Friday, January 28, 2011
Video- Chef Patrick Mulvaney comments on his Family Meal featuring six California rice varieties
New Video- Chef Patrick Mulvaney comments on his Family Meal featuring six California rice varieties
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Guest blog post: Port of West Sacramento vital to the economy
By Mike Luken, Port of West Sacramento manager
2011 promises to be an exciting year for the Port of West Sacramento, with key projects set to start or wrap up in coming months. Most significantly, we expect to launch our long-awaited project to lower the 43-mile deep-water ship channel from 30 feet to 35 feet. Critical to our long-term competitiveness, a deeper channel will make the Port accessible to 75 percent of the world’s cargo fleet, compared to only 30 percent currently. This will make us a more attractive import and export hub, help with regional traffic congestion and air quality, provide material for Delta levee improvements and habitat restoration, and further improve our ability to locate clean-tech businesses at or near the Port.
We also plan to initiate a marine-highway container barge service between Oakland, Stockton and West Sacramento with help from a $30 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery TIGER) federal stimulus grant. The new marine highway will provide an eco-friendly waterborne shipping route between the three ports, creating a new transportation alternative to conventional freight and cargo movement in Northern California. Funds in West Sacramento will be used for a new distribution center and crane.
Rice continues to be one of our primary export products and has helped the port weather the Great Recession. With five ships carrying more than 86,000 metric tons of bulk rice (a metric ton is about 2,200 pounds) and 14 ships carrying 184,000 metric tons of bag rice, the 2009-2010 rice season, running from November to mid-summer, was one of the Port's strongest in recent years. Bulk rice shipments were the most since 2001. We’re looking forward to another strong season in 2010-2011. The first three vessels loading rice this year will be MV Oakland, Ocean Trader and Blue Baie, each of which in January is loading 13,000 metric tons of bagged rice destined for Japan.
Stay informed about Port of West Sacramento developments through our website at www.portofwestsac.com, by subscribing to our quarterly newsletter through our Facebook account, and by following @portofwestsac on Twitter.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Guest post: Galt Winter Bird Festival Takes Wing January 29th
By Liz Aguirre, City of GaltThe City of Galt, in partnership with the Cosumnes River Preserve and Galt Joint Union Elementary School District, will host the 4th annual Winter Bird Festival on Saturday, January 29. The festival has proven to be a successful display of nearly 100 bird species that routinely winter in the Galt area and specifically along the Cosumnes River Preserve.
The Festival is free and will be held at McCaffery Middle School beginning at 8:00 am featuring craft vendors, food and fun for all ages. The Festival includes the following highlighted activities:
- Winter Bird Festival Youth Art Show featuring the artwork of local students and their depicions of resident and migratory birds.
- The 2011 Festival features the following guest speakers and presentations at the McCaffrey Middle School Jeff Jennings Auditorium:
10:30 a.m. – ZenOptic Wetlands Dawn – Digital Capture at First Light, a look at wetlands life as the new day begins featuring a multi-media presentation capturing photo, video and sound in a colorful compelling presentation.
12:00 p.m. – Keynote Speaker – Corky Quirk – Northern California Bats – Our Insect Eating Friends, a family friendly look at our regions migratory bat species and their environmental benefits. The session dispels bat myths and highlights local rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
1:30 p.m. – Wild Things Inc. – Wild Animal Show, a visit by a Bald Eagle, Great Horned Owl, Red-tailed Hawk, beaver, and a rattlesnake.
3:00 p.m. – Sacramento Birds Throughout the Year with Chris Conard. The Sacramento area is Home to over 300 species of birds. A program of photos and short videos will provide an introduction to the avian calendar and an overview of what migratory patterns to expect – and when.
- NEW TOUR - ZenOptic wetlands Dawn Photo Tour lead by Lon Yarbrough - The 5:45 a.m. tour will experience wetlands at dawn and will provide tips and opportunity for capturing the vibrant life of the wetlands as daybreak begins. Limit 12 participants - $20/each.
- NEW TOUR - Early Morning Songbirds led by John Trochet - This is a 6:30 a.m. private tour along the Cosumnes Preserve. Limit 15 participants - $20/each.
- NEW TOUR - Cosumnes River Preserve Wetland and Farm Tour at led by Harry McQuillen – This tour leaves at 7:00 a.m. and features a look at the Preserve’s freshwater wetlands and organic rice operations and how these management activities support thousands of wintering waterfowl and water birds. Limit 20 participants - $15/each.
