The Complete Guide to Orchard Removal in California's Central Valley

Every orchard has a lifespan. Whether you're farming almonds in Merced County, walnuts in San Joaquin, or stone fruit in Stanislaus, the day will come when those trees need to come out. After more than 55 years of removing orchards across the Central Valley, our family has seen every scenario — from straightforward block removals to complex multi-variety tearouts complicated by disease, difficult soils, and tight replanting timelines.

This guide covers everything you need to know about orchard removal in the Central Valley: why, when, and how to do it right, plus the grant programs that can offset your costs and the steps you need to take before replanting. Whether this is your first removal or your tenth, we wrote this to be the resource we wish we'd had when we started.

Why Orchards Need to Be Removed

Orchard removal is never a decision growers take lightly. You've invested years — sometimes decades — into those trees. But there are several situations where removal becomes the smartest economic move.

Declining Yields and Tree Age

Almond orchards in the Central Valley typically produce economically for 20 to 25 years, though some blocks on good ground with strong management can stretch past 30. Walnuts may go 30 to 40 years. Pistachios are the longest-lived permanent crop in the region, sometimes producing well past 40 years. But eventually, yields decline, canopy thins, and the cost of inputs starts exceeding returns.

The math is straightforward: when your per-acre production costs exceed your per-acre returns for two or three consecutive years, and the trend line is heading the wrong direction, it is time to seriously evaluate removal.

Disease Pressure

Hull rot, band canopy, and bacterial blast have always been challenges for almond growers, but in recent years we've seen increasing pressure from diseases that make entire blocks uneconomic. Botryosphaeria (Bot canker) has devastated some Nonpareil blocks, particularly on sandy soils with deficit irrigation stress. Phytophthora root rot and crown rot can wipe out sections of orchards, especially in heavier ground with poor drainage — something growers on the east side of the Valley near the foothills know well.

For walnuts, Thousand Cankers Disease and crown gall have prompted removals even in orchards that still had productive years ahead on paper.

When disease takes out 20–30% of the trees in a block, the remaining trees can't produce enough to cover the full-block management costs. Removal and replanting become the path forward.

Variety Changes and Market Economics

The almond industry has shifted significantly in variety preferences over the past two decades. Growers who planted heavy Carmel and Mission acreage in the 1990s and early 2000s have been pulling those blocks in favor of Independence, Monterey, and other varieties that command better market positions or offer self-fertile pollination advantages that eliminate the cost of bee rentals — which now run $200 or more per colony.

Walnut growers have similarly moved away from older Hartley and Payne plantings toward Chandler and newer varieties.

Sometimes the trees are still producing, but the economics of what you're growing versus what the market wants makes removal and replanting the right call.

Water Constraints

This is increasingly the driver in the Central Valley. With SGMA (Sustainable Groundwater Management Act) implementation tightening allocations across multiple subbasins — Merced, Chowchilla, Madera, parts of the Tulare Lake basin — some growers are making the difficult choice to remove productive acreage simply because they don't have enough water to farm everything. Removing older, less efficient blocks and concentrating water on newer, higher-producing orchards is a strategy we've seen accelerate since 2020.

Replanting Cycles

Smart orchard managers plan removal and replanting as part of a long-term rotation. Rather than letting every block run until it falls apart, they schedule rolling removals so they always have blocks in peak production, blocks coming into production, and blocks being removed and replanted. This creates a more stable revenue curve over time.

When to Remove: Timing Considerations

Timing your orchard removal correctly can save money and reduce headaches.

Seasonal Timing

In the Central Valley, the ideal window for orchard removal is late fall through early spring — roughly November through March. There are several reasons:

• Harvest is complete. For almonds, you're done by October. Walnuts wrap up around the same time or slightly later.
• Dry ground. While we need the ground to be accessible for heavy equipment, the Valley's clay and clay-loam soils (especially on the west side from Los Banos down through Firebaugh, Mendota, and the Westlands) can become impassable when saturated. Timing between rain events is critical.
• Replanting prep. If you're targeting a January or February planting of new trees, you need the old orchard out, stumps ground, ground ripped, and the field prepped in advance. Working backward from your nursery delivery date is essential.
• Air district considerations. Open burning of orchard wood is increasingly restricted. The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District (SJVAPCD) has specific rules and burn-day restrictions. Whole orchard recycling avoids this issue entirely.

