Introduction

How did a little green nut become a billion-dollar product, lauded by celebrities in Super Bowl ads? Zachary Crockett cracks open the story.

RESOURCES:

• "Almond Acreage Decline Prompts Industry Introspection," by Mitch Lies (West Coast Nut, 2023).
• American Pistachio Industry 2021 Annual Report, by American Pistachio Growers (2023).
• "California’s Agricultural Water Policies Are Nuts," by Douglas R. Noble (The Gainesville Sun, 2021).
• "Amid Drought, Billionaires Control a Critical California Water Bank," by Chloe Sorvino (Forbes, 2021).
• "Wonderful Pistachios Achieves Billion-Dollar Brand Milestone," press release by The Wonderful Company (2020).
• "Pistachios: The Quirks of Agricultural Trade in a Nutshell," by Andrea Durkin (Global Trade, 2020).
• "California Pistachios With Perfect Timing," by Mark Blackburn (The New York Times, 1979).

SOURCES:

• Sawyer Clark, director of asset management at Gold Leaf Farming.
• Diana Salsa, vice president of marketing for Wonderful Pistachios.