Blog post by Peter Rystrom- Finishing by a whisker

The End of Harvest is here. For nearly six weeks my family and I have been working nonstop to bring in the crop. Though early rains had everyone imagining worst-case scenarios, three straight weeks of sunshine and 75 degree weather quickly came to our rescue. There is no feeling like cutting the last load of rice in the field. The level of physical exhaustion can typically be measured by the frantic pace at with every machine beelines for the home shop where we park for the winter.

But the work is not quite finished...You might imagine that the harvesters, bankouts, and trucks return safely to the shop unscathed by mud, rice, and straw. You would be wrong! It will take well over a week of pulling mud, blowing off rice, and scrubbing metal before we can