[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16978]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING BLUE DIAMOND GROWERS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. DENNIS A. CARDOZA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 28, 2010

  Mr. CARDOZA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize Blue Diamond 
Growers, celebrating 100 years of quality service, both domestically 
and worldwide.
  The seed for this American icon was planted on May 6, 1910, by 230 
California almond growers, forming the California Almond Growers 
Exchange, a cooperative created to establish a market for quality 
almond production.
  Sixty percent of California's almond growers joined the cooperative, 
giving birth to America's first almond brand, the Blue Diamond, named 
after the world's rarest and most precious of gems, a true symbol of 
quality.
  In an effort to expand Blue Diamond's commitment to innovation and 
quality, the Blue Diamond forefathers made their first voyage to Italy 
and Spain, in 1917, to share cultural and marketing information. This 
marked the first promotion by an American cooperative to provide 
almonds to a foreign market. Soon after, Spain would become a leading 
market for California almonds.
  Blue Diamond established a partnership with the Federal government in 
1928 to obtain better rail rates, thus facilitating the first speech in 
America aboard a train headed cross country about the importance of 
equitable almond prices.
  With continuing commitment to innovation, integrity, and satisfaction 
of customer needs, Blue Diamond developed the first cellophane bag to 
package almonds. The company funded the first nutritional research 
program, establishing almonds as a viable source of protein and energy. 
As a result, almonds are now an essential source of food in the Federal 
School Lunch Program.
  Continually searching for new ways to make almonds enjoyable and fun, 
Blue Diamond introduced the first almond snack, Smokehouse Almond, an 
American favorite for airline passengers.
  In 1950, Blue Diamond established the Almond Board of California, a 
federal marketing order, which helped to collect market information by 
funding research and promoting California almonds.
  With a commitment to quality and a desire to provide for almond 
lovers everywhere, Blue Diamond led the way in opening the Japanese 
market and established its first foreign office in Japan in the 1950s.
  Blue Diamond exported California almonds to Russia when it was still 
known as the Soviet Union. In the 1970s, Blue Diamond provided the 
Indian market with California almonds, a relationship that still exists 
today. India now imports over $100 million dollars of California 
almonds, making almonds the number-one U.S. export to India.
  Blue Diamond is currently expanding the almond market in China, which 
ranks among the largest in the world for California almonds.
  From Blue Diamond's modest beginnings as a small industry of three 
million pounds of almonds in 1910, California is now producing more 
than 1.65 billion pounds and 80 percent of the global supply. Blue 
Diamond's business has grown to nearly $1 billion dollars with over 
half of the state's almond growers owning the cooperative.
  Due to Blue Diamond's diligence and commitment to quality, almonds 
are now California's largest food export and rank as the largest tree 
crop in the world. Blue Diamond represents the best of the American 
entrepreneurial spirit and its products have become ingrained in many 
aspects of Americans' lives. It is a privilege to honor Blue Diamond 
Growers for its 100 years of leadership in developing and promoting the 
California almond industry both domestically and abroad.

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