A SPECIAL GROWERS’ REPORT OF AG ALERT ® CALIFORNIA Trees & Vines
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Latest campaign positions walnuts as fresh produce By Tim Hearden The 2025 walnut crop was the second largest in history, coming in at nearly 810,000 tons. To drive sales, the nut is being promoted as more than a baking ingredient.
mirroring how they treat fresh produce. Gordon Heinrich, a Modesto grower and processor who chairs the walnut commis- sion’s marketing, promotions and business development committee, said he’s seen the produce-aisle promotions in most of the supermarkets he’s entered. “The produce department is just a natural place for walnuts to be,” Heinrich said, noting how walnuts complement many of the foods shoppers already find there. The nut is also a staple on charcuterie boards and pair well with dried fruits, cheeses and other fresh ingredients, he added. He said the produce section is an ideal place to highlight walnuts’ health benefits and encourage purchases. At the same time, he said walnuts should be merchandised in mul- tiple locations throughout the supermarket to make them more visible and convenient for shoppers. The push is the latest phase of a two-pronged strategy the industry has pursued for years highlighting the value of walnuts as a healthy snack and as a versatile food ingredient. In 2011, the American Heart Association recognized walnuts as a heart-healthy food, allowing retailers to display the organization’s Heart-Check mark alongside walnut prod- ucts. Walnuts are a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid, a plant-based omega-3 fatty acid that has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. See WALNUTS, Page 7
To strengthen its market position, California’s walnut industry is running a campaign this summer to encourage consumers and retailers to think beyond the baking aisle and place walnuts in the fresh produce section, where they can be marketed as a healthy snack or a versatile topping for salads and other dishes. The promotion, launched in May to coincide with peak produce sales, combines in- store displays near fruits and vegetables with a media campaign featuring influencer endorsements, streaming TV commercials, digital advertising and product sampling at wellness-focused events. The effort is an extension of the California Walnut Board and Commission’s 2025 “Feel Good” campaign to position walnuts as a lifestyle brand for millennials and Gen-Z con- sumers who increasingly turn to natural foods for better health. The industry wants to move walnuts beyond simply an ingredient in “grandmother’s banana nut cake,” said Robert Verloop, the board and commission’s executive director and CEO. “The younger generation is much more educated about food as medicine, and they understand that nuts play an important part of not only breakfast, lunch and dinner but also snacking,” Verloop said. “Having a handful of nuts at 10 in the morning or 3 in the afternoon provides a metabolic boost.” The industry is also encouraging consumers to store walnuts in the refrigerator,
6 Ag Alert August 5, 2026
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