New CRC Blog- A hand up, not a hand out

By Maddie Dunlap

One of the most inspiring experiences I have had so far has been with the Sacramento Food Bank. I accompanied Tim Johnson, CRC President and CEO, to the food bank’s office to discuss a possible partnership with California rice farmers and the Sacramento Food Bank.  Oak Park is fittingly home to both the office and distribution center for this unique food bank that has become more of a community center to the surrounding neighborhood.  Having never previously visited a food bank, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.  I was completely shocked. 

Unlike most food banks in the United States, the Sacramento Food Bank is not solely funded by government aid.  Instead, this food banks funds its $10.5 million annual budgets by private donations and grants.  An army of 5,200 volunteers helps run the day-to-day programs and feeds more than 21,000 people each month.  These programs include parenting classes, GED courses, after school programs, a community garden and mobile farmer’s market-style distribution centers that serve struggling community members healthy meal choices.   The mobile distribution sites also serve to give visitors information on eating and cooking healthy. 

The CRC has begun dialogue with this food bank to see if it would be feasible for rice growers to supply the food bank with rice.  As with all other farm partnerships, the food bank will look to buy the rice for a reduced cost.  Rice growers are looking to food donations as a way to give back to the communities they are a part of.  Barring some logistical challenges, the Sacramento Food Bank may be a promising fit.  Mirroring the efforts of California rice farmers, the Sacramento Food Bank has reached its success through creativity, ingenuity and hard work. In fact a recent story from the Associated Press provided more information on their work.   This food bank looks to empower its visitors with a hand up, not a hand out – quite a refreshing message. 

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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. 

Black Tern - A California Riceland Success Story

Black Terns may easily be overlooked because of their small size and very patchy distribution in rice country, but at close range their shiny black plumage and graceful, swallow-like flight are a delight to behold.

Download pdf to learn more.

New CRC Blog- Angry California Rice Birds 3.0

By Jim Morris

It’s fast becoming an annual tradition for wife Leslie and myself – heading to rice country on the Fourth of July to visit a firecracker group of birds.

Our journey to a rice farm in the Colusa area allowed us to observe and photograph birds that are about as cantankerous as you will find. Black Terns are extremely protective of their nests and this time of the year is when the next generation is being raised.

It took a bit of searching but we came across several pairs of terns who made it clear they weren’t happy to see us.


My video is a little shaky because frankly I was a little shaky as I was getting read the riot act.

Leslie fared better, taking about 800 photos and coming up with some real winners, like this one.

Black Terns are one of nearly 230 wildlife species that benefit from California rice fields.  In fact, research by Point Blue Conservation Science indicates that Sacramento Valley rice fields have provided a tremendous boost to their population. The number of nesting terns took a big hit with the loss of historic wetlands in the state. Rice fields have filled in nicely and the Black Tern population has rebounded well. 

One of the big benefits of the rice fields was impossible to miss – an abundance of food. There were dragonflies everywhere.  (One even hitched a ride on my steering wheel.) To a tern all of those insects flying around translates into an all-you-can-eat buffet!

It was gratifying to see the population of this swift and vocal bird has taken such a positive turn.

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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

New CRC Blog- A Taste Testing Adventure

By Julie Cader

One of the many enjoyable aspects of my career with California rice is the opportunity to blog and twitter California rice recipes and stories.  I’m able to experiment with different rice recipes and then task friends and family to be the taste testers. Most recently, I adapted a blue-ribbon appetizer recipe from Amy Tichy of Kelliher, Minnesota. Long-time friends, Russ, Mari and David were the first to try the Wild Rice Cheesy Spread appetizer served with a variety of Lundberg’s yummy rice chips.

