Rephonic
Artwork for Growing the Valley
California
Water Management
Pistachio
Climate Change
Soil Health
Pistachios
Irrigation
Almonds
Plant Pathology
Almond Farming
Almond Industry
Naval Orangeworm
Agriculture
Phytophthora
Pest Management
Orchard Management
Carpophilus Truncatus
Regenerative Agriculture
Almond Trees
Integrated Pest Management

This is a podcast that goes over new research and basic information about growing orchard crops in the Central Valley of California

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes101Founded8 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Natural SciencesGovernmentScience

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Artwork for Growing the Valley

Latest Episodes

Anyone who has an irrigation system knows that it needs to be maintained for peak performance. Anyone who has an irrigation system also knows that almost everything seems to be more important in the moment than flushing those lines or checking pressu... more

In 2026 the Sacramento Valley prune industry is experiencing high fruit sets, high GDH 30, and a high cost of fruit thinning because of very diesel prices. Jaime Ott (UCCE Tehama), Domena Agyeman (UCCE Butte), and Franz Niederholzer (UCCE Colusa) bre... more

The 3rd Generation RAVT recently wrapped up, and Luke, Phoebe, and Roger sit down one final time to discuss the findings. While the overall results are discussed, they also discuss each of the strengths and weaknesses of the 13 remaining varieties. I... more

Giulia Marino and Pat J Brown (both UC Davis) have been examining another potential influence on polyphenol deposition in pistachio: whether the pollen source impacts deposition rates. In this episode, Giulia shares her results, as well as some other... more

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Parry Klassen
Consultant and representative of CURES
Coalition for Urban, Rural, Environmental Stewardship (CURES)
Episode: Distribution uniformity return on investment tool
Inge Bisconer
Consultant and industry veteran
Episode: Distribution uniformity return on investment tool
Domena Agyeman
Ag economist based in Butte County
Independent ag economist (focused on prune economics)
Episode: 2026 Prune Fruit Set, GDH30, and Cost of Thinning
Giulia Marino
Professor of Cooperative Extension
University of California, Cooperative Extension
Episode: The effect of pollen on pistachio fruit and polyphenol deposition
Maciej Zwieniecki
Professor of Plant Sciences at UC Davis
UC Davis, Carbohydrate Observatory
Episode: Encore: Earlier Irrigation Start in Almond
Or Sperling
Plant Science Researcher
Volcani Institute, Israel
Episode: Encore: Earlier Irrigation Start in Almond
Minmin Wang
Project scientist, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis
UC Davis
Episode: Polyphenol deposition in pistachios - what is it, and how do cultivar and irrigation influence it?
Lynn Sosnoskie
Horticultural Crops Weeds Specialist
Cornell University
Episode: Encore: Climate Change Part 4: Weeds with Lynn Sosnoskie
Ellie Andrews
New advisor, specialty crops advisor
UC Cooperative Extension (Solano/Sonoma counties area context from transcript)
Episode: The benefits of applying almond hulls and shells as mulch in orchards

Hosts

Luke Melliron
Host of Growing the Valley, UC ANR Farm Advisor for Butte, Tehama and Glenn Counties
Phoebe Gordon
Host of Growing the Valley, UC Cooperative Extension Advisor / Orchard Systems Lead

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 46 ratings
  • Merry Christmas

    Thank you guys for hosting!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Grimes,ca
    United States3 years ago
  • Request from a big fan

    I love this podcast! The hosts bring a deep expertise on the topic at hand but in a very user friendly way. I have a request. I have a family-run farm where we harvest ginkgo nuts. There is very little available info out there on ginkgo trees. I would LOVE to hear a special episode on this up-and-coming component of the California agricultural scene!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    GingkosRock
    United States8 years ago
  • Very interesting and well produced.

    Even though I only took bio a long time ago this podcast is easy to understand and very educational. I appreciate learning about California crops. Also Luke has such a nice and relaxing voice; definitely rivals the voices of those on NPR.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    htwin2
    United States8 years ago
  • Almonds Rock!

    Can’t wait for the next installment!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    USCSNL
    United States8 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Overall production quality and accessibility of complex topics are consistently praised.
Listeners appreciate the hosts' practical, research-backed guidance for orchard farming.
There's a strong sense of relevance for almond, pistachio, and other CA crops, with actionable takeaways.
Guests are credible, bringing university-level expertise to real-world farming decisions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

2026 Prune Fruit Set, GDH30, and Cost of Thinning
Q: Domena, how does the economic framework of partial budgeting help a grower decide whether to thin, especially under high diesel costs?
Partial budgeting simplifies decision-making by weighing additional revenue from bigger fruit and cost savings against thinning costs, helping determine whether thinning yields a positive return even with high input costs.
2026 Prune Fruit Set, GDH30, and Cost of Thinning
Q: Franz, can you explain GDH 30 and what the numbers looked like in your northern Sacramento Valley region this year?
GDH 30 is a heat-unit metric that correlates with rapid development; in the northern Sacramento Valley this year it was high, suggesting accelerated development and a push to thin more aggressively to manage fruit load and final size.
Boron fertilization of olives
Q: What does boron do for plants and are there any special considerations for olives?
Boron is essential for pollen viability, germination, and fertilization; in olives, it particularly supports the production of perfect flowers and the movement of boron to reproductive tissues, helping improve fruit set especially in off years.
Water use in regenerative and cover cropped orchards
Q: What were you finding about yields?
The water use efficiency metric we used suggested the most efficient producer was the bare soil orchard, but factors like orchard age complicated direct comparisons.
Water use in regenerative and cover cropped orchards
Q: What did you find?
We did not find evidence of cover cropping increasing water use, and in one case, the cover cropped orchard used significantly less water than the bare soil orchard.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Growing the Valley

What is Growing the Valley about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show consistently centers on practical orchard science and applied research in California's Central Valley, translating complex agronomic work into actionable insights for farmers, farm advisors, and industry professionals. Episodes cover irrigation optimization, pest and disease management, crop physiology, pollination biology, soil health, and post-harvest quality across staples like almonds, pistachios, olives, and walnuts, often highlighting data-driven approaches, cross-institution collaboration, and real-world field trials. A standout trait is the strong extension and university-based perspective, with hosts who demystify research and connect it to on-farm decision making, making this a reliable resource for improving yield, effic... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Growing the Valley?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Growing the Valley:

1. Almond Journey
2. Morning Wire
3. The Joe Rogan Experience
4. The MeatEater Podcast
5. The Pat McAfee Show

How many episodes of Growing the Valley are there?

Growing the Valley launched 8 years ago and published 101 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Growing the Valley?

Recent guests on Growing the Valley include:

1. Parry Klassen
2. Inge Bisconer
3. Domena Agyeman
4. Giulia Marino
5. Maciej Zwieniecki
6. Or Sperling
7. Minmin Wang
8. Lynn Sosnoskie

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