Artefact and Almond Board of California Announce Partnership: A New Era of U.S. Product Manufacturing Powered by Almonds

The brown branch and green leaves of an almond tree with blue sky in the background as seen in the orchard of a California grower / farmer. At center is the almond hull (slightly fuzzy and similar to a peach) and inside that is the distinct woody and pock

Hanging from the branch of a California almond tree is an almond hull. Inside are the shell and kernel, which are separated as almonds are prepared for market. Once collected, the shells can now be used to manufacture beautiful products.

Designers at consumer, home, furniture and automotive product companies can create innovative new hardgoods products using almond-based materials.

We envision a future where sustainability is not a product compromise, but a catalyst for creativity in product design [which will foster] manufacturing on U.S. soil with materials grown in U.S. soil.”

— Artefact Cofounder and CEO, Ethan Escowitz

BERKELEY, CA, UNITED STATES, May 6, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Artefact, a pioneering materials and manufacturing company and the Almond Board of California, today announced the launch of California almond shell composite materials for use in consumer and home products, as well as building and vehicle interiors. The two organizations share a vision of enabling designers at product brands to create meaningful and innovative products using almond co-products. This partnership supports the reshoring of clean manufacturing with U.S. sourced regenerative materials and expands the role of agriculture in America’s next industrial revolution. Demand has been fueled by new design possibilities for product brands and new choices for consumers with unique new products.

With California producing nearly 80% of the world’s almonds, the state’s almond industry represents one of the nation’s most reliable and mature agricultural supply chains. Artefact’s technology transforms the shells leftover after almond processing into beautiful, functional, engineered materials. Historically, almond shells have been used for livestock bedding. This new technology offers the almond industry a path to higher value uses while providing manufacturers and consumer brands access to clean, sustainable, and domestically sourced alternatives to petroleum based plastics.
“California is a global leader in both agriculture and product innovation. Finding meaningful, environmentally friendly uses for our almond co-products is part of ensuring that nothing in the orchard goes to waste,” said Natalie Henderson, director of global communications at the Almond Board of California. “This work builds on a historic portfolio of almond board research focused on creating value for our industry and the surrounding communities.”

Establishing the First Pilot Production Facility

Artefact is also working with growers and processors to locate a pilot production facility in California’s Central Valley. This facility is intended to reduce logistics costs, minimize environmental impact, and embed manufacturing directly within the rural agricultural region.

Artefact Cofounder and CEO, Ethan Escowitz, comments, “We envision a future where sustainability is not a product compromise, but a catalyst for creativity in product design. A future in which regenerative materials become the new standard that reestablishes manufacturing on U.S. soil with materials grown in U.S. soil. California is the global leader in almonds, both in production volume and processing technology, making California almond shells the ideal material to enable a major shift in this direction.”

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About Artefact
Artefact is building a new materials era founded on regenerative agriculture, ultra efficient manufacturing, and a new product design language. By transforming agricultural byproducts into products people love, Artefact empowers brands to create differentiated products with radically lower carbon footprints.
To learn more, visit www.artefact-made.com/products or follow @artefactmade on Instagram.

About California Almonds
California Almonds make life better by what we grow and how we grow. The Almond Board of California promotes natural, wholesome and quality almonds through leadership in strategic market development, innovative research, and accelerated adoption of industry best practices on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond farmers and processors in California, most of whom are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture.
For more information visit almonds.org: Zero Waste – Using Everything an Orchard Grows

Ethan Escowitz
Artefact
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