WILD RICE CHEESY SPREAD

16 Appetizer Servings (Makes 2 Cups of Spread)

In a small bowl, blend the following seven ingredients until smooth:

• 8 ounces of low fat cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup of Shredded 3-Cheese Blend (Parmesan, Asiago & Romano)
• 2 tablespoons Italian Vinaigrette salad dressing
• ¼ cup minced fresh basil leaves
• ¼ teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder

Stir in the following four ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked Lundberg’s Gourmet Blend of Wild & Whole Grain Brown Rice
• 1 green onion (bulb and green top) finely chopped
• ¼ cup chopped Kalamata olives
• ¼ cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives

Transfer spread to a colorful serving bowl and garnish with fresh baby basil leaves and pimiento.  Cover spread with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours to allow flavors to blend. Serve with Lundberg’s Rice Chips.

Everyone truly seemed to enjoy the California rice appetizer and I’m hoping they’ll bring their unbiased appetite to our next taste-testing adventure! In fact, I think I’ll start right now on a special rice dessert recipe. Stay tuned!

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

New Blog- New Scout for Rice Insect Pests

By Roberta Firoved

The Pest Control Advisor (PCA) is essential in farm operations to scout (inspect fields for pest infestations) and write recommendations that allow applications of necessary crop protection materials. Unknowing to the PCA, there’s a new scout in the fields.  A new ally for the PCA is the White-faced Ibis - the prehistoric looking brown bird that in the right light can also have an iridescent green color.

Most rice pesticide applications cease by the end of June. In July, the pesticide applications can continue for spot treating releases (weeds not controlled by previous applications), disease control and armyworm infestation. The armyworm is not an annual pest and usually infests the fields later in the season.

The PCA is quick to utilize the White-faced Ibis as a tool for scouting armyworm infestations in rice fields. Recent increases in the White-faced Ibis populations have a dramatic affect on armyworm detections. The White-faced Ibis love to dine on armyworms fresh from the field, so all one needs to do is look across a rice field and observe a small flock of large, dark birds gathering for a feast.

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Roberta Firoved, Manager of Industry Affairs. Roberta is a licensed PCA and manages pesticide regulatory issues for the California rice industry.

New CRC Blog- What does California Rice mean to you?

By Maddie Dunlap

To me the rice industry has always been defined by the view of emerald fields outside my bedroom window, an economic staple in my hometown and the source of a dozen mosquito bites on my legs.  Growing up in Maxwell, Colusa County, even at a young age you are immersed in all things rice.  The numerous fields surrounding my rural town became the backdrop for my childhood.  Growing up in Maxwell around rice farms as well as my experience on the cattle ranch my family ran gave me a true passion for agriculture. 

As I grow older and gain more experiences I see more facets of the agricultural industry and each commodity.  Over the last three years at Cal Poly – San Luis Obispo I have gained skills in both agricultural communications and agribusiness.  Now in a new chapter of my life, I look to further deepen my understanding of the rice industry as the California Rice Commission’s first intern.  Over the next eight weeks I will be shadowing different staff members from the CRC office.  This summer, it is my goal to observe and internalize a deeper understanding of the uniqueness that is California rice. 

Already in the first week, my eyes have been open to new features of the industry.  From capturing the essence of the Sacramento Valley rice farmer to snapping the perfect shot of a White-faced Ibis, the task of public education and outreach never ends.  This week my task has been to soak up the knowledge of one Mr. Jim Morris, Communications Manager at CRC. 

This week has put me back in touch with the elements of the rice industry that capture the affection of all who come into contact with this farming segment.  The vibrant colors of rice in the summer will immediately catch your attention.  The quirkiness of the wildlife, birds and waterfowl that have claimed these fields as their habitat will hold your focus.  The servant-like dedication of the tireless farmers will capture your admiration and steadfast support. 

I look forward to the balance of my summer internship and the experiences that will strengthen and reshape my own personal definition of California rice.  Furthermore, I look forward to sharing the experiences of a giddy college intern.

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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. 

New CRC Blog- The Ancient Art of Teppanyaki

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.

