Enjoying Outside! - Visit the Capay Valley Almond Festival!

Kristie Ehrhardt • February 11, 2026

The Capay Valley Almond Festival has been a regional tradition since 1915. It showcases the Esparto/Capay Valley region and was originally held in the fall after the almond harvest was complete. Years later it was rescheduled to occur on the last Sunday in February to celebrate the almond trees while in blossom. The Almond Festival is the only local celebration that not only incorporates the dazzling landscape but it also honors five Capay Valley towns: Esparto, Capay, Brooks, Guinda and Rumsey. The 21-mile route along Highway 16 covers each town, offering their own unique ambiance and activities all while celebrating the almond bloom in Yolo County. You will also find local crafts, family fun, delicious food and other entertainment at each location. 


A bit about California’s almond history!


Much like the European Starling’s initial introduction into the United States, the first attempt at almond production in California was not as glorious as anticipated. Almond trees were first planted in California as early as 1853 using European varieties that were not adapted for our climate conditions. Most of these subpar trees were either converted into other fruit trees or used for firewood. Even though the inaugural attempt wasn’t fruitful (haha, get it?), lessons were learned about cross pollination and where to plant the next go-around. Science happened and by the 1880’s other varieties were being cultivated and during the Citrus Fair in 1886, the two varieties that are still grown today were introduced.  By the 1900’s cross pollination tactics advanced and were in place and our commercial production was on its way. This combined with the fact that almond trees were productive in soils that were too sandy for other fruit trees and could be prolific without the use of much artificial water, the crop finally seemed to be destined for success. During the twenty year span between the mid 1960’s and the mid 1980’s, irrigation methods advanced and became more available to land in the San Joaquin Valley, which held ideal conditions for almond production, creating a booming industry that still remains today. In 2020, 1.25 million acres of California were in almond production. We yield 2.8 BILLION (!) pounds of almonds which provides 100% of the United States commercial supply and over 80% of the world’s demand. Almonds are in the top five most valuable California exports bringing in almost five billion dollars. 

Almond farming does have some drawbacks though. The water usage, especially during drought conditions, combined with the waste from almond husks and shells have caused a decline in production over the past few years. But again science is happening and the waste products are being used as livestock feed and bedding as well as in cogeneration plants. Alternative uses are constantly being explored such as using processed almond waste to help maintain lower temperatures in rubber plane and vehicle tires. 


This year will mark the 111th festival and the newly crowned Almond Queen will be showcased the evening before at the revival of the Esparto “Music in the Park” event. The Almond Festival will feature a beer garden at the Esparto fire station, book sale at the library, car show, Future Farmers of America breakfast at Esparto High School, food trucks, live music from several different bands, local vendors  and wine tasting. If you’re craving some good food, family fun and would like to commemorate a regional labor of love, mark your calendars for February 22, 2026 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. 


See you up in the Valley!

RECENT ARTICLES

Women's Equality Day 2026

By Kristie Ehrhardt • August 26, 2026
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution - granting women the right to vote - was certified on August 26, 1920. In commemoration of this, in 1973 Congress designated August 26 as "Women's Equality Day" to remind us of the heroic women who advanced the Women's Suffrage movement. In recognition of Women's Equality Day, Tuleyome is highlighting three women who are dedicated to conservation: Sheila Pratt (Cache Creek Conservancy), Corky Quirk (NorCal Bats and Yolo Basin Foundation), and Cathy Little (Yolo Habitat Conservancy). Please share in a round of applause for our friends for their passion and dedication to conservation.

