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This time of year, I find myself paying closer attention not just to what’s happening in my own rows, but to what’s happening beyond them as well.

As March moves into April and bloom is behind us, the season begins to reveal itself more clearly. Some of the pressures growers are managing right now do not originate inside their own orchards. Rodent pressure tied to abandoned or stressed acreage nearby, water constraints that affect entire districts and pest pressure that moves freely across property lines are becoming more visible. These are challenges that don’t stop at the fence line, and they can have a real impact on yield potential, input costs and long-term orchard health if they aren’t addressed early.

Farming permanent crops often reminds me of team sports. You can prepare well, execute your own assignments and still feel the effects if something breaks down elsewhere on the field. In sports, awareness of the whole field matters. In agriculture, it matters just as much. What’s happening next door, down the road or across the region can influence outcomes on your operation, no matter how well you’re managing your own program.

Most growers have experienced this at some point. You can invest in your orchard, stay on top of your timing and follow best practices, yet still find yourself responding to pressure that originates outside your control. That reality can be frustrating, but it’s also part of farming in a shared landscape. Land, water, pests and weather do not recognize property lines.

Working Together for Better Outcomes
March is often when these risks become easier to spot, but it’s also when timing becomes critical. Early awareness and communication can make the difference between managing an issue proactively or dealing with it reactively later in the season. Talking with neighbors, staying informed about regional conditions and watching trends across the industry can help reduce surprises and improve outcomes. Some challenges are simply better managed together than alone.

At West Coast Nut, our role is to help bring visibility to the issues that affect growers across regions and crops. By sharing observations from the field, research updates and practical insight, we aim to support informed decision-making and encourage early action where it matters most. Our goal isn’t just to report on what’s already happened, but to help growers anticipate what might be coming next.

As the season continues, I encourage you to keep looking beyond your own rows. In farming, as in sports, the strongest teams are the ones that understand the entire field, communicate well and adjust early. Paying attention to the bigger picture has always been part of good farming, and in a season like this one, it’s more important than ever.

Wishing you a safe, productive and successful season,
Jason Scott