The Almond Project

The Almond Project is a collective of farmers, scientists, and almond-loving food brands paving the way towards a more resilient future for almonds. 

Together, we’re implementing soil health practices on almond farms in California over the next five years (and counting) – then measuring the impact and sharing our findings across the food industry. Our mission is to preserve natural resources, support regenerative approaches, and protect farming communities to ensure we can all enjoy almonds for generations to come.

The future of almonds is at stake. And the climate crisis is to blame. Global warming poses a dire threat to these crunchy, nutrient-dense, protein-packed nuts and the farmers whose livelihoods depend on them – especially in California, which supplies 80% of the world’s almonds. Simply put, if we want to keep enjoying almonds, we have to rethink how we grow them.

At Daily Harvest, we believe that improving soil health is key to building a more resilient food system. Soil health practices have been used by Indigenous people for hundreds of years, but research in this realm is sparse, and the financial, and technical responsibility of adopting these methods too often falls solely on farmers. 

We know we can’t solve this problem alone, so we’re teaming up with experts and fellow advocates across the food industry to identify and implement lasting solutions.

With the help of third-generation growers at Treehouse California Almonds, our farm partners are deploying soil health practices on 160 acres of almond farmland in California’s Central Valley, which include: 

1. Cover cropping: planting specific crops that nourish the soil between harvests 

2. Animal integration: letting animals graze in the orchards to eliminate weeds and fertilize the soil

3. Composting: adding decomposing organic material that’s nutrient-rich but typically regarded as waste 

4. Reducing synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers: restoring the soil's natural cycles so it can grow food and ward off pests on its own

Then, we’ll work with soil scientists to compare this farmland to neighboring baselines. We’re measuring the impact of these practices to see if we’re increasing biodiversity (aka the number of organisms in the soil), conserving water, enhancing the soil’s fertility, and increasing its ability to capture carbon from the atmosphere, which can help reverse climate change. Once we’ve identified what works (or what doesn’t), we’ll share our findings with other farmers and peers across the food industry.

We intend to develop proof points that incentivize farmers and food companies to adopt more sustainable practices, which have the power to regenerate farmland, balance the climate crisis, and safeguard the future of food. 

Big picture, we’re hoping to drive industry-wide change. Our founding partners include Treehouse California Almonds, Simple Mills, Cappello’s, and White Buffalo Land Trust.

In February, the Daily Harvest team pulled up on one of The Almond Project’s orchards and  spoke to family farmers about what almonds mean to them. 

“Aside from improving the livelihood of our soil, food, bodies, and planet, I think this is an opportunity for us farmers, agronomists, and soil scientists, to share all the amazing things we’re doing,” said Joe Gardiner, a farmer and sales manager at Treehouse California Almonds. “We’re the unsung heroes of the food system, and it’s time we show the world how deeply we care about the state of our planet.”

Eat responsibly grown almonds. Daily Harvest is proud to use Treehouse California Almonds in more than 20 items across our collections, from Smoothies and Mylk to Harvest Bakes, Flatbreads, and Bites, we’re committed to almonds.

Daily Harvest delivers chef-crafted food built on real, sustainable fruits and vegetables. Learn more at daily-harvest.com.