- NEW TOUR - Bufferlands Tour led by Chris Conrad - The 8:00 a.m. tour will offer an opportunity to visit sites with limited public access to view the results of local conservation and restoration efforts. The 2500 acre Bufferlands surrounding the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant between south Sacramento and Elk Grove serve as an open space for this intriguing tour. $10/each.
- Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge – 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Cosumnes River Preserve General Tour – 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- Cosumnes River Preserve Childrens Tour – 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Video post: Stomping provides many benefits to California rice fields
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.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Honoring magnificent wildlife – the Snow Goose Festival of the Pacific Flyway
By Jennifer Patten, Festival Coordinator
Stretching from the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska to the steppes of Patagonia in South America, the Pacific Flyway ranks as one of the greatest migratory pathways in the entire world. Millions of birds representing hundreds of species use this great avian highway each year. Nowhere is this abundance of wildlife more accessible than right here in the Northern Sacramento Valley. With an ideal combination of mild winter weather, abundant food and rich quantities of water, the area attracts a huge wintering population of waterfowl and raptors. A local favorite among these is the majestic Snow Goose. With the estimated overall population of Snow Geese exceeding 5 million, as many as one and a half million use the Pacific Flyway. Tens of thousands of these will winter right here in our own backyard, many in rice fields and adjacent wetland areas. So it is with these things in mind that we once again invite you to come and rediscover this magnificent spectacle of nature at the 12th Annual Snow Goose Festival, held in Chico January 27 through 30.
This year the variety of experiences to choose from is as varied as the tastes of the many people involved. If your interest lies in the outdoors, select one or more of the over 50 birding and wildlife field trips visiting every important region of the area. Serious birders will take note of our Marathon Big Day Birding on Thursday and Valley Wetlands and Wintering Waterbirds on Saturday. If indoor wildlife presentations, activities and workshops are more your style, we have two full days of events to choose from. Along with many free Junior Naturalist Activities there will be over 30 displays and vendors at the Chico Masonic Family Center. For those with a taste for the arts, our Uptown-Downtown Pacific Flyway Wildlife Art Exhibit, extended this year and running from January 21 to February 19, will more than satisfy. Without a doubt, everyone will want to attend the “Gathering of Wings” Banquet and Silent Auction with featured keynote speaker John “Jack” Muir Laws, naturalist, author, illustrator, and educator.
It is our mission that unites and energizes all of the many volunteers, artists, trip leaders, workshop presenters, educators, community members and sponsors involved with the Snow Goose Festival. We strive to increase public awareness, understanding, appreciation and conservation of the incredible wildlife and related habitats of the Northern Sacramento Valley. So come join with us and let’s make the 12th Annual Snow Goose Festival the best and most successful festival ever.
Find out more at www.snowgoosefestival.org.
Stretching from the Bering Strait off the coast of Alaska to the steppes of Patagonia in South America, the Pacific Flyway ranks as one of the greatest migratory pathways in the entire world. Millions of birds representing hundreds of species use this great avian highway each year. Nowhere is this abundance of wildlife more accessible than right here in the Northern Sacramento Valley. With an ideal combination of mild winter weather, abundant food and rich quantities of water, the area attracts a huge wintering population of waterfowl and raptors. A local favorite among these is the majestic Snow Goose. With the estimated overall population of Snow Geese exceeding 5 million, as many as one and a half million use the Pacific Flyway. Tens of thousands of these will winter right here in our own backyard, many in rice fields and adjacent wetland areas. So it is with these things in mind that we once again invite you to come and rediscover this magnificent spectacle of nature at the 12th Annual Snow Goose Festival, held in Chico January 27 through 30.
This year the variety of experiences to choose from is as varied as the tastes of the many people involved. If your interest lies in the outdoors, select one or more of the over 50 birding and wildlife field trips visiting every important region of the area. Serious birders will take note of our Marathon Big Day Birding on Thursday and Valley Wetlands and Wintering Waterbirds on Saturday. If indoor wildlife presentations, activities and workshops are more your style, we have two full days of events to choose from. Along with many free Junior Naturalist Activities there will be over 30 displays and vendors at the Chico Masonic Family Center. For those with a taste for the arts, our Uptown-Downtown Pacific Flyway Wildlife Art Exhibit, extended this year and running from January 21 to February 19, will more than satisfy. Without a doubt, everyone will want to attend the “Gathering of Wings” Banquet and Silent Auction with featured keynote speaker John “Jack” Muir Laws, naturalist, author, illustrator, and educator.
