakers, technical experts and panelists from across the globe. Serving as a center for communication, the Almond Conference will cover everything from bee health to marketing, providing information that will directly impact growers’ decisions and activities in the orchard.

Elina L. Niño, entomologist and bee specialist with the University of California Cooperative Extension at the University of California, Davis, will speak Dec. 6 on “Healthy Hives: A Grower’s Role.”

Those attending the session will learn the value of protecting honey bees from pesticide exposure and how to use wildflowers as forage crops to supplement honey bee diets before, during and after the pollination season.

On the marketing front, Stacey Humble, vice president of global marketing for Almond Board of California, will address the evolution of Almond Board marketing programs at a Dec. 7 session.

Over the years, ABC has cultivated not only the awareness of almonds with consumers, but has elevated almonds to be “top of mind” purchases. In large part, the consumer shift is because of the diverse investment in marketing programs ABC has made for the industry.

Preregistration is free and open to anyone in the almond industry. To preregister, please visit AlmondConference.com.