Today we head east of Modesto to the town of Denair to visit with Brian Wahlbrink of Sperry Farms. Brian grows almonds with his brother-in-law, Wes Sperry, on their 5th generation farming operation. As many of you know, Brian is also the current chairman of the Almond Board of California (ABC). 

Wahlbrink shares about the unique journey that led him to almonds, his long tenure on the global market development committee, keeping up with marketing a rapidly growing crop, and an exciting new partnership with Marvel that positions almonds with the health and wellness journey of Thor in the recently released movie Thor: Love and Thunder. 

“Thor is actually one of the larger characters in Marvel with a huge following. And he goes on a journey, kind of a health and wellness journey. So we just thought the fit was perfect with almonds.” - Brian Wahlbrink

Check out Brian's Instagram and the website to learn more about this partnership!

In Today’s episode: 

• Get to know ABC Chairman Brian Wahlbrink and his journey to the almond industry
• Learn about the evolution of almond promotion programs over time
• Discover ABC’s new partnership with Marvel and why it’s a great fit for almonds
• Understand market development opportunities like the Marvel partnership, and what this means for the almond industry

ABC Update:

Thor: Love and Thunder hit theaters on Friday, July 8th. Almonds had a rare opportunity to be a part of this event. Almond Board of California vice president of global market development Emily Fleischmann shares details of this unique strategic partnership and why this matters for the almond industry. 

The Almond Journey Podcast is brought to you by the Almond Board of California. This show explores how growers, handlers, and other stakeholders are making things work in their operations to drive the almond industry forward. Host Tim Hammerich visits with leaders throughout the Central Valley of California and beyond who are finding innovative ways to improve their operations, connect with their communities, and advance the almond industry.

ABC recognizes the diverse makeup of the California almond industry and values contributions offered by its growers, handlers, and allied industry members. However, the opinions, services and products discussed in existing and future podcast episodes are by no means an endorsement or recommendation from ABC. The Almond Journey podcast is not an appropriate venue to express opinions on national, state, local or industry politics. As a Federal Marketing Order, the Almond Board of California is prohibited from lobbying or advocating on legislative issues, as well as setting field and market prices.