Grower Dennis Lindberg explains the connection between rice fields and all of the birds in the Sacramento Valley.
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
New- Christmas Traditions and Old Fashioned Rice Pudding Recipe
A rice dish has a special significance for the Lundberg Family. Grant Lundberg comments on some of his favorite holiday memories.
Enjoy the Lundberg Family Rice Pudding Recipe
Enjoy the Lundberg Family Rice Pudding Recipe
Monday, December 16, 2013
New Photos- Peaceful Valley
View the album
Friday, December 13, 2013
New video- Jumping for Joy
Watch two joyous Sandhill Cranes jumping repeatedly in a rice field in Butte County.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
New CRC Blog- Why I love my job
Read his blog
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
New Photo Album- Christmas Cheer in Biggs
View the album
Monday, December 9, 2013
New CRC Blog- Sharing our abundance
Read the blog
Friday, December 6, 2013
New: Beauty of the Buttes
View the album
New CRC Blog- Klinker Bricks and Old Ghosts
Read her blog
Thursday, December 5, 2013
New Blog- Drought Impact
Grower Mike Daddow talks about how the dry offseason is affecting farmers and the Pacific Flyway.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
New- California Calrose reigns
Award-winning sushi chef Taro Arai of Mikuni describes the overseas competition where California Calrose shared top honors as best in the world. Also during this event, Arai was named 2013 Lord of Rice.
Monday, December 2, 2013
New Photo Album- Taking Flight
View the album
New CRC Blog- Small town, Big history
Grimes, Colusa County, is a small community with a rich history. Communications Manager Jim Morris explains in a video blog.
Friday, November 22, 2013
New- California Rice voted World's Best
View the photos
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
New Photo Album- Enjoy the Flight
View the album
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
New CRC Blog- Grilled Chicken – it's what's for lunch
Friday, November 15, 2013
New Video- Was it something I said?
Things get a little chippy with these Tundra Swans in this video shot by Leslie Morris in a Yuba County rice field.
New Photos- Late Fall in Rice Country
View the photos
Thursday, November 14, 2013
New Blog from Sean Doherty- Key markets, up close and personal
Read his blog
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
New CRC Blog- Birds bring us together
Monday, November 11, 2013
New video- Rice loading at the Port of West Sacramento
Action footage of a large shipment of California Rice loaded in a ship bound for Japan.
New Blog- Tundra Swans are back
Rice grower Charley Mathews Jr. comments on the return of Tundra Swans to rice fields near Marysville.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
New Video- Bathing with Gusto
This Snow Goose is having a wonderful Time getting cleaned up while in Glenn County. Video clip shot by Leslie Morris.
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
New CRC Blog- As the harvest ends
The conclusion of rice harvesting doesn't end the workload in California Rice. Industry Affairs Manager Roberta Firoved outlines the work needed in water quality programs.
Read her blog
Read her blog
Friday, November 1, 2013
New CRC Blog- The wisdom of nine-year olds
Read his blog
Thursday, October 31, 2013
New- Double Time
The final days of harvest are happening in the Sacramento Valley. Check out two harvesters side by side in a field in Dunnigan.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
New- Trumpeting their return
Watch the clip
Monday, October 28, 2013
New- High Maintenance Meal
Watch the video
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
New CRC Blog- My favorite time of year in rice is just around the corner
Read his blog
Monday, October 21, 2013
New CRC Blog- Pierce vs. Durham = Community
Watch the video
New photos- Cabela the Rice Farm Dog
View the album
Friday, October 18, 2013
New- High Definition Harvest
Watch the video
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
New photos- Barrett Family Rice Harvest
Brian Barrett is joined by wife Amanda and daughter Peyton during the family rice harvest in Maxwell, Colusa County. Brian Baer photos.