Market Timing

If almond or walnut prices are strong, some growers squeeze one more harvest out of a declining block to capture that revenue before removing. If prices are weak, that last marginal harvest may not be worth the input costs, and it makes more sense to remove immediately and get a head start on replanting. We've had growers call us mid-season asking to push trees that still have crop on them — the economics just didn't pencil out.

Grant Program Deadlines

If you're pursuing grant funding (more on this below), your removal timing may be dictated by program application windows and contract deadlines. Plan ahead — some of these programs require pre-approval before any work begins.

The Orchard Removal Process: Step by Step

Here's what a complete orchard removal looks like from start to finish. This is the process we've refined over decades of tearouts across the Valley.

Step 1: Pre-Removal Assessment

Before any equipment rolls onto the property, we walk the orchard with the grower to evaluate:

• Tree size and density — A mature Chandler walnut on 28x30 spacing is a very different job than a 20-year-old Nonpareil almond on 22x18.
• Stump condition — Older trees with larger root systems take more work to remove completely.
• Irrigation infrastructure — What's staying and what's coming out? Microsprinklers on risers need to be pulled or they'll be destroyed. Buried mainlines may need to be located and marked.
• Soil type — The heavy clays around Turlock and Hilmar behave very differently under equipment than the sandy loams near Livingston and Atwater.
• Access — Can we get the grinder and trucks in easily? Are there power lines, canals, or structures to work around?
• Disposition of wood — Is the grower doing whole orchard recycling, or does the wood need to be hauled off as biomass?

Step 2: Tree Pushing

A large dozer (typically a D8 or D9 class) pushes the trees over in rows. The operator works systematically down the orchard, pushing trees into windrows. An experienced operator can push an 80-acre almond block in two to three days, depending on tree size and conditions.

Key to this step: pushing trees in the direction that works best for the next phase. How the windrows are oriented affects grinding efficiency significantly.

Step 3: Grinding / Whole Orchard Recycling

This is where the old orchard becomes an asset rather than a waste product. A large horizontal grinder processes the pushed trees — trunks, branches, root balls, and all — into chips. For whole orchard recycling (WOR), these chips are spread back onto the field and incorporated into the soil. For biomass operations, the chips are loaded into trucks and hauled to a biomass energy facility. Our shredding equipment turns even the largest material into a uniform, manageable product.

The grinder is the most expensive piece of equipment on the job, and efficiency matters. A well-organized push that creates clean, accessible windrows means faster grinding, less fuel, and a lower cost to the grower.

Step 4: Stump Removal

Depending on the approach, stumps may be ground in place during the main grinding pass, or they may require separate attention. In whole orchard recycling, stumps are typically pushed and ground with the rest of the tree. If the grower wants a cleaner removal (for example, if they're converting to a row crop or putting in a new irrigation layout that requires precise grading), stumps may need to be individually removed or ground below grade.

Step 5: Chip Management

For whole orchard recycling, the chips are spread across the field at a rate typically between 50 and 100 tons per acre, then incorporated using a disc or other tillage equipment. The chips should be worked into the top 12 to 18 inches of soil, where microbial activity can begin breaking down the organic matter.

For biomass delivery, chip trucks shuttle material from the field to the receiving facility. Trucking costs are a significant line item, and the distance to the nearest biomass plant matters. With several Valley biomass facilities having closed in recent years, haul distances have increased for some growers.

Step 6: Final Cleanup

After grinding, the field is gone over to pick up any remaining debris — chunks of root ball, wire, drip line, broken risers. A clean field is essential for the next phase of ground preparation. We do a final pass to make sure the grower is left with a field that's ready for the next step, not one that's going to eat up a disc or plug a ripper.

Whole Orchard Recycling vs. Biomass Delivery

This is one of the biggest decisions growers face during orchard removal. Both approaches have merit, and the right choice depends on your situation.

Whole Orchard Recycling (WOR)

What it is: The entire tree — trunk, limbs, roots — is ground into chips on site and incorporated back into the orchard soil.

