Blog post by Dennis Lindberg: Steady progress on planting

Mother Nature hasn’t done us many favors again this year, as ill-timed spring rains have hampered our rice planting.

We have to till the fields and add water before seeds can be applied by airplane. When it rains after we work the ground, we often have to re-till it and open the ground up again, so it can accept the fertilizer needed for abundant yields.

Despite the delays, my field has been planted and I expect my son Gary’s fields will be completed within a week. We are planting entirely medium-grain rice, which does exceptionally well here in Richvale.

So far markets are looking pretty good, and the signs seem to point toward a favorable year. Only time will tell for sure.

As the airplanes complete planting of our families 70th consecutive rice crop, I have a sense of satisfaction and excitement that another season is well underway. My feelings are similar to what I experience every year at this time: optimism about what the future holds.

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Dennis Lindberg has grown rice in Butte County for nearly 70 consecutive years.He’s a well-known author and metal artist, taking scrap metal and creating beautiful animal sculptures. His civic work and love of community is evidenced by his being honored as “Outstanding Citizen of the 20th Century” by Lundberg Family Farms. He and his wife Charlotte have two children – Gary and Sherry. Gary farms with his father in the historic community of Richvale, which recently celebrated its centennial.