View the album
New CRC Blog- Voluntary carbon reductions in Agriculture: Rice paving the way
The Rice Commission's Paul Buttner updates work in California Rice to generate greenhouse gas reductions.Read his blog
Monday, October 14, 2013
New- Successful harvest
View his comments
Thursday, October 10, 2013
New Blog- Halfway Home
Read his comments
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
New Photo Album- Front row seat for harvest, part two
View the photos
Monday, October 7, 2013
New CRC Blog- Family
Read his blog
Thursday, October 3, 2013
New photo album- Front row seat for harvest, part one
View the photos
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
New Blog- Positive start
View his comments
New- Six rice bird facts to dazzle your friends
Read the blog
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
New- Farm to Fork - Album
View the album
Thursday, September 26, 2013
New- Farm to Fork, Rice Country Edition
Sacramento Valley rice farmers are amazingly productive. The Rice Commission's Jim Morris climbs to the top of a trailer full of grain to explain.
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
New - Update from La Mirada
Debra DeWit has left the family rice farm and is off to college in Southern California. She writes about her transition.Read her blog
New - Strong start
Grower Charley Mathews Jr. comments on the favorable start to this year's rice harvest.
Friday, September 20, 2013
New - Short Grain Rice Harvest
This could well be part of your future sushi rolls. View some of the earliest rice fields in Butte County to be harvested.
New - 25 Photos, 25 Species
This Red-shouldered Hawk is one of more than two-dozen rice country wildlife species featured in this photo album by Leslie Morris.
View the photos
New CRC Blog - Strong Start
Grower Charley Mathews Jr. comments on the favorable start to this year's rice harvest.
Monday, September 9, 2013
Friday, August 30, 2013
New CRC Blog- Thirty-Nine
Sacramento Valley agriculture is
getting more respect for its contributions –
encouraging news to California Rice
Commission President and CEO Tim Johnson.Read his blog
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
New CRC Blog- Our authentic valley
The California Rice Commission's Jim Morris comments on one of the hardworking towns in the Sacramento Valley.
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 marathon
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 marathon
Monday, August 19, 2013
New Blog- The Million Dollar Question
It was a fast, eventful two months for California Rice Commission Intern Maddie Dunlap, who provides her final post.Read her blog
Friday, August 16, 2013
New CRC Blog- Rice Field Identification
California Rice Commission President & CEO Tim Johnson explains what a red flag in a rice field means.
Thursday, August 15, 2013
New Blog- Historic Cover-up
Learn more
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
New CRC Blog- A memorable last stand
Learn the colorful history of a Sacramento Valley restaurant. Jim Morris explains how this restaurant is like no other in the state.
Read his blog
Read his blog
Monday, August 5, 2013
New Blog- Learning the Lingo
By Maddie Dunlap
Rice tipping?? No, not cow tipping, rice tipping. Growing up in Maxwell around agriculture I speak farmer pretty well, but working at the California Rice Commission I’ve learned a few new terms. Last week on a media tour at Steve and Tom Butler’s rice farm I picked up some of the lingo.
The rice has “tipped” when the grains at the top of the rice plant begin to become fully developed and add weight. This puts extra stress on the supporting piece of the plant and the plant begins to bend, or “tip”. Farmers use this stage in maturation as an indicator that harvest is near and the fields are almost ready to be drained. It is said that when a field is “two-thirds tipped” the water should be drained.
How do you know if the field is two-thirds tipped? Good question. The keen eye of the farmer is the only tool that can tell. “If you want to get in a big conversation about nothing, drive around the fields in a truck with your daddy and decide if the rice is two-thirds tipped,” rice grower Steve Butler explained.
In fact at last week’s rice research forum, this very topic came up. Is there a scientific tool that could be developed to measure the readiness of the field? After much debate, it was decided that there were too many variables for such a tool to be developed. Only the observant and experienced farmer can know for sure.
Another grower term I learned was “the rice is headed out.” No, that is not to say that the rice will be uprooting itself and leaving the field. “Heading out” is when the rice grains begin to fill in at the top of the plant.
Hopefully as the plant is heading out, it won’t “blank out.” This phenomenon is caused by a variety of issues during the growing season and results in empty shells of grain. The plant appears to be at maturation, but harvest will leave the farming wanting.