The memorable evening started with, “Hi, I’m Julie.” warmly responded with, “Hi, I’m Octavio.” followed by my exclaiming “Your name is Octavio? I have a llama named Octavio!” (pictured below) and the evening was off to a fun-filled entertaining experience at Benihana, located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Our personal chef performed the ancient art of Teppanyaki, preparing a scrumptious meal while engaging a striking percussion show with razor-sharp blades and shakers filled with assorted seasonings. We were fortunate to join a local family celebrating their Grandma Sylvia’s birthday. Four-year-old Amanda donned in her personal Benihana Chef’s hat, enjoyed the yummy fried rice, made with California Calrose rice, a type of medium-grain rice that is grown predominately in California.

We also enjoyed watching Amanda’s brother Tony make slam-dunk basketball shots of shrimp tails right into the pocket of our chef! This was truly an enjoyable evening, one that I will long remember.

New Blog- Rice exports to South Korea continue to shine

By Chris Crutchfield

It’s extremely encouraging that the popularity of California Calrose rice is really burgeoning among consumers in South Korea.  In 2004 this was a market that was importing low quality brown rice for processing from California only because it had to under its World Trade Organization (WTO) commitments.  Nine short years later, the market has transformed into a package quality milled rice market where retail, wholesale, and foodservice consumers are clamoring for California rice.  The premium quality rice they are vying for is grown, milled, processed, and packaged all right here in the Sacramento Valley.  It is shipped to South Korea in retail style 10 and 20 kg bags in 20-foot containers.  The brands have been developed by California companies.  Almost every week, a vessel sails from the Port of Oakland loaded with containers of California rice destined for the South Korean market.

The USA Rice Federation and the California Rice Commission (CRC) are actively promoting Calrose rice in South Korea.  Through tie-in promotion with wholesalers and E-tailers to in-store promotions with retail outlets -- California rice has become the most popular imported rice in the market.  And, it's readily identifiable by the name "California Calrose.” This is especially important as we enter into the next round of negotiations on the rice trade with the South Korean government in 2014.  It is key that consumers in South Korea continue to demand California grown Calrose rice.  One of the methods the CRC has employed to make sure this happens, is by offering a "California Calrose" logo to exporters to place on their bags in the South Korean market so that consumers are sure about the product they are buying.  All of these promotion efforts are paying off.

Recently, aT (the government buying/selling agency in South Korea) was forced to suspend the weekly auctions of California rice.  The reason -- consumers refused to bid on Chinese and Australian rice and were buying aT out of its California rice stocks!  Don't worry; the weekly sales are set to resume soon.  As our industry faces stiff competition all over the world from other cheaper producing origins, South Korea is certainly a bright spot in our marketing future.

New Blog- WSJ gets it wrong- not unusual or excessive

By Tim Johnson, California Rice Commission President & CEO

The recent Wall Street Journal Article A Rice Gets a Price Premium portrays the proposed House farm program for rice completely inaccurately. In fact, the regional differences in the rice reference price are neither unusual nor excessive.

Not unusual

The first claim that is offered is that somehow differences within an individual crop or region are unusual. Not true. Past farm programs have consistently provided different programs for long staple cotton compared to upland cotton. Different classes of wheat have also historically been treated separately as have sunflower seeds used for confectionary uses compared to those grown for oil. Barley is also considered differently. The basis for these differences is straightforward – the value received is higher. Japonica rice is the same. It is premium rice that commands a price higher than long grain indica rice grown in other regions of the U.S.

Not excessive

The second theme is that the fifteen percent premium in the House bill for japonica rice is excessive. This claim is also not based on easily verifiable data. Over the past 30 years japonica rice has held an average of a fifteen percent premium to long grain indica rice. More recently however that premium has been far greater – closer to forty percent above other U.S. rice. The story also implies that the target price is higher that production costs – also not factual. UC Cooperative Extension calculated the cost of production for rice in California in 2012. Their estimates were $19.36 per hundred pounds. This cost is far higher than in other regions and far above the regional $16.00 target price.

