Tuesday, October 30, 2012

New CRC Blog- I don't golf

By Julie Cader

Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.

This was worth taking a Friday afternoon off from work. A wine tasting and food pairing presented by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce at The Ridge Golf Club and Events Center. Local wineries from Auburn including Mt. Vernon, Lone Buffalo, Fawnridge, and Vina Castellano showcased their delightful wines with food pairings from local restaurants including Latitude, Bootleggers, Monkey Cat and The Ridge.

I was especially impressed with sous chef Tim Koltun’s presentation of Arancini di Riso, using California Arborio rice, a short-grain type of rice. These little “oranges of rice” were yummy balls of risotto, coated with breadcrumbs. What a wonderful treat and a great way to end a hectic week.

After a few tastes of wine and some amazing food, I even considered playing a round or two! Now where did I put those clubs…

New Blogger Steve Butler- Rolling along with the weather

Learn about how rice farmers deal with occasional wet weather during harvest season.



Steve Butler farms rice with his son, Tom, in Sutter and Yolo Counties. They are the latest in a four-generation family commitment to farming.

Friday, October 26, 2012

New Guest Blog- Rice contribution to greenhouse gas production

By Luis Espino

I recently read an interesting article that forecasts the production of greenhouse gases (GHG) from ricelands by the end of the 21st century1. The authors used data from 63 studies conducted in 30 different locations in 8 different countries.

This article prompted me to try to put rice-related global and local GHG emissions into context. In other words, what are the estimated contributions of ricelands in general and California ricelands more specifically to global GHG emissions? This information is not easy to find, so I thought it would be good to share it here. I compiled estimates from two sources, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (global data, 2005) and the California Air Resources Board (California data, 2009). There are probably other estimates out there, but I think the ones I present here are reliable.


As you can see, worldwide ricelands account for 1.3% of all GHG emissions. California agriculture and forestry account for 0.06%, and California ricelands contribute a minute amount to GHG emissions on a global basis. Even when considered on a statewide basis, ricelands emissions are only 0.1% of California’s total GHG inventory.

Van Groenigen, K. J., C. van Kessel, and B. Hungate. 2012. Increased greenhouse gas intensity of rice production under future atmospheric conditions. Nature Climate Change (http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1712)


Luis Espino
Luis Espino is a Rice Farm Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension.

Reposted with permission from UC Rice Blog: California Rice Production.

New Don Bransford Blog- Sacramento Valley rice harvest nearly complete

Rice Grower Don Bransford of Colusa County updates progress on this year's harvest.

Don Bransford: This fourth-generation family farmer has grown rice in Colusa County since 1980. Don has a long history of service to the community and agriculture, including nearly 30 years on the Board of Trustees and Governing Board for the Colusa Unified School District. He currently serves as President of the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District. Don’s interests include photography, as he enjoys capturing the majestic wildlife often seen in his rice fields. Don and his wife Diane have four children.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

New Punch Haskell Blog- The Finish Line

I was able to finish my rice harvest over the weekend.  It was a great fall with close to ideal conditions.  The first thing that I think of as another harvest is done is a sense of relief.  

To me the rice harvest is the fun part of the year.  You’re getting your crop in and enjoying the fruits of your labor for the year.

There is still work to be done in the valley, as many of my comrades are continuing to harvest.  Fortunately it looks like for on most farms it’s just a matter of waiting for fields to dry out a bit. The ground didn’t get muddy enough where special tracks will be needed for the harvest equipment, which is helpful because that takes a lot more time and labor.

Hopefully with a period of dry weather the balance of the rice crop will be harvested soon and without any more interruptions.

Punch Haskell grows rice in Colusa County and is part of a family farming operation that began approximately 60 years ago.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

New Guest Blog- Banquet in the Rice Field

By Phil Robertson

Half a million acres of California rice fields provide the highest quality rice to the world market, feeding not only millions of people but also millions waterfowl that migrate to and through our great state.  As I write this the table is being set.  Rice is being harvested with some rice being left in the fields.  The fields are then flooded--an invitation to ducks, geese, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors and a wide variety of insects and invertebrates.