It is our mission that unites and energizes all of the many volunteers, artists, trip leaders, workshop presenters, educators, community members and sponsors involved with the Snow Goose Festival. We strive to increase public awareness, understanding, appreciation and conservation of the incredible wildlife and related habitats of the Northern Sacramento Valley. So come join with us and let’s make the 12th Annual Snow Goose Festival the best and most successful festival ever.Find out more at www.snowgoosefestival.org.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Blog post by Riley "Punch" Haskell: Amazing scenery
Quite simply, this has been as good a year for wildlife concentrations in Sacramento Valley rice country as I’ve seen.
There’s something special and stirring when you see tens of thousands of Snow Geese in a field. It’s easy to be in awe, and you really just have to stop what you’re doing and watch them. I see a lot of folks driving along the interstate take note of this spectacular sight.
Large flocks of birds started showing up in and around my fields on the west side of the valley in October, which as it turned out was well before my harvest was over. Nevertheless, they had plenty of areas to rest and refuel.
I’ve seen and heard of big numbers of many of the 230 wildlife species that rely on California rice fields and adjacent wetlands for food and habitat, including Speckled Geese and ducks, such as Cinnamon Teal and Mallards.
I would imagine that the wildlife remain prolific for several more months.
Even though I’ve seen plenty of birds over the years, it’s something I look forward to every year.
You never get tired of enjoying nature. That’s part of the DNA of being a farmer.
There’s something special and stirring when you see tens of thousands of Snow Geese in a field. It’s easy to be in awe, and you really just have to stop what you’re doing and watch them. I see a lot of folks driving along the interstate take note of this spectacular sight.
Large flocks of birds started showing up in and around my fields on the west side of the valley in October, which as it turned out was well before my harvest was over. Nevertheless, they had plenty of areas to rest and refuel.
I’ve seen and heard of big numbers of many of the 230 wildlife species that rely on California rice fields and adjacent wetlands for food and habitat, including Speckled Geese and ducks, such as Cinnamon Teal and Mallards.
I would imagine that the wildlife remain prolific for several more months.
Even though I’ve seen plenty of birds over the years, it’s something I look forward to every year.
You never get tired of enjoying nature. That’s part of the DNA of being a farmer.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
New Guest Blog: A water manager’s perspective on California rice
By Thad Bettner, General Manager, Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District
“Rice uses a lot of water to grow…” As a water manager in the Sacramento Valley, I hear this mantra from those outside of our region who see rice lands as the last bastion of water users who have yet to sincerely conserve water. As our region is close to the source of supply and as long-time water right holders, we have been fortunate to have a stable and affordable water supply compared to other areas of the state that have suffered from conveyance limitations and high transportation costs. However, in November 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature passed a Comprehensive Water Package that includes actions such as water rights enforcement and water conservation that could directly affect our region.
The true facts about water use in rice often get lost in the debate. According to figures from the State Department of Water Resources, the crop itself consumptively uses (ET) about 39 inches of water per acre, which favorably compares to many other crops. In reality, rice as a crop is a median water consumer compared to other crops. The perception, though, is cultural practices associated with farming rice use too much water and this is where the debate seems to occur. Rice critics will say, “flood irrigation is not efficient,” or “water leaving a field is equivalent to waste,” yet what the critics fail to understand is how water is managed within water agencies and basins within the Sacramento Valley.
As a water manager and as other water managers would agree, it is our job to deliver water to landowners so they can grow their crops, maximize their yields and revenue, while providing economic and environmental benefits to our region. Our expectation as water managers is that landowners will also be stewards of the water resource. In reality, we must be our own toughest critics so that we can demonstrate to others outside of our region that both water agencies and landowners are working cooperatively to best manage our water supplies. In my experience, rice farmers are focused on using water as efficiently as possible, understanding how valuable a resource it is, both for food production and environmental benefits.
University of California researchers continue to find water management and conservation measures, ranging from new varieties to alternate irrigation schedules that landowners should have implementing while improving yields and wildlife habitat. This research takes years to complete, and their findings are of great interest to rice growers.