An effective safety net

Completely lost in the story is any discussion of a safety net for California rice that is adequate and equivalent. The reality is that California japonica rice costs far more to grow and has commanded a long–term market premium. When market prices are above the target price, our family farmers (brothers farming together, husbands and wives farming together, son and fathers farming together) earn enough to keep the farm going. Only when prices drop significantly below the cost of production will support for the farmer be triggered and only up to the target price. So if rice in California were to drop to say $15, farmers would be eligible for a $1 payment to bring them up to the target price. If instead all rice in the U.S. had one target price at the proposed $14, a California farmer would not eligible for support until they had loss of over $300,000 for an average farm.

Also missing is the acknowledgement of the huge change in farm programs that eliminate the current program of paying growers every year regardless of any loss.

The ultimate reality is that in both the House and Senate Farm Bills, rice farmers are moving to a safety net designed to keep growers on the farm based not on payments every year but based on significant losses below production costs. This change seems fair, as long as all regions receive a proportional level of protection against loss.

Why having rice farms matters

There are several reasons why rice farming matters. Certainly jobs are important. There are 25,000 generated by rice farms in California. In small communities in the Sacramento Valley like Gridley, Colusa and Biggs, the impact is even more significant, with over half of the region’s economic activity generated by rice farming and milling. But probably the most important reason to keep farmers on the land when prices go south is the tremendous benefit to wildlife and keeping our open spaces open. Each fall over 300,000 shorebirds migrate through the valley and stop to feed on the insects that are plentiful in rice paddies. Later in the winter millions of ducks, geese and swans pour into the rice fields to eat the leftover grain. Right now thousands of wading birds are nesting right in the fields, their chicks running along the edge of the growing rice chasing their next meal.

None of this is possible without farmers staying in business. In the final analysis, this is what the farm bill endeavors to do – keep farmers farming when things get tough.

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Tim Johnson, CRC President & CEO

New Blog- Unusual spring weather provides a challenge

All of the rice is planted and we are now doing what we can to help ensure a good harvest in the fall.

While we were able to plant earlier than in recent years the spring has still posed some challenges.  For one thing, we’ve had many days of strong winds.  Secondly the temperatures have really varied from day to day.  Rice is a lot like people – the plants prefer a more gradual change in the weather than big differences from day to day.

Right now myself and other growers are monitoring our fields and working to keep weeds at a minimum.

We are now starting the tillering process, where the primary shoot of the rice plant emerges and new ones form around the base.  The healthier the plant, the better our chance will be at a more abundant harvest in the fall.

Hopefully the rest of the growing season will include more normal weather. High temperatures around 90 would be ideal.

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

New CRC Blog- Sandwiches, salads and perseverance

By Jim Morris

In these days of fast food on virtually every corner, one-of-a-kind restaurants are getting harder to find. Fortunately in the Sacramento Valley, there are several wonderful places to eat that are filled with charm and originality. Williams wouldn’t be the same without Granzella’s and Louis Cairo’s. My favorite stop in Colusa is Tommy’s. Yuba City has the Refuge and Cilantro’s.

Where to dine in Richvale? The definitive, in fact the only answer is the Richvale Café. The food is very good but the story behind it is priceless!

This Butte County community with a population of 244 is in the heart and birthplace of California rice country. Originally named Selby Switch, developers changed the name to Richvale to connote rich soils to attract farmers that migrated west from states such as Kansas and Nebraska. The heavy clay soils weren’t suitable for many crops but ended up being ideal for rice.  Once rice was planted, Richvale’s future was secured.

The café has also had its ups and downs. Once the site of a grocery store and lunch counter, the facility burned down twice.  The unoccupied building became an eyesore to the community with little chance of a new tenant. Community members provided sufficient money to open the café in 1969, with a celebration complete with a ribbon cutting and brass band.  Rice grower and local historian Dennis Lindberg played his trumpet in the brass band for the opening ceremonies and remembers it well.