I recently visited one such banquet in Sutter County.  Here is some of what I saw.





Don't miss the party and be sure to thank the rice farmer for what he provides us and our feathered friends.


Phil Robertson is a photographer and nature enthusiast from Lincoln. He provides travel, scenic and wildlife photos to private collectors, wildlife artists, various non-profits, environmental consulting companies, travel companies and local and regional publications and corporations.

New CRC Blog- Raptor Rapture

By Jim Morris

Having lived my entire life in the Sacramento Valley, coupled with more than 20 years working with farmers, I have seen a lot of interesting sites on the roads less traveled in the North State.  I consider a recent encounter in Yuba County as among the top of the list.

I was in the Marysville area to chronicle the rice harvest.  While driving my truck on a small road adjacent to the rice field, out flew an absolutely magnificent bird.

I knew I had something special in my sights.  Owls are among the favorite birds on the planet and I had one about 15 feet away in a rice field and in broad daylight no less. Fortunately I have my cameras pretty much ready to go and was able to take this photo.


I later learned that this is a male Short-eared Owl.  It was out in the afternoon most likely looking for lunch.  This species is one of the only owls that hunt by day as well as at night. I was also fortunate to shoot some video of this dramatic bird.


I’ve heard from many rice farmers that Burrowing Owls are no stranger in and around the rice fields. However, this Short-eared Owl was a revelation for me. A real thrill in the countryside and one more reason to keep the rice fields going strong – providing a home for nearly 230 wildlife species.


Jim Morris is Communications Manager for the California Rice Commission. Jim has worked in communications for more than 20 years. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys his family, faith, football, outrageous monster stories and running marathons.

Friday, October 19, 2012

New Video Blog- Rice harvest well underway

Rice grower Charley Mathews Jr. describes the latest activity on the 2012 harvest.




Fifth-generation farmer Charley Mathews is continuing a family a legacy that began in the 1850s. Their first rice fields were planted in the 1940s and are still going strong in Yuba County. Charley is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. He and his wife Hilliary have two sons, Parker and Adam.

New CRC Blog- Dragonfly- Dining on a higher level


By Julie Cader

Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.

Wikipedia describes being an entrepreneur as one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods. Studying under Douglas Dale of Wolfdale’s in Tahoe City, Billy McCullough, Chef/Owner of Dragonfly, launched his entrepreneurship dream high in the Sierra over a decade ago. Billy, Zoey and Phebe Bell were on hand at Truckee’s Annual Wine, Walk & Shop event providing wine and food enthusiasts with a sampling of Dragonfly’s delicious fare.


Billy’s creations tend to lean towards a Pan-Asian flair with California’s Nishiki rice used in many of the amazing selections on his ever-changing menu of fresh, seasonal products. Whether it be the Thai Tamarind-Cilantro Fisherman's Stew, the Surrealistic Starkey Inside Out Roll or other delightful entrees, you are sure to have a wonderful dining experience at Dragonfly.  A true entrepreneur, Billy has indeed followed his dreams in the charming town of Truckee, California.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

New video- Rice Wildlife Art nearing completion

Naturalist and Artist John Muir Laws provides an update on new artwork depicting wildlife in California rice fields. fields.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

New Debra DeWit Blog- Harvest VIPs

I almost can’t believe it’s the middle of October already. It doesn’t seem that long ago when the weather was really heating up. Now it’s getting a bit cooler and harvest has just started. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been an easy start. Due to late planting, some rice is still green and moisture levels are just a bit higher than they should be, though some of my dad’s crop was good to send to the dryer.

This past Thursday, I was able to leave school early to go to with my dad and grandpa to meet Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, the early morning radio hosts on Talk 650 KSTE. My dad listens to them all the time while I catch some of their show when I get to go hunting in winter. Meeting them was really cool. My dad and Brooks, one of our drivers, took them out on the harvesters. They had fun and it was a really great day. They seemed interested in learning more about our family farm.