Pros:

• Soil health benefits. WOR adds significant organic matter to Central Valley soils, which are often depleted after decades of continuous cropping. Studies from UC Davis have shown improvements in water infiltration, soil structure, microbial activity, and water-holding capacity.
• Carbon sequestration. Keeping the carbon in the soil rather than burning it or sending it to a biomass facility aligns with CDFA Healthy Soils Program goals and may qualify for incentive payments.
• No trucking costs. You're not paying to haul 50–100 tons per acre of chips to a distant facility.
• Nutrient cycling. The decomposing wood returns potassium, calcium, and other nutrients to the soil over time.
• Grant eligibility. Several grant programs specifically incentivize WOR (detailed below).

Cons:

• Nitrogen tie-up. Decomposing wood chips temporarily immobilize soil nitrogen as microbes consume it during decomposition. Growers need to budget for supplemental nitrogen applications in the first one to three years after incorporation.
• Possible disease carryover. If the orchard was removed due to soilborne pathogens like Phytophthora or Armillaria, incorporating infected wood back into the soil raises concerns. Consult with a PCA or UC Cooperative Extension advisor.
• Time. The grinding and spreading process adds time to the removal phase.
• May not suit all replanting scenarios. If you're converting to a row crop or need a very specific grade, the volume of incorporated material can complicate things.

Biomass Delivery

What it is: Chipped orchard wood is hauled to a biomass energy facility where it's burned to generate electricity.

Pros:

• Revenue or cost offset. Depending on the market, you may receive payment for the chips, or at minimum avoid the cost of on-site disposal.
• Clean field. The wood leaves the property entirely, giving you a clean slate for ground preparation.
• Disease management. If disease was the reason for removal, getting the wood off-site eliminates the concern about reintroduction.

Cons:

• Trucking costs. Hauling 50–100 tons per acre is not cheap, and it adds up fast on larger blocks. Distances to remaining operational biomass plants in the Valley can be 30 miles or more.
• Market volatility. Biomass facility demand and pricing fluctuate. Some facilities have waitlists or won't take orchard wood during certain periods.
• Lost soil benefits. All that organic matter leaves the farm permanently.
• Emissions. Burning biomass releases CO2 and particulates, which may conflict with air quality and sustainability goals.

Our Recommendation

For most Central Valley growers replanting a permanent crop on the same ground, we recommend whole orchard recycling. The long-term soil health benefits are significant, especially on the Valley's often depleted soils. The nitrogen tie-up issue is manageable with proper planning and fertilizer adjustments. That said, if disease was the removal driver, or if you're converting to a different crop type, biomass delivery may be the better call. We help growers evaluate this decision on every job.

Grant Programs That Offset Orchard Removal Costs

Several state and federal programs can significantly reduce the cost of orchard removal and ground preparation. Here are the primary ones available to Central Valley growers.

NRCS EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program)

The Natural Resources Conservation Service offers EQIP funding for conservation practices, and orchard removal can qualify under several practice codes. Whole orchard recycling, cover cropping after removal, and soil health improvements are all potentially fundable. Payment rates vary by county and year, but EQIP contracts have covered a meaningful portion of removal costs for many Valley growers.

Key details:

• Application through your local NRCS office (Merced, Stanislaus, Madera, Fresno, etc.)
• Competitive ranking — not everyone who applies gets funded
• Must apply and be approved before starting work
• Multi-year contracts are common

San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District

The SJVAPCD offers grants specifically aimed at reducing emissions from agricultural burning. Since whole orchard recycling eliminates the need to burn orchard wood, growers who choose WOR over burning may qualify for district incentive payments.

Key details:

• Check current program availability at valleyair.org or call the district directly
• Programs have historically covered a significant portion of grinding costs
• Requirements and funding levels change from year to year
• Application windows are specific — don't miss them

CDFA Healthy Soils Program (HSP)

The California Department of Food and Agriculture's Healthy Soils Program provides financial incentives for practices that sequester carbon and improve soil health. Whole orchard recycling is one of the practices that has been funded under HSP, as incorporating woody biomass into the soil increases soil organic carbon.