The California Rice Commission has a wealth of information about water efficiency in rice and the environmental benefits from rice fields, including a comprehensive look at the 230 wildlife species in rice country and the important role these fields play for ducks.
In future blogs, I will expand on additional actions the state may take that will affect our region and how we will need to respond.
Thad Bettner has 20 years of experience with irrigation and water agencies in the planning, design, operation and management of water delivery systems on the local, state, and federal level. He has served as GCID's General Manager since 2006. Bettner is an active member of the Northern California Water Association, Association of California Water Agencies, the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, and the Glenn County Water Advisory Committee. He currently serves as a Board member of the Power and Water Resources Pooling Authority. He is a registered Civil Engineer with the state of California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
“Rice uses a lot of water to grow…” As a water manager in the Sacramento Valley, I hear this mantra from those outside of our region who see rice lands as the last bastion of water users who have yet to sincerely conserve water. As our region is close to the source of supply and as long-time water right holders, we have been fortunate to have a stable and affordable water supply compared to other areas of the state that have suffered from conveyance limitations and high transportation costs. However, in November 2009, Governor Schwarzenegger and the Legislature passed a Comprehensive Water Package that includes actions such as water rights enforcement and water conservation that could directly affect our region.
The true facts about water use in rice often get lost in the debate. According to figures from the State Department of Water Resources, the crop itself consumptively uses (ET) about 39 inches of water per acre, which favorably compares to many other crops. In reality, rice as a crop is a median water consumer compared to other crops. The perception, though, is cultural practices associated with farming rice use too much water and this is where the debate seems to occur. Rice critics will say, “flood irrigation is not efficient,” or “water leaving a field is equivalent to waste,” yet what the critics fail to understand is how water is managed within water agencies and basins within the Sacramento Valley.
As a water manager and as other water managers would agree, it is our job to deliver water to landowners so they can grow their crops, maximize their yields and revenue, while providing economic and environmental benefits to our region. Our expectation as water managers is that landowners will also be stewards of the water resource. In reality, we must be our own toughest critics so that we can demonstrate to others outside of our region that both water agencies and landowners are working cooperatively to best manage our water supplies. In my experience, rice farmers are focused on using water as efficiently as possible, understanding how valuable a resource it is, both for food production and environmental benefits.
University of California researchers continue to find water management and conservation measures, ranging from new varieties to alternate irrigation schedules that landowners should have implementing while improving yields and wildlife habitat. This research takes years to complete, and their findings are of great interest to rice growers.
The California Rice Commission has a wealth of information about water efficiency in rice and the environmental benefits from rice fields, including a comprehensive look at the 230 wildlife species in rice country and the important role these fields play for ducks.
In future blogs, I will expand on additional actions the state may take that will affect our region and how we will need to respond.
Thad Bettner has 20 years of experience with irrigation and water agencies in the planning, design, operation and management of water delivery systems on the local, state, and federal level. He has served as GCID's General Manager since 2006. Bettner is an active member of the Northern California Water Association, Association of California Water Agencies, the U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, and the Glenn County Water Advisory Committee. He currently serves as a Board member of the Power and Water Resources Pooling Authority. He is a registered Civil Engineer with the state of California and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
New Ad- Shorebird Sanctuary
California ricelands provide essential habitat to Killdeer and millions of other shorebirds. The Manomet Center for Conservation Science has designated California ricelands as a Shorebird Site of International Significance, one of the largest of its kind in North America. All told, our fields are used by 230 wildlife species, including seven million wintering ducks and geese in the Sacramento Valley. Supporting California rice will help ensure
that these environmental benefits continue.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Guest blog post: Enjoying Winter Wildlife
By Julius (Jim) GroeserI am an active Audubon Society member and consider myself a hardcore environmentalist.
I was surprised to learn years ago about the role rice farmers have in providing a home for the wildlife that I enjoy so much. My Audubon Chapter in Grass Valley learned a lot from two presentations from the California Rice Commission, which brought into focus the ways rice growers work with the environmental community to make the rice fields a giant wildlife preserve during the winter months.
I enjoy touring the rural areas of Northern California. My favorite birding is through the rice fields. The big birds are there and are so magnificent to see! Our Central Valley is a world-class environment for swans, geese, ibis, egrets and much more. And anyone can drive for hours on the roads through the rice-growing areas with binoculars and scopes as the migratory birds present a wonderful spectacle, feeding, flying in the well-known V formation and sometimes exploding off the water in huge, chaotic masses. People of all ages are interested in the size of the birds, the large numbers in the air at one time and the almost indescribable sound of thousands of swans and geese all talking at once.