Rice growers will experience some or all of these scenarios as the crop approaches the end of summer and the start of harvest. Next time you drive by a rice field maybe you can decide, is that field two-thirds tipped?
Maddie Dunlap is a senior agricultural communication student with a minor in agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.
She is the eighth generation of Dunlaps born and raised in Colusa County agriculture.
When Maddie isn’t studying hard at Cal Poly, she enjoys traveling throughout California, Giants baseball and attending county fairs.
Rice tipping?? No, not cow tipping, rice tipping. Growing up in Maxwell around agriculture I speak farmer pretty well, but working at the California Rice Commission I’ve learned a few new terms. Last week on a media tour at Steve and Tom Butler’s rice farm I picked up some of the lingo.
The rice has “tipped” when the grains at the top of the rice plant begin to become fully developed and add weight. This puts extra stress on the supporting piece of the plant and the plant begins to bend, or “tip”. Farmers use this stage in maturation as an indicator that harvest is near and the fields are almost ready to be drained. It is said that when a field is “two-thirds tipped” the water should be drained.
How do you know if the field is two-thirds tipped? Good question. The keen eye of the farmer is the only tool that can tell. “If you want to get in a big conversation about nothing, drive around the fields in a truck with your daddy and decide if the rice is two-thirds tipped,” rice grower Steve Butler explained.
In fact at last week’s rice research forum, this very topic came up. Is there a scientific tool that could be developed to measure the readiness of the field? After much debate, it was decided that there were too many variables for such a tool to be developed. Only the observant and experienced farmer can know for sure.
Another grower term I learned was “the rice is headed out.” No, that is not to say that the rice will be uprooting itself and leaving the field. “Heading out” is when the rice grains begin to fill in at the top of the plant.
Hopefully as the plant is heading out, it won’t “blank out.” This phenomenon is caused by a variety of issues during the growing season and results in empty shells of grain. The plant appears to be at maturation, but harvest will leave the farming wanting.
Rice growers will experience some or all of these scenarios as the crop approaches the end of summer and the start of harvest. Next time you drive by a rice field maybe you can decide, is that field two-thirds tipped?
Maddie Dunlap is a senior agricultural communication student with a minor in agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo. She is the eighth generation of Dunlaps born and raised in Colusa County agriculture.
When Maddie isn’t studying hard at Cal Poly, she enjoys traveling throughout California, Giants baseball and attending county fairs.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Wildlife Species in Focus
View eight colorful brochures that provide details on wildlife species that rely on California rice fields for their habitat.AMERICAN BITTERN
AVOCET/BLACK-NECKED STILT
BALD EAGLE
BLACK TERN
LONG-BILLED CURLEW
GREAT EGRET/SNOWY EGRET
WHITE-FACED IBIS
NORTHERN PINTAIL
Visit our Wildlife page to learn more.
New Blog- Agriculture and Art
By Maddie Dunlap
Before attending a meeting at the Cal EPA building in Sacramento I had the opportunity to tour the building’s eight fabric collage displays. On various floors of the 25-story building, framed art pieces made by Merle Serlin, depicting different scenes of the California landscape can be found. Two members of Cal EPA staff escorted Roberta Firoved, CRC Industry Affairs manager, and myself through the tour.
The first collage on the third floor depicts the see canyon in the Monterey bay area incorporating shades of deep blues, greens and purples.
The second exhibit on the fifth floor depicts the beautiful Central California coastline.
The third display on the eighth floor is an aerial of Delta farmland. The patchwork of the fabric is really representative of the piecing together of the fields in this area tied together by water flowing through the center.
The fourth piece on the twelfth floor is a close up shot of California’s renowned redwoods. The details on this display are perhaps the most spectacular. Several different fabric patterns are utilized to capture the texture and life of these grand and majestic trees.
The fifth fabric collage hangs on the seventeenth floor. This collage was one of my favorites – the rolling foothills of the Central Coast inland. This area is very familiar to me as it surrounds the Cal Poly campus.