Key details:

• Incentive and demonstration project tracks available
• Requires a Healthy Soils Management Plan
• Must demonstrate carbon sequestration benefits
• Applications are periodic — check CDFA's website for current rounds

CDFA SWEEP (State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program)

While not directly an orchard removal program, SWEEP provides funding for irrigation system upgrades. If your orchard removal is part of a project that includes upgrading to a more efficient irrigation system, SWEEP funding may help offset those costs.

Stacking Programs

In some cases, growers can "stack" multiple grant programs for the same project — for example, NRCS EQIP for the soil health practice and SJVAPCD for the emissions reduction component. The rules on stacking change, and not all combinations are allowed, so check with each program administrator. We've helped growers navigate this process and can point you in the right direction.

Not sure which grants you qualify for? We've helped hundreds of growers take advantage of these programs. Give us a call at (209) 358-1759 and we'll walk you through your options.

Preparing for Replanting After Removal

Getting the old trees out is only half the job. What you do between removal and replanting has a major impact on the success of the new orchard.

Soil Testing

Before you do anything else, pull comprehensive soil samples. Test at multiple depths — 0–12 inches, 12–24 inches, and 24–36 inches at minimum. You want to know:

• pH — Central Valley soils range widely, from slightly acidic sands on the east side to alkaline clays on the west side. Most tree crops prefer 6.5 to 7.5.
• EC (salinity) — A real concern in parts of the west side Valley and anywhere with marginal irrigation water quality.
• Nutrient levels — Phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, and micronutrients.
• Organic matter — Especially important if you're doing WOR, so you have a baseline.
• Nematode assay — Ring nematode and root lesion nematode can devastate young almond plantings. Know what's in the soil before you plant.

Deep Ripping

This is arguably the most critical ground preparation step in the Central Valley. Decades of orchard traffic, irrigation, and natural soil compaction create hardpan layers that restrict root development. Deep ripping fractures these layers and allows new roots to penetrate deeper into the soil profile.

At Custom Farm Services, we rip to 60 inches deep — well below what most operations can achieve. That depth matters. Shallow ripping (24–36 inches) may break up surface compaction, but it misses the deeper restrictive layers that limit mature tree root development and water infiltration. Our deep ripping service is one of the most impactful things we do for the long-term success of a new orchard.

Multiple passes at different angles may be needed, depending on compaction severity and soil type.

Land Leveling

If you're replanting a permanent crop, precision land leveling ensures uniform irrigation distribution and prevents low spots where water pools and creates root disease problems. Laser-guided land leveling is standard in the Valley and should be done after ripping, as ripping can alter the surface grade slightly.

Soil Amendments

Based on your soil test results, you may need:

• Gypsum — For sodic soils or to improve infiltration on tight clays. Common application rates range from 1 to 4 tons per acre.
• Sulfur — To lower pH in alkaline soils.
• Lime — To raise pH in acidic soils (less common in the Valley but occurs on some east side sandy soils).
• Compost — To build organic matter, improve soil structure, and support microbial life. Even with WOR, supplemental compost can be beneficial.
• Phosphorus — Pre-plant phosphorus banding is more effective than trying to get phosphorus to the root zone after planting, since phosphorus is immobile in soil.

Fumigation

Pre-plant fumigation is common in the Central Valley for almonds and stone fruit, primarily targeting nematodes, Phytophthora, and replant disease organisms. The decision to fumigate should be based on your nematode assay and the history of the block. Fumigation is expensive, but replant disease can reduce young tree growth by 30–50% in untreated ground where trees have been growing for decades.

Work with a licensed pest control advisor (PCA) to determine the right fumigant and rate for your situation. Common options include Telone (1,3-dichloropropene) and metam sodium, often used in combination.

Cost Factors: What Affects Orchard Removal Pricing

Orchard removal is not a one-size-fits-all job. Several factors affect the cost:

• Acreage — Larger blocks benefit from economies of scale. Moving equipment to a site has a fixed cost whether the job is 20 acres or 200.
• Tree type and size — Mature walnuts with 24-inch trunks take significantly more effort to push and grind than 20-year-old almonds. Pistachios, with their extremely hard wood, wear out grinder tips faster.
• Tree density — An almond block planted at 110 trees per acre has more wood per acre than one at 80 trees per acre.
• Disposition of wood — WOR with on-site grinding and spreading versus chipping and trucking to biomass have different cost structures.
• Soil conditions — Wet, heavy clay slows everything down. Sandy loam is easier to work in.
• Cleanup level — Basic removal for replanting versus full cleanout for land conversion are different scopes.
• Site access and obstacles — Power lines, canals, roads, buildings, and neighboring crops can all complicate the job and add time.
• Season and demand — During peak removal season (fall/winter), equipment availability can be tight. Booking early helps.