Unfortunately the small town was unable to maintain enough business to keep the café open. Once again the community of Richvale refused to accept the closure. The business operated for a while as a non-profit, which lost out to an IRS challenge.  Today the café is managed by the community and receives generous support through fundraisers and contributions to keep in operation.

A real scare happened a few years ago when the café’s well water became contaminated.  Once again the community pulled together and funded the very expensive drilling of a new well.

What makes the café so special? The answer is more of a feeling than what words can describe. Perhaps it’s the local rice, honey, barbeque sauce and produce that community members provide for the menu. Maybe it’s the dishes found nowhere else, like the Aviator Special for breakfast (two small breakfast burritos for growers on the go) or the Joe Special, a mouthwatering sandwich named in honor of Joe Josiassen, a rice grower and former Air Force Chef who designed the kitchen.  Mr. Josiassen has passed away but this dish is one way the community honors his legacy. It could be the fact that some customers prepay for their meals while others pay their tab at the end of the month.  The answer is all of the above and more. A loving community refuses to let this little café go.
Perhaps nowhere else will you find such dedication to a similar cause.

Perseverance saved Richvale farmers a century ago and it’s still paying dividends at the café. Pull your car in from the Midway, have a seat and enjoy small town life.  The cuisine may not be French Laundry, but those in Richvale wouldn’t trade it for anything! 

A sign that hangs over the grill sums it up pretty well with these words:

“Good food…
 Good friends…
 Good times!”

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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

New CRC Blog- Rice Reigns in Hawaii

By Jim Morris

Our family just returned from vacation in Maui, where we enjoyed snorkeling alongside of Honu (sea turtles), a variety of field trips and a familiar item from home- California rice.

Walk into a Long’s Drugs and you immediately see stacks of Diamond G and Hinode Rice. Big bags too, not the two-pounders I often see in my local Safeway.

One of our favorite dining places is Kimo’s in Lahaina. I took two runs at the Broke da Mouth lunch plate, which featured a generous portion of Hinode rice.

A short walk along the beach from our condo led us to the Gazebo Restaurant for a half order of fried rice. Featuring Portuguese sausage, egg, veggies and Fukesake brand rice, this behemoth of a dish kept me fed for three glorious meals.

We had a terrific day trip to the island of Lanai. After the ferry ride and some time on the beach I had a powerful hunger.  We fixed that problem in grand style with this Teriyaki chicken plate complete with Homai rice at the Blue Ginger Café.

It turns out that rice figures prominently in California-Hawaii trade.  Ryan Malm, Manager of Consumer Products for Farmers’ Rice Cooperative was kind enough to provide background.  As Ryan explains it, with the Reciprocity Treaty of 1875 we agreed to remove import duties on sugarcane from Hawaii and in turn they gave us Pearl Harbor, as well as duty-free access to their rice market.  Until that time Hawaii, along with many of their Japanese immigrants, grew quite a lot of their own rice in abandoned taro fields.  The Japanese influence can also be credited with why the local Hawaiians favor Calrose/sticky rice versus other varieties that may have been available at the time.

Ryan describes Hawaii as a unique California rice market.  In general, most of the mills in California sell a high percentage of their business to ethnic distributors in private label bags.  However, grocery stores in Hawaii have always had such high demand that they’ve been able to purchase full containers of rice directly from the mill for years.  Because of this, it’s one of the few markets where California Rice mills can sell and focus on promoting their own in-house brands.  It doesn’t compare to the large volume of rice shipped to places like Japan and South Korea, but it’s a high rice consuming market per capita.

It was great to see this little bit of home on so many menus during our vacation.  If we’re lucky, perhaps our family will head to more exotic locations where California rice enjoys widespread popularity!

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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

New - California Rice Newsletter (June 2013)

June 2013 California Rice Newsletter Now Available

Click Here to Download

New video- The origin of the term Bankout Wagon

Rice grower Dennis Lindberg of Butte County describes how the term Bankout Wagon came to be. Bankout Wagons are used to haul newly harvested grain from rice fields to trailers.