The sixth exhibit on the nineteenth floor shows the Joshua Tree National Park.
The seventh display on the twenty-first floor is of beautiful Lake Tahoe. This fabric collage presented a particularly interesting point of view. Instead of an aerial of the large lake, the artist chose to show a close up of some rocks on the edge of the lake. Again, through various fabrics and careful hand stitching, it’s a work of art.
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The final and possibly most grand of the pieces hangs on the twenty-fifth floor. This collage is of breathtaking Mt. Shasta. Another of my favorites, this quilt (see right) looks the most like a painting or picture than any of the eight artworks.
These fabric collages are truly spectacular. The artist used various colors, patterns and textures of fabrics held together with intricate hand threading. Up close one can see the careful detail that that adds to a work of art that looks more like a painting from a distance.
The CRC office also has a quilt by this artist depicting Sacramento Valley rice fields.
An unforeseen opportunity of my internship with CRC has been to experience local cultures of many of the cities and small towns of the Sacramento Valley. It has been my pleasant surprise that agricultural lands have often been the subjects of many of these art displays. Rice country, and agriculture in general truly can be seen in all aspects of Northern California communities.
Maddie Dunlap is a senior agricultural communication student with a minor in agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.
She is the eighth generation of Dunlaps born and raised in Colusa County agriculture.
When Maddie isn’t studying hard at Cal Poly, she enjoys traveling throughout California, Giants baseball and attending county fairs.
Before attending a meeting at the Cal EPA building in Sacramento I had the opportunity to tour the building’s eight fabric collage displays. On various floors of the 25-story building, framed art pieces made by Merle Serlin, depicting different scenes of the California landscape can be found. Two members of Cal EPA staff escorted Roberta Firoved, CRC Industry Affairs manager, and myself through the tour.
The first collage on the third floor depicts the see canyon in the Monterey bay area incorporating shades of deep blues, greens and purples.
The second exhibit on the fifth floor depicts the beautiful Central California coastline.
The third display on the eighth floor is an aerial of Delta farmland. The patchwork of the fabric is really representative of the piecing together of the fields in this area tied together by water flowing through the center.
The fourth piece on the twelfth floor is a close up shot of California’s renowned redwoods. The details on this display are perhaps the most spectacular. Several different fabric patterns are utilized to capture the texture and life of these grand and majestic trees.
The fifth fabric collage hangs on the seventeenth floor. This collage was one of my favorites – the rolling foothills of the Central Coast inland. This area is very familiar to me as it surrounds the Cal Poly campus.
The sixth exhibit on the nineteenth floor shows the Joshua Tree National Park.
The seventh display on the twenty-first floor is of beautiful Lake Tahoe. This fabric collage presented a particularly interesting point of view. Instead of an aerial of the large lake, the artist chose to show a close up of some rocks on the edge of the lake. Again, through various fabrics and careful hand stitching, it’s a work of art.
.jpg)
The final and possibly most grand of the pieces hangs on the twenty-fifth floor. This collage is of breathtaking Mt. Shasta. Another of my favorites, this quilt (see right) looks the most like a painting or picture than any of the eight artworks. These fabric collages are truly spectacular. The artist used various colors, patterns and textures of fabrics held together with intricate hand threading. Up close one can see the careful detail that that adds to a work of art that looks more like a painting from a distance.
The CRC office also has a quilt by this artist depicting Sacramento Valley rice fields.
An unforeseen opportunity of my internship with CRC has been to experience local cultures of many of the cities and small towns of the Sacramento Valley. It has been my pleasant surprise that agricultural lands have often been the subjects of many of these art displays. Rice country, and agriculture in general truly can be seen in all aspects of Northern California communities.
Maddie Dunlap is a senior agricultural communication student with a minor in agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo. She is the eighth generation of Dunlaps born and raised in Colusa County agriculture.
When Maddie isn’t studying hard at Cal Poly, she enjoys traveling throughout California, Giants baseball and attending county fairs.