Women's Equality Day 2026 - Cathy Little

By Kristie Ehrhardt • August 25, 2026
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution - granting women the right to vote - was certified on August 26, 1920. In commemoration of this, in 1973 Congress designated August 26 as "Women's Equality Day" to remind us of the heroic women who advanced the Women's Suffrage movement. In recognition of Women's Equality Day, Tuleyome is highlighting three women who are dedicated to conservation: Corky Quirk (NorCal Bats and Yolo Basin Foundation), Sheila Pratt (Cache Creek Conservancy) and Cathy Little (Yolo Habitat Conservancy). Hear about Cathy's journey below and learn about Sheila here and Corky here. Please share in a round of applause for our friends for their passion and dedication to conservation. I received my Bachelor’s Degree at UC Davis in Plant Biology and immediately moved into environmental consulting when I graduated. For the next few years, I had the opportunity to botanize and see lands throughout California. I was working on large river projects and became interested in restoration of riparian habitat and decided to go back to school and get my master’s degree at Chico State. I continued working on restoration projects and started to be more interested in conservation work. I spent the last 16 years working for the Center of Natural Lands Management where I directly managed and acquired lands with listed species and sensitive habitats and led the northern California group. Recently I made a career move to the Yolo Habitat Conservancy where I am now contributing to conservation work in my local County. Through growing up in California I have been able to spend a large amount of time in vast beautiful wilderness areas, but have also witnessed conversion of many lands to development. I have always had a draw to natural lands and observing the amazing intricate ecosystems that they support. When I was working in environmental consulting on designing, building, and monitoring restoration sites, I saw these lands being transferred to entities that managed them in perpetuity, and I knew that I wanted to be part of the effort. I have spent most of my career now doing just that. Throughout my time working in conservation, I have had so many long-term field ecologists inspire me to continue doing this work. Watching others work tirelessly over many years to manage and protect natural lands, and collaborate and share their knowledge, has been so motivating. There is nothing more enjoyable than spending a day in the field with other ecologists and sharing enthusiasm about some small moment of observation, and always learning some new tidbit of information about a certain species or behavior or management tool. My advice to young women starting their career in the environmental/conservation/non-profit sector would be to just get out there and start gaining experience in whatever seems interesting and then collaborate and talk to as many people to learn about all the different opportunities. There are so many aspects of conservation and environmental work and the more time you spend working in it, the more you will be able to figure out how you want to contribute to the community as a whole. I would suggest taking as many opportunities as you can and working with as many different people as possible. Listening to people’s backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can be valuable in navigating your path. I would recommend always advocating for yourself, being open and honest about your abilities, and committing to and communicating your beliefs regarding your work.

Women's Equality Day 2026 - Corky Quirk

By Kristie Ehrhardt • August 25, 2026
The 19th Amendment to the Constitution - granting women the right to vote - was certified on August 26, 1920. In commemoration of this, in 1973 Congress designated August 26 as "Women's Equality Day" to remind us of the heroic women who advanced the Women's Suffrage movement. In recognition of Women's Equality Day, Tuleyome is highlighting three women who are dedicated to conservation: Corky Quirk (NorCal Bats and Yolo Basin Foundation), Sheila Pratt (Cache Creek Conservancy) and Cathy Little (Yolo Habitat Conservancy). Hear about Corky's journey below and learn about Cathy here and Sheila here. Please share in a round of applause for our friends for their passion and dedication to conservation. I came to bats late. I have been involved with outdoor recreation and environmental education most of my life. I have a BS in Natural Resources with an emphasis in Environmental Education from Humboldt State. But, it was learning about them at the Yolo Basin Foundation (YBF) where I found my love for bats. When I started at YBF, there was a woman who we contracted to do 3 programs a summer and I started volunteering for her organization in 2004. I was inspired to work in the conservation/preservation/ecology sector because my parents loved nature. We did many trips to State and National Parks where we camped and hiked. Over the years I have met many people who work in the conservation field and have encouraged me. I greatly enjoy sharing knowledge with the various bat biologists from environmental consultants, to the State to the US government agencies. There are two projects that I am most proud of. I started NorCal Bats in 2006 and now see almost 40,000 people each year to educate them about bats from schools, libraries, garden clubs, festivals, campgrounds and more. I'm also very proud of how popular the Yolo Basin Foundation Bat Talk and Tour program has become. When I took over the program in 2006 we did about 3 nights a summer, now we are conducting about 70. Some of the most profound moments and memories for me are of all the people who have learned about bats both through the Yolo Basin Foundation's Bat Talk and Tour programs and the presentations through NorCal Bats. I don’t have a specific favorite memory but I am proud of the number of times people come to me and say that they were hesitant or afraid of bats, and no longer are due to the presentation. Periodically, when I take the bats to schools through NorCal Bats, I'll have a student who is very fearful. Sometimes they hide under a desk or sit very close to the teacher. I'm most proud when they overcome that fear, ask questions and especially if they say that the bat is cute.