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Dennis Lindberg has grown rice in Butte County for more than 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.

New CRC Blog- Strong partners in Conservation

By Paul Buttner

As the Manager of Environmental Affairs for the California Rice Commission (CRC), I was humbled to stand with our President & CEO Tim Johnson to accept the 2013 Partner of the Year Award from the Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV) on behalf of the rice growers of California. 

The CVJV (www.cvjv.org) is a collaborative group of highly respected conservation organizations committed to enhancing habitat values for birds and other wildlife species in the Central Valley.  The current CVJV Vice Chairman, John Carlon of River Partners, and Coordinator, Bob Shaffer, presented us with the distinguished award.

I was truly honored with this recognition from the CVJV.  In his presentation, Bob Shaffer talked about their long history with rice growers all the way back to the industry’s phase-down of rice straw burning and replacement of that practice with winter flooding.  Much of this collaborative work pre-dates my tenure at CRC, which began in 2001.   Since then so much has been accomplished to help increase habitat values in rice, a subject matter I have grown extremely passionate about.

We are now three years into a new program called the Waterbird Habitat Enhancement Program (WHEP) that supports the implementation of innovative new approaches to habitat enhancement in ricelands.  It is now implemented on nearly 25 percent of rice acres (about 115,000 acres) thanks to the dedication and assistance of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and ongoing technical assistance from organizations like Audubon California, PRBO Conservation Science and the Nature Conservancy.  Each of these three partners helps make up the broader membership of the CVJV.  The CVJV has been solidly behind rice every step of the way towards greater habitat enhancement and I’m very pleased to have the CVJV’s support and recognition for the CRC’s ongoing commitment to habitat enhancement on its working ricelands.

The ongoing coordinating force of the CVJV certainly helps move the ball forward on wildlife conservation projects and awareness of the importance of this great Central Valley for millions of birds that reply upon it.  We are honored to be considered one of its valued partners in these efforts.

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

New CRC Blog- Why the Farm Bill is important

By Tim Johnson

Every five years the leaders of our country have a discussion on farm policy. In large part the debate is healthy, though, sometimes to make a point, arguments get off track. In the upcoming weeks and months you will hear both good arguments and ones that stray a bit far afield.

One of the most basic questions is why a farm bill is necessary in such a well–fed nation. The reality is that our nation is the place of both expanding belt lines and one where many struggle daily to put food on the table – especially high quality fruits, vegetables and grains. The farm bill steps in here in a big way, providing support through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance program or SNAP.

In 2012, the program provided support for 46 million Americans according to the USDA. SNAP is the largest program area in the farm bill with nutrition programs (including a number of school food programs) accounting for 78 percent of all spending in the same year.

The reality is that these programs have been expanding. But then so has need in this lengthy recession. When there is need, we are proud to be a generous people.

The second question in the farm bill debate involves farm spending.  Farm programs were designed to keep farmers on the land when times got tough. We call it a safety net. Over the years that safety net has taken many different forms, the most recent of which were dictated by international trade agreements such as the WTO, which required farmers to be eligible for payments even if they didn’t grow a crop. This was never a farmer’s idea.

In the upcoming farm bill, there will be many reforms in how farmers are supported. Many of the changes are driven by honest questions about how to support farmers when they need it but not send them a check every year simply because they grow a commodity.

This time around the safety net for farmers will be programs that only kick in when prices drop below the cost of production - the idea being to keep the farmer on the farm during the tough times. There are also incentives for farmers to buy crop insurance for greater protection. This approach to a safety net makes sense.

So, when you start hearing about ‘food stamp this’ and ‘rich farmer that,’ keep these facts in mind and you will be able to keep it all in the appropriate perspective.

Incidentally, payments to farmers only account for a little over six percent of total farm bill spending.