Friday, July 26, 2013
New Blog- Tokyo trip yields results
By Chris Crutchfield
Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo as part of the USA Rice Federation's Asia Technical Working Group. The team is made up of growers, millers, and marketers of California Rice. We work on both technical aspects and trade policy aspects of the trade with our current WTO partners in Asia -- Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
One of the most important and long-standing traditions of the group is the Annual Japan-US Rice Technical Meeting. It takes place between the U.S. team and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). MAFF is the Japanese government entity that conducts all of the imports of rice into Japan from all origins, both through Minimum Access and Simultaneous Buy/Sell tenders. MAFF controls the amount and types of rice that reaches the Japanese market as whole kernel (or table rice), as well as the amount that simply goes into the market for processing and/or for feed. In addition to MAFF employees, the Japanese delegation also had representatives from the Japan Grain Importers Association (JGIA), the Wholesalers Association, and two Japanese rice millers.
This meeting was the 16th Annual between our two groups. Over that time period many positive things have been accomplished by accommodating concerns and addressing issues from both sides. Some of the most important for the California Rice Industry have been discontinuing the importation of 100 percent broken rice through the MA tenders, thus allowing more paddy to be consumed in order to meet Japan's minimum import requirements and increasing the voluming and validity length of Pre-shipment Sample Testing for the SBS tenders allowing California premium short grain to compete on a more level playing field with Chinese short grain rice. From the 2012 crop, these items, and others, were responsible for allowing more than 322,000 metric tons of California rice to be exported to Japan -- about 25 percent of the state's production! Additionally, Japan imported more than 17,000 metric tons of California's main crop (Calrose) through the SBS tender system that allows it to be marketed as table rice in Japan. Previously, the most Calrose imported through SBS in a crop year was 1,048 metric tons.
As relationships have grown, the Technical Meeting has taken on a much more positive tone over the last few years. This year was no exception. The importers, wholesalers, and millers all said that they are impressed with the ever-increasing quality of California Rice. This is a testament to our entire industry as the Japanese are some of the most difficult customers to please in the world. As our quality continues to improve, we will continue to move larger quantities of rice through the SBS system, and into the Japanese table rice market. This is very positive for our industry, because that rice is far more valuable and provides much better producer returns than the highly competitive MA tendering process.
There continues to be challenges as well, however. The team was informed that soon MAFF would begin new testing on imported rice for micro toxins and heavy metals. While we are not concerned about California Rice "passing" these tests, anytime new testing is introduced there are always increased costs and the possibility of false positives. We must work together with MAFF to develop a cost effective and scientifically based methodology for these new tests.
Over the past decade and a half, the USA Rice Federation's Asia Technical Working Group has made great strides in improving the quality and value of the Japanese market to the California Rice Industry. I believe this will continue as we move forward in our relationship with California's largest and most important customer.
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.
Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Tokyo as part of the USA Rice Federation's Asia Technical Working Group. The team is made up of growers, millers, and marketers of California Rice. We work on both technical aspects and trade policy aspects of the trade with our current WTO partners in Asia -- Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
One of the most important and long-standing traditions of the group is the Annual Japan-US Rice Technical Meeting. It takes place between the U.S. team and Japan's Ministry of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF). MAFF is the Japanese government entity that conducts all of the imports of rice into Japan from all origins, both through Minimum Access and Simultaneous Buy/Sell tenders. MAFF controls the amount and types of rice that reaches the Japanese market as whole kernel (or table rice), as well as the amount that simply goes into the market for processing and/or for feed. In addition to MAFF employees, the Japanese delegation also had representatives from the Japan Grain Importers Association (JGIA), the Wholesalers Association, and two Japanese rice millers.
