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There are currently hundreds-of-thousands of acres of Almond orchards up and down the Central Valley of California. Owning an Almond orchard is a year round effort, and for many, is a way of life. Almond trees start blooming in mid February and continue blooming through the middle of March.
'Growers', as the owners of the Almond orchards are known, bring in Bees to assist in the pollination of the Almond trees. As the season progresses, (between mid-March and July), buds turn to blossoms. Blossoms eventually turn into what are called Nutletes, which in turn develop into full grown Almonds.
In the later part of July, it's time for the harvest. Growers use a vehicle known as a 'Tree Shaker' to literally shake the nuts from the branches of the trees. Nuts are then allowed to lay on the ground to dry. The nuts are then raked into rows where the harvester then sweeps them up from the orchard floor.
The harvested Almonds are transported to a hulling/shelling facility to have the leathery hull removed from the Almond, and if desired, have the hard shell removed as well. The Almonds are then taken to a receiving station for further processing.
Step 2: Receiving Stations
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