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Tim Johnson, CRC President & CEO

New Blog- Rice planting finale

Grower Peter Rystrom discusses progress on the 2013 rice planting, including participation in a special wildlife program.

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After completing his college education, Peter Rystrom is happily back at work as a fourth-generation farmer in Butte County. Working alongside his father Steve, grandfather Don, uncle Gary and several cousins, this family has a century-long tradition of rice farming in the Sacramento Valley.

After graduating from UC Davis with an International Relations and Spanish double major, he worked with Community Enterprise Solutions in Guatemala and lead tours across the United States for Trek America.

Peter enjoys the change in seasons on the farm and the freedom of being outside all day.

When he’s not on the farm, he enjoys backpacking trips into the mountains as well as world travel. Other passions include being involved in the lives of others through church small groups and friendships, both at home and abroad.

New CRC Blog- Sowing future prosperity

By Jim Morris

Drive through the Sacramento Valley these days and you very likely will see and hear airplanes seeding more than a half million acres of rice. I was able to witness an entirely different seeding method at the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs, which has provided growers with important research and varieties for a century.

The Experiment Station works with so many varieties in a relatively compact space that aerial seeding is out of the question. The closest thing that mimics the aerial seeding process is seeding by hand. With 40,000 different breeding lines this is no easy feat!

For more than 30 years, extra help in the form of skilled workers of Sikh descent have worked with researchers at the station to plant millions of seeds. The entire process takes a little more than a week and is fascinating to watch.

One of the starting steps is illustrated here by Baldish Deol, as seeds are soaked and carefully loaded into vials.

These seeds are planted one vial at a time in their specific part of the field- 60,000 rows in all!


Each vial has about 100 seeds, which represents one head of rice.

In addition there are 1,500 large plots, also planted with extreme care and by hand.



This work happens during an intense five-day period and is done with little outside attention but is part of the foundation of research that has helped this industry maintain its status as a reliable producer of premium quality rice.

Spring seeding is just one way the Rice Experiment Station maintains its role as an invaluable part of California rice production.  It’s a job where patience is a virtue, as it takes about a decade for a new rice variety to go from its first planting to commercial use.

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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

New Rice Grower Blog- Curveballs

Curveballs. They're great in baseball but nerve wracking in rice farming!  I had a big one thrown at me the other day.  This spring had been pleasant enough apart from all the north wind.  The ground dried out early and our "leisurely" pace is a pleasant respite from the frenetic pace of the last two years, at least until the other day.

Here is my rice roller in action- happily applying both base and starter fertilizers in one final pass across the fields before flood up and seeding.

The quadtrac seen above is an older tractor that is well suited to for this purpose, or was well suited rather.  Within hours of this photo being taken a piston in its engine seized.  What do I do now?  I did not have another tractor to take its place so on the phone I went.  Do I rent a replacement for two weeks while I fix this old tractor?  Should I fix the quadtrac? Will I get the money invested in an old tractor back? Do I buy a new one? Not in this market! What's available in the used tractor market that will work?  What does the banker think? 

To answer all those questions and get back to rolling in the field took almost three days.  Answering the questions and negotiating a deal for a used replacement tractor took a day and a half.  Transferring all the GPS equipment and software was another day and a bit but we are up and going finally. Curveball managed!

Here is a photo of the old quadtrac with oil on the hood from the blown engine after being towed out of the field and its replacement getting started in the background. 

Keep plowing ahead.

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Sean Doherty is a 3rd generation rice farmer living out his dream, being a rice farmer in Dunnigan.

He farms in Yolo, Colusa, and Sutter Counties with his wife Melissa, and three kids, Hannah, Gus, and Mary. He enjoys being in the fields, watching the seasons, and sharing it with his family.

Read more about Sean in Rice Farming magazine

New video- State Official tours a Sacramento Valley rice field

Chair of the California Air Resources Board Mary Nichols provides comments after touring a Sacramento Valley rice farm.