This meeting was the 16th Annual between our two groups. Over that time period many positive things have been accomplished by accommodating concerns and addressing issues from both sides. Some of the most important for the California Rice Industry have been discontinuing the importation of 100 percent broken rice through the MA tenders, thus allowing more paddy to be consumed in order to meet Japan's minimum import requirements and increasing the voluming and validity length of Pre-shipment Sample Testing for the SBS tenders allowing California premium short grain to compete on a more level playing field with Chinese short grain rice. From the 2012 crop, these items, and others, were responsible for allowing more than 322,000 metric tons of California rice to be exported to Japan -- about 25 percent of the state's production! Additionally, Japan imported more than 17,000 metric tons of California's main crop (Calrose) through the SBS tender system that allows it to be marketed as table rice in Japan. Previously, the most Calrose imported through SBS in a crop year was 1,048 metric tons.
As relationships have grown, the Technical Meeting has taken on a much more positive tone over the last few years. This year was no exception. The importers, wholesalers, and millers all said that they are impressed with the ever-increasing quality of California Rice. This is a testament to our entire industry as the Japanese are some of the most difficult customers to please in the world. As our quality continues to improve, we will continue to move larger quantities of rice through the SBS system, and into the Japanese table rice market. This is very positive for our industry, because that rice is far more valuable and provides much better producer returns than the highly competitive MA tendering process.
There continues to be challenges as well, however. The team was informed that soon MAFF would begin new testing on imported rice for micro toxins and heavy metals. While we are not concerned about California Rice "passing" these tests, anytime new testing is introduced there are always increased costs and the possibility of false positives. We must work together with MAFF to develop a cost effective and scientifically based methodology for these new tests.
Over the past decade and a half, the USA Rice Federation's Asia Technical Working Group has made great strides in improving the quality and value of the Japanese market to the California Rice Industry. I believe this will continue as we move forward in our relationship with California's largest and most important customer.
Chris CrutchfieldPresident 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.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
New CRC Blog- Lunch on the road - Carne Asada Tacos at Roberta's
By Tim Johnson
The note at the top of the receipt says "Lunch on the Road" in blue ink. The purpose is to help our manager of finance allocate staff travel costs. When you’re traveling around rice country though it means much, much more. In this case great Carne Asada tacos at a little roadside restaurant.
Roberta's is situated in a bright yellow building just off the I-5 freeway in Williams in the heart of Sacramento Valley rice country. Towns this far up the Valley are small. No multiple exits off the freeway just take the Williams exit and head west into town.
When you walk up the menu is posted on the sliding window. Replete with tacos, burritos and all the choices of meats - it's authentic.
I ordered three Carne Asada tacos and a Coke. A few minutes later my order was announced the window. Three street tacos, a roasted jalapeño with sliced radish and a Coke bottled in Mexico.
The meat was well seasoned and had the char that makes Asada memorable. The salsa verde was tart, the spice just right and the corn tortillas soft and earthy. While I don't often go for soda, the cold Coke was great.
My stop at Roberta's is one of the things that makes trips north of Sacramento so rewarding. Great agriculture, bright blue skies and fantastic food at yellow taco stands!
The note at the top of the receipt says "Lunch on the Road" in blue ink. The purpose is to help our manager of finance allocate staff travel costs. When you’re traveling around rice country though it means much, much more. In this case great Carne Asada tacos at a little roadside restaurant.
Roberta's is situated in a bright yellow building just off the I-5 freeway in Williams in the heart of Sacramento Valley rice country. Towns this far up the Valley are small. No multiple exits off the freeway just take the Williams exit and head west into town.
When you walk up the menu is posted on the sliding window. Replete with tacos, burritos and all the choices of meats - it's authentic. I ordered three Carne Asada tacos and a Coke. A few minutes later my order was announced the window. Three street tacos, a roasted jalapeño with sliced radish and a Coke bottled in Mexico.
The meat was well seasoned and had the char that makes Asada memorable. The salsa verde was tart, the spice just right and the corn tortillas soft and earthy. While I don't often go for soda, the cold Coke was great.
My stop at Roberta's is one of the things that makes trips north of Sacramento so rewarding. Great agriculture, bright blue skies and fantastic food at yellow taco stands!
