The Origins of Our Almonds
90% of the world’s almonds are grown in California’s Central Valley. It is bounded to the east by the towering Sierras and to the west by the coastal mountain range. Its rich, alluvial soil is wondrously fertile. This great plain is a sea of white in February when the almonds blossom. The orchards are irrigated by water from melting snow high in the Sierras. It is brought to them by a marvelous system of canals. California almonds are sweeter and their flavor is richer and more complex. Imported almond cannot compare. California almonds are simply the best.
We have decided to offer almonds exclusively from California in making our almond butter. The almonds we are offering have been processed in compliance with the USDA rule. They are exposed to steam for 8 seconds at 210- 215°F, then moved through a dehydrating tunnel to remove the moisture resulting from the steam for 44 seconds, in a circulating air temperature of 391- 395°F. During this process the almonds are 221-220°F on their surface and 110- 115°F at their core.
California farmers are leading the struggle to bring back your original almonds. In addition to instituting a lawsuit against the USDA “pasteurization” mandate, California farmers are actively developing another route, namely “non-thermal pasteurization” i.e. the use of ultra-violet light or ozone at room temperature to achieve the same result. We support their pursuit of this non-thermal pasteurization process.
Nutrition
Almonds are a premier source of vitamin E. 23 almonds contains 35% of the Daily Value for vitamin E. Since the National Academy of Sciences increased the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for this important antioxidant, many Americans aren’t getting enough of the essential nutrient. Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that is essential to overall well-being. Almonds are one of the best food sources of alpha tocopherol vitamin E, which the National Academies of Sciences has identified as the only type of vitamin E that makes itself available to cells in the circulatory system. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, almonds rank strongly among food containing alpha-tocopherol vitamin E. 1 ounce of almonds contains 7.4 miligrams or 35 percent of the Daily Value of this nutrient.
A study from Harvard found that people who ate nuts frequently were less likely to die from heart disease and cancer.
Dear brothers and sisters,
A sister writes, Thank you for supporting America. But I also have a question: I had to get some in-between-orders almonds at my local healthfood store. They had organic California almonds and organic Spanish almonds. The Spanish almonds were considerably less expensive, but looked dry, dull, flat and wrinkled. I recalled that while they had high taste when I’d had them before, they were dry and the taste also seemed like it could be borderline going to rancidity. And I thought they’ve come a long way and who knows how old they are/what they’ve been through? The California almonds were plump, smooth and bright – and they are grown right here in this country. So the decision wasn’t difficult. Here’s the question: are they better looking because of the processing or in spite of it?
Almond OrchardWe reply:- 90% of the world’s almonds are grown in California. This in a special region of the Central Valley. It was once an inland sea. It is bounded to the east by the towering Sierras and to the west by the coastal mountain range. Its rich, alluvial soil is wondrous fertile.This great plain is a sea of white in February when the almonds blossom. The orchards are irrigated by water from melting snow high in the Sierras. It is brought to them by a marvelous system of canals. California almonds are sweeter and their flavor is richer and more complex. Imported almonds cannot compare. California almonds are simply the best.
We have decided to offer only California almonds and to use only California almonds in making almond butter. This means that the almonds we are offering have been processed in compliance with the USDA rule that went into effect in September 2007. They are exposed to steam for 8 seconds at 210-215°F. Then for 44 seconds they are moved through a dehydrating tunnel to remove the moisture resulting from the steam. The circulating air temperature is 391- 395°F. During this process the almonds are 220-221°F on their surface and 110-115°F at their core.
At Living Tree Community Foods we feel it is essential to support family farmers. They are threatened as never before. As the Cornucopia Institute states in their press release of March 11,2009:-
Almond farmers and handlers engaged in the sale of raw and/or organic almonds have watched their operations disintegrate as a result of the treatment mandate. Consumers and retailers have turned to foreign suppliers, taking advantage of the regulatory loophole, for untreated raw and organic almonds.sic.
To purchase almonds from Spain is to undermine what is alive and living in American agriculture. Consider, that a moment ago, the US led the world in the production of organic sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Now virtually all are imported from China. We must not allow this to continue! American almond growers must never be outsourced!!
In our view near here in a microcosm is a deep underlying cause of the financial crisis. For decades American industry has been increasingly “outsourced”. What this means is that our industry and “know-how” has been given over to foreigners because they have been willing to work for less. It is in manufacturing and farming that new wealth is created, not in service industries, banking, insurance or any such thing. We were once the workshop of the world-now we’ve become a bubble economy. There was the dot.com bubble, the housing bubble and the stock market bubble. These are tragic attempts to keep the good times coming while the engine of accumulation has deteriorated. Think on it… the shoes you’re wearing, your laptop, your cell phone, even your underwear has been made in China! Is it any wonder then that we are waking up to the fact that we owe them more than $2 trillion!
(Let us avoid the delusion that the crisis is due to “rapacious speculators” or “greedy banksters”. This is equivalent to saying that “germs” cause disease rather than looking at the enervated condition of the body and the failure of the organs of elimination to function normally and eliminate waste. When the waste builds up, a crises arises!)
At Living Tree Community we have been buying almonds from California family farmers since 1979. More than any documentation, more any certificate, established business relations, spanning decades, based upon a handshake, a smile and a look in the eye are surely the best assurance. We refuse to give this up. We refuse to deal with an anonymous, multinational conglomerate in Europe. We refuse to participate in “outsourcing” American almond growers!
The city of Fresno in California is in the heart of the almond growing region. Unemployment there is a shocking 17% (the national average is 8.5%). In the nearby town of Mendota, 35 miles to the west, nearly half the people there are unemployed! The situation conjures images from the Great Depression and the Grapes of Wrath with farm workers idled as farm land goes fallow. This is a national disgrace! We have got to support California family farmers!
We’ve all been hearing about the proliferation of big government. There are measures afoot to control the food supply and this on the pretext of “food safety”. Family farmers are threatened as never before. We have got to support them!
Henceforth we shall offer only California almonds. We do so with joy and gladness. In our opinion, what we lose by 8 seconds of steam we more than gain by supporting California family farmers.
California farmers are leading the struggle to bring back your original almonds. In addition to the instituting of a lawsuit against the USDA “pasteurization” mandate, California farmers are actively pursuing another route, namely “non-thermal pasteurization” i.e. the use of ultra-violet light or ozone at room temperature to achieve the same result. To support them is to say yes! To what is decent and alive in America today!
Thomas JeffersonThomas Jefferson was right. In a letter to George Washington in 1787 he wrote, Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.
Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was right. In his inauguration address he said, Why should there not be a patient confidence in the ultimate justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world? By supporting California almond growers we are but realizing Lincoln’s vision of a “new birth of freedom”.
With good wishes,
Jesse Schwartz,Ph.D.
President
Living Tree Community Foods
Almonds are a premier source of vitamin E. One ounce of almonds (about 23 almonds) contains 35 percent of the Daily Value for vitamin E. Since the National Academy of Sciences increased the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for this important antioxidant in 2001, many Americans aren’t getting enough of the essential nutrient.
The Almond Board of California continues to invest in research on the impact of antioxidants on chronic diseases, such as heart disease and diabetes, revealing some promising results.
In a Nutshell: Vitamin E is an important antioxidant that is essential to overall well-being. Almonds are one of the best food sources of alpha-tocopherol vitamin E. According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (see chart below) almonds rank strongly among food containing alpha-tocopherol vitamin E, and one ounce of almonds contains 7.4 miligrams or 35 percent of the Daily Value of this nutrient.