I don’t want to forget about the raptors too. The Central Valley has the most wintering raptors per square mile of any region in the United States. Our surveys find four to five raptors per mile driven, mostly Red-tailed Hawks. It’s a perfect view of nature just a few miles from town.
The Sacramento Valley rice country is also a perfect classroom for children of all ages to enjoy and learn about farming and wildlife.
One of my favorite spots for birding is northeast of the town of Hallwood, just outside of Marysville in Yuba County. Woodruff is a good road to see wildlife aplenty in the wintertime.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
New blog post from farmer Josh Sheppard: Waterfowl on Edge
Late December and through the month of January are typically the peak times when migratory ducks and geese utilize my rice fields and others in the Sacramento Valley as a food source and a place of rest. The severe storm patterns the north state has been experiencing over the past several weeks seem to have created some anxiety among these creatures because they have become quite restless lately.
Usually, when a large grind of ducks and geese flock onto one of my winter flooded rice fields I can count on them to utilize the site for three to five days until they feed out much of the available waste grain the field has to offer and move on to a new location.
Lately, groups of waterfowl have been only spending a day or two in a particular field before moving to another location.
These birds play a key role in a residue management program for growers like myself who return our rice stubble back into the soil every year after harvest is complete. The chewing and moving around of the birds as they search for the rice left behind really helps condition the rice straw to a state that becomes easy to handle next spring when I begin to prepare to plant the new crop.
My hope is that I can get some large numbers of waterfowl return to the fields again during January and February while I will be maintaining the winter flood on these sites so that I get a little more help with the straw decomposition process. However the flight and feeding patterns of the migratory birds may or may not work out for me is yet to be determined, but just knowing that the availability of my working rice fields and others in the Sacramento Valley during the winter months is responsible for over 50 percent of the ducks and geese that exist in the pacific flyway makes me a proud member of the California rice industry.
Josh Sheppard is proud to be part of the fourth generation of his family that have been farming rice in Butte County for many generations. After receiving degrees in Agribusiness and Water Science from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 1997 he returned to the 3,000 acre family rice operation with his parents, a brother, and a sister. Josh and his wife, Kathryn, have two children.
When he’s not on the farm, he enjoys time as a volunteer for the California Waterfowl Association and his children's youth basketball programs.
Usually, when a large grind of ducks and geese flock onto one of my winter flooded rice fields I can count on them to utilize the site for three to five days until they feed out much of the available waste grain the field has to offer and move on to a new location.
Lately, groups of waterfowl have been only spending a day or two in a particular field before moving to another location.
These birds play a key role in a residue management program for growers like myself who return our rice stubble back into the soil every year after harvest is complete. The chewing and moving around of the birds as they search for the rice left behind really helps condition the rice straw to a state that becomes easy to handle next spring when I begin to prepare to plant the new crop.
My hope is that I can get some large numbers of waterfowl return to the fields again during January and February while I will be maintaining the winter flood on these sites so that I get a little more help with the straw decomposition process. However the flight and feeding patterns of the migratory birds may or may not work out for me is yet to be determined, but just knowing that the availability of my working rice fields and others in the Sacramento Valley during the winter months is responsible for over 50 percent of the ducks and geese that exist in the pacific flyway makes me a proud member of the California rice industry.
Josh Sheppard is proud to be part of the fourth generation of his family that have been farming rice in Butte County for many generations. After receiving degrees in Agribusiness and Water Science from Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo in 1997 he returned to the 3,000 acre family rice operation with his parents, a brother, and a sister. Josh and his wife, Kathryn, have two children.When he’s not on the farm, he enjoys time as a volunteer for the California Waterfowl Association and his children's youth basketball programs.
Monday, January 3, 2011
News Release: Rice Farmers Encouraged to Attend Upcoming Meetings
California Rice Commission Annual Grower Meetings will be held later this month
View News Release (01-03-2011)
View News Release (01-03-2011)
New Guest Blog Video - Wakamatsu Update
American River Conservancy Executive Director Alan Ehrgott updates efforts to preserve the historic Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Farm Colony site near Coloma in California's Gold Country.
The California Rice Commission is a proud supporter of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Project.
The California Rice Commission is a proud supporter of the Wakamatsu Tea and Silk Colony Project.
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