Tim Johnson, CRC President & CEO
Monday, July 22, 2013
New Blog- Maintaining our abundance
By Maddie Dunlap
Disney’s latest movie “Planes” features a main character that is none other than a crop duster! The opening scene of the trailer features the animated plane flying over a field applying pesticides to the field below. I first saw this commercial last Monday, fittingly enough.
Last week I spent the bulk of my time learning about pesticides. I started with CRC Industry Affairs Manager Roberta Firoved in the office getting a general background about the registration process for pesticides. Tuesday and Wednesday we attended the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA) summer regulatory conference where I was able to hear about industry issues and updates regarding mostly pesticides.
Nearly all farmers use pesticides as an additional tool to help produce safe and high quality foods. Companies such as Bayer CropScience and Dow AgroSciences, also known as registrants, bring these pesticides to the farmers. The pesticides become available to the farmers after the registrant companies develop the product and complete extensive scientific reviews to prove safety to the crop, the environment and the people who will be applying the product.
These studies are part of the registration process required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR), a department of Cal/EPA. The products must first be registered with the EPA and then may be registered with DPR. Among other materials, registration also requires an extensive label that lists appropriate application methods, crops suitable for the products, possible environmental impacts and many other instructions and information.
All of these resources are used to ensure that the pesticide is the safest possible product. With proper application the chemical helps the crop to reach high yields while still maintaining a healthy product for the consumer. Rice growers utilize these chemicals through many methods including aerial application, or crop dusters.
To some in the public, pesticides have had a negative connotation. Disney’s newest movie brings up opportunity for pesticides and pesticide application to face scrutiny by members of the public with negative views. This presents an interesting and hopefully productive opportunity for parties involved with pesticides and pesticide application to show the public that under appropriate application pesticides can be used as a tool to produce safe and abundant food.
Maddie Dunlap is a senior agricultural communication student with a minor in agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo.
She is the eighth generation of Dunlaps born and raised in Colusa County agriculture.
When Maddie isn’t studying hard at Cal Poly, she enjoys traveling throughout California, Giants baseball and attending county fairs.
Disney’s latest movie “Planes” features a main character that is none other than a crop duster! The opening scene of the trailer features the animated plane flying over a field applying pesticides to the field below. I first saw this commercial last Monday, fittingly enough.
Last week I spent the bulk of my time learning about pesticides. I started with CRC Industry Affairs Manager Roberta Firoved in the office getting a general background about the registration process for pesticides. Tuesday and Wednesday we attended the Western Plant Health Association (WPHA) summer regulatory conference where I was able to hear about industry issues and updates regarding mostly pesticides.
Nearly all farmers use pesticides as an additional tool to help produce safe and high quality foods. Companies such as Bayer CropScience and Dow AgroSciences, also known as registrants, bring these pesticides to the farmers. The pesticides become available to the farmers after the registrant companies develop the product and complete extensive scientific reviews to prove safety to the crop, the environment and the people who will be applying the product.
These studies are part of the registration process required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Pesticide Regulations (DPR), a department of Cal/EPA. The products must first be registered with the EPA and then may be registered with DPR. Among other materials, registration also requires an extensive label that lists appropriate application methods, crops suitable for the products, possible environmental impacts and many other instructions and information.
All of these resources are used to ensure that the pesticide is the safest possible product. With proper application the chemical helps the crop to reach high yields while still maintaining a healthy product for the consumer. Rice growers utilize these chemicals through many methods including aerial application, or crop dusters.
To some in the public, pesticides have had a negative connotation. Disney’s newest movie brings up opportunity for pesticides and pesticide application to face scrutiny by members of the public with negative views. This presents an interesting and hopefully productive opportunity for parties involved with pesticides and pesticide application to show the public that under appropriate application pesticides can be used as a tool to produce safe and abundant food.
Maddie Dunlap is a senior agricultural communication student with a minor in agribusiness at California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo. She is the eighth generation of Dunlaps born and raised in Colusa County agriculture.
When Maddie isn’t studying hard at Cal Poly, she enjoys traveling throughout California, Giants baseball and attending county fairs.
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