Rather than publishing rates that go stale, we prefer to give growers an accurate quote based on a site visit. Every orchard is different, and a walk-through takes the guesswork out of pricing.

Choosing an Orchard Removal Contractor

Not all removal contractors are created equal. Here's what to look for:

Equipment Quality and Capacity

Orchard removal requires serious iron — large dozers, high-capacity grinders, truck fleets. Ask about the specific equipment they'll use and whether they own it or subcontract. Subcontracted equipment often means less control over scheduling and quality.

Experience in Your Crop Type

Almond removal is different from walnut removal, which is different from pistachio removal. Each crop has different wood densities, root systems, and stump characteristics. An operator experienced in your specific crop type will work more efficiently and do a cleaner job.

Insurance and Licensing

Verify that any contractor you hire carries adequate liability insurance and workers' compensation coverage. Ask for certificates of insurance. This protects you if something goes wrong on your property.

References

Ask for references from recent jobs, ideally in your area and with your crop type. A reputable contractor will be happy to provide them. Better yet, ask to see a recently completed job in person.

Grant Program Experience

If you're pursuing grant funding, work with a contractor who understands the program requirements. Some grants require specific documentation, before-and-after photos, or particular practices. A contractor who has worked with these programs before can help ensure you stay in compliance and don't jeopardize your funding.

Full-Service Capability

Some contractors only do the pushing and grinding. Others — like Custom Farm Services — can handle the complete process from removal through ground preparation for replanting, including deep ripping, leveling, and ongoing orchard management. Working with a single company that can manage the full scope reduces coordination headaches and keeps the project on schedule.

Environmental Considerations and Regulations

Orchard removal in the Central Valley involves several regulatory considerations.

Air Quality

The San Joaquin Valley is a federal nonattainment area for particulate matter and ozone. Open burning of agricultural waste is increasingly restricted. The SJVAPCD requires growers to register for burn permits and limits burning to designated burn days. Whole orchard recycling eliminates the need for burning entirely, which is one reason it has become the preferred approach.

Dust Control

Large-scale land disturbance can trigger dust control requirements, especially in areas with PM10 or PM2.5 sensitivity. Watering roads and work areas during removal operations is standard practice.

Endangered Species

In some parts of the Valley, particularly on the west side and in foothill areas, Swainson's hawk nesting habitat and other endangered species considerations may affect the timing of tree removal. If your property is in or near designated habitat, check with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife before proceeding.

Water Quality

Stormwater runoff from disturbed sites can carry sediment into waterways. If your removal occurs during the rainy season, erosion control measures may be needed to comply with Regional Water Quality Control Board requirements.

Pesticide Residues

Orchard soils that have received decades of pesticide applications may contain residues of older chemistry. This is primarily a concern if you're converting to organic production or to a food crop where soil residue standards apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Work With a Team That's Been Doing This for Over 55 Years

Custom Farm Services has been removing and replanting orchards in the Central Valley since 1969. We're a fourth-generation family operation based in Winton, CA, and we've seen every type of orchard removal scenario the Valley can throw at you. From 20-acre blocks to 500-acre ranch-wide tearouts, we have the equipment, the crews, and the experience to get the job done right and on schedule.

We don't just remove orchards — we help growers plan the entire process from removal through replanting, including orchard removal and tree grinding, deep ripping, shredding, ground prep, and ongoing orchard management. We know the grant programs, we know the soil types, and we know what it takes to set up a new orchard for long-term success in this Valley.

Custom Farm Services is a fourth-generation, family-owned farm services company serving growers throughout California's Central Valley. From orchard removal and ground preparation to harvest operations and hulling and shelling, CFS provides comprehensive agricultural services backed by more than five decades of experience. Winton, CA • (209) 358-1759 • cfsagriculture.com