I’d like to thank them, Jim Morris and the rest of CRC for putting this altogether. Hopefully we can do something like this again in the future.

Debra DeWit: "I grew up in Davis and have been around both my grandpa’s and dad’s rice farms most of my life. My grandpa was the one that started farming and passed the tradition on to my dad. My dad farms rice in Yolo County and my grandpa farms rice in Sutter, Yolo and Sacramento counties. I enjoy talking to my dad and grandpa about their days in the fields and gaining more knowledge about the crop and the business. Currently, my family and I live in Davis, and I go to the high school there. I like to hang out with friends, write, draw, go hunting with my dad and my grandpa, teach Sunday school and going to youth group."

Monday, October 15, 2012

New CRC Blog- Wild and Wonderful

By Jim Morris


Always game for a new adventure, our family spent Saturday in Willows at the 75th birthday celebration for the Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge.

Wife Leslie went on the photo tour and pursued one of her favorite activities – capturing beautiful images of wildlife.


This is only the beginning of scenes like this, as the bird populations will be dramatically increasing in the coming weeks.Son RJ and I tried our hand at bird bingo. After finding all of the birds on our bingo sheet each child had to ask the event organizer a question to get their prize.  His question: “What’s the most important crop in Sacramento?” (That’s my boy!)  Their immediate reply: “Rice.”

Next we visited with two extraordinary artists from the valley – bird carvers Donald Hovie and Chester Wilcox, who had many magnificent creations on display.


We were also entertained and enlightened by a variety of displays, including Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl and the Altacal Audubon Society.  RJ spent a long time learning to draw a Bald Eagle from his kind and patient tutor – biologist Jennifer Isola, who’s also a wonderful bird artist.  Here’s the finished art, which now proudly resides on our refrigerator.


There was much excitement as Kateryna Elson unveiled a fantastic painting honoring the 75th anniversary of the refuge.  Kateryna is seen here with Refuge Manager Dan Frisk and “Puddles.”


The serenity of the morning was occasionally broken up by airboat demonstrations, which were fascinating and worth the decibels.


As we visited with fellow wildlife lovers, it became abundantly clear that this celebration was well attended by many people charged with working in refuges, preserves and conservation organizations.  It’s so encouraging to see that their job is much more than a nine-to-five, that protecting wildlife is truly a passion.

The refuge system works in concert with Sacramento Valley rice farmers whose fields provide habitat for nearly 230 wildlife species.  Viewing the rice fields and the refuge system – viewing our natural world firsthand – is well worth your time.


Jim Morris is Communications Manager for the California Rice Commission. Jim has worked in communications for more than 20 years. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys his family, faith, football, outrageous monster stories and running marathons.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

New— Armstrong & Getty harvest California Rice

Joe Getty, followed up by Jack Armstrong, take a break from their radio duties to harvest rice in the Sacramento Valley.

 

New CRC Blog- Scarlet Waters

By Julie Cader

Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.

Mention salmon to me and instantly you have my complete, full, entire and exclusive attention. So when Nate and Jaime invited me to their home for fresh King Salmon caught on the American River in Sacramento, I was on it like a duck on a June bug!

Growing up in Alaska, we were raised on salmon. Salmon patties, salmon roasts, salmon steaks, salmon spread, smoked salmon and squaw candy -- you name it, we ate it. I fondly remember driving down the scenic Seward Highway from Anchorage towards the Kenai Peninsula visiting Portage River, Ptarmigan Creek and Moose Creek to view the glistening scarlet bodies of spawning salmon that would make the waters look a brilliant bright red. An amazing feat of nature, to say the least.


Now back to dinner, as usual I willingly offered to prepare a rice dish. My choice was Lundberg’s unique Black Japonica rice with a nutty and sweet spiciness that fully complemented the maple-infused salmon. Adding red peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, garlic and onion to the rice made the pilaf really pop!You might say we simply cleaned out the refrigerator vegetable drawer!


The evening was a fabulous way to reminisce about our adventures in Alaska, and like salmon, we keep coming home, home to our family and friends.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

New video from Sandy Denn- Family

Rice grower Sandy Denn in Glenn County describes the importance of a family legacy on the farm.



Sandy Denn and her husband Wally own and operate Snow Goose Farms near Willows in Glenn County. She holds a law degree and has served on numerous boards and committees dealing with water in the North State. Sandy and Wally have six grown children. Her passions include hunting and fishing, and she used to fly a hot air balloon and a stunt plane for relaxation.

Monday, October 8, 2012

New- Calrose Rice harvest underway

Watch as two harvesters are working this field of Calrose rice in Williams, Colusa County.

New Chris Crutchfield Blog- Family Field Trip to Rice Country

Recently I had the opportunity to take a day off from work and show my wife and little girl around the California Rice Industry.  We started the day off at our home in Sacramento, and headed north to our rice farm in Robbins.  After a short 30-minute drive we were there.  We drove around the outside of the field, and took a couple of opportunities to stop, take pictures, and check out the crop.  I'm going to be giving a presentation about California Rice to my daughter's class soon, so we took this opportunity to "harvest" a few rice plants so we can show all the kids how rice looks growing in the field.  My daughter Chase walked out into the field to find that the standing rice plants are as tall as she is!


After checking out our own rice and determining that it is at least a week away from harvest, we headed over to Montna Farms where they are almost finished with harvesting their entire ranch.  We met up with the operations manager, Jon Munger, who was nice enough to let my wife Laurie and Chase take their first ever ride in a harvester.  They rode all the way around the check of Koshihikari rice that was being harvested.


From Alex, the combine driver, they learned several interesting things.  The harvester is operated by a GPS auto-steering control system that allows Alex to "drive" the machine in a perfectly straight line.  They got to see all of the analytical computer systems inside which give the operator real time readouts about the crop being harvested including yield per acre, moisture content, and many other useful pieces of information.  This information can all be uploaded to the head office while the harvester is in the field.  They also learned that the brand new Case International with the 30-foot header on it can hold 10,000 pounds of rice before it has to empty its hopper.  When it does dump a load, it never stops moving.  The bank-out wagon drives right alongside the combine, and can receive the entire load in 58 seconds while in full motion so they can continue without stopping.  Alex said at this time of year, they are cutting rice for 11 hours per day seven days per week!


After loading up on fresh veggies at a stand on Highway 99 and lunch in Yuba City at In-N-Out Burger, the final stop of the day was at the ACC rice mill and warehouse in Williams.  While at daddy's office, Chase renewed her friendship with everyone who works there and has been watching her grow up since she was born three and a half years ago.  We also picked out a bunch of things to take with us to her school for our big presentation.  Chase and Laurie got to see the drying and storage operation where we are receiving as many as 100 loads of green rice from growers per day during the peak of harvest season.  We also checked out the 11-acre one megawatt solar array that powers the whole operation at ACC.


The chance to take a day off from work doesn't come often.  My job requires a lot of travel and many nights away from the house even when I am at home.  This opportunity to spend the entire day with Laurie and Chase and to show them around the industry that has supported the Crutchfield family for three generations is one that I will remember and cherish for a long time.  I'm pretty sure they will too!


Chris Crutchfield
President and CEO -- American Commodity Company

Chris Crutchfield is very proud to represent the third generation of his family to be involved in the rice industry. Currently Chris is involved in all aspects of California rice from production all the way to the grocery store shelf.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Missouri in 1996, Chris moved back to California and joined with his father Paul Crutchfield in the formation of a rough rice pool for direct marketing to Turkey. Chris was responsible for the day-to-day management of the pool. That partnership developed into the formation of American Commodity Company (ACC) in 2000, and Chris assumed all direct management responsibilities for ACC.

Prior to establishing himself in the California rice industry, Chris worked in the press offices of Governor Pete Wilson as his Assistant Press Secretary. He also briefly taught secondary education in the California public school system.

New CRC Blog- Turkish Foodies take in the California Experience

By Paul Buttner

I recently had the pleasure of being the tour guide for a wonderful group of food media professionals from Turkey.  I had a great time watching them both learn a lot about California rice and take in that special essence of our surroundings that we Californian’s often take for granted—“the California experience.”  They helped me to remember what it’s all about around here:  sunshine, delicious cuisine, beautiful scenery, fine wine, Hollywood and the Apple Store.

These ladies were truly a classy group of fashionistas!  Although I scheduled the time to drag them through all the essential components of our industry—rice fields, rice mills, and the Port of Sacramento—they also found plenty of time for the shopping malls and Apple Store to gather up all those cool essentials of today’s modern woman.

As much as they loved California, we appreciate Turkey as well.  Their appetite for California rice helps keep our export markets healthy.  On average, Turkey imports about 30-40,000 metric tons of our rice each year.  It is an important existing market with room to grow.  This is why we brought several of their best food writers here to come see all aspects of the industry, all the way from the beautiful wildlife living in our fields to the state-of-the-art technology operating in our mills.

We hope that their excitement of our industry here amongst that legendary “California experience” will provide great material for more articles, recipes and Turkish television segments to ignite even more excitement for California rice being an important part of the Turkish culinary experience.

Turkish visitors and USA Rice Federation reps along with Fred Klose of the CA Wild   Rice Advisory Board (2nd from left),  farmer Jack DeWit (center) and myself (right).
I had great fun with my new friends from Turkey.  I loved their zest for life, which, at least for right now, has helped to freshen up my own.

Here are comments from one of the participants after driving a rice harvester in a field near Marysville:



Paul Buttner is Environmental Affairs Manager for the California Rice Commission.

Friday, October 5, 2012

New Guest Blog— Raptor in the Rice

By Phil Robertson

The electronics in my new Canon EOS 7D camera had been fried and I just got it back from the repair shop.  Time to test it out!

Grabbing the camera with my 100-400mm zoom lens I headed out to West Wise Road just a few miles from downtown Lincoln; not far from home and a place where there is always some photo-worthy wildlife.

Driving west on West Wise from Hwy-65 I was soon in Rice Country--one of the most bird-friendly land uses we have.  The beautiful fields of light green were, as always, soothing to the eye.

Soon I was seeing the expected: Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, White-faced Ibis and a few soaring hawks.  Although expected-always a delight!

But then, I was shocked.  Did I see what I thought I saw so late in the morning (about 9:00am)?  Yes!  It was a Barn Owl (Tyto alba) sitting on a fence post between the dirt road and the rice field.  Barn owls are nocturnal hunters.  They are supposed to be fast asleep by this time.


I watched in amazement as it moved its head from side to side examining the ground around it.  (Note: owls cannot move their huge eyes but they have 14 vertebrae which allow the owl to look 270 degrees from side to side.)  Then it dove into a weedy ditch running between the road and the rice field.  The owl flew out of the ditch with no vole or mouse but did get wet in the process.  After I photographed the bird, it continued flying, perching, and hunting along West Wise between two rice fields.


I hope it eventually got its breakfast.

Phil Robertson is a photographer and nature enthusiast from Lincoln. He provides travel, scenic and wildlife photos to private collectors, wildlife artists, various non-profits, environmental consulting companies, travel companies and local and regional publications and corporations.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

New CRC Blog- Appreciating the Masters

By Julie Cader

Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice. 

At a recent lunch with the Rice Leadership Class, we enjoyed a delightful meal at Mikuni in downtown Sacramento.

When the platters of sushi were brought out, Jim Morris, our Communications Manager, and I remarked how seeing the beautiful display of rolls reminded us of SushiMasters, a series of competitions the California Rice Commission managed from 2005 to 2009. We started SushiMasters as a modest regional event that expanded into a series of competitions from coast to coast. It was a lot of fun and a lot of hard work from dedicated folks in the rice industry and those behind the scenes that made it all happen.

The curtain may be closed on SushiMasters, but the amazing talent of Sushi Chefs continues on.

New video- Sacramento Valley Rice Harvest

View footage of harvesting short grain rice at a family farm in Sutter County.