By Natalie Feulner, Bangor Daily News
Bangor- and Belfast-based cafe owner Chris Roberts has little connection to California, but he is trying to do his part to address the state’s four-year drought that has left thousands of acres dry and void of water-dependent crops.
His plant-based food and drink restaurant, The Juice Cellar, used to consume between 80 and 90 pounds of almonds a month to make almond milk used in smoothies or served by the glass. However, since California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a drought state of emergency in January, Roberts pulled the nuts from the cafe’s menu in exchange for cashews grown in rainforest climates like Vietnam and Brazil.
“Because of my experience with Maine agriculture … I have a good understanding of everything that goes into our food production,” he said. “I understand the difficulties that farmers face, then to add in a drought, that’s just another major punishing challenge for them.”
The only major change customers should experience is if they are drinking the milk by itself. In smoothies and baked goods, Roberts said, there shouldn’t be too much of a taste difference.
Cashews and almonds are also comparable in nutritional value and price, which means the switch didn’t cost Roberts or, consequently, the customer, anything extra.
According to the Almond Board of California, the state is home to more than 6,500 almond growers. Roberts said he’s read that almonds account for 10 percent of the state’s agricultural water use, making them the second “thirstiest” crop behind meat production. However, according to the almond board, which has received quite a bit of criticism since the drought started, the state’s almond “growers have reduced the amount of water used per pound of almonds by 33 percent” in the past 20 years.
Roberts recognizes other restaurants may not feel compelled to pull almonds from menus, but he said it’s the responsibility of all to do a small part to encourage the state to take water conservation measures — especially since Maine crops, like blueberries, are just as susceptible to Mother Nature’s ebbs and flows as the almonds 3,000 miles away.
Anthony Jadczak, Maine’s state bee inspector, said while Maine hasn’t had any major agricultural events like a drought in recent history, farming and agriculture is still a balancing act. For example, droughts, even small ones, can significantly affect honey production.
“We had the second biggest blueberry harvest in history last year, but the fall honey flow was low because of the lack of rain … bees are relying on plants and thrive best in hazy, hot, humid conditions that keep the plant moist.”
Still, Roberts is determined to make his company as sustainable as possible.
“We may be just a blip on the radar, but it can make a difference if everybody does a little bit,” Roberts said. “I don’t want to be associated with problems, I want to be associated with great things.”
This article appears through a media partnership with the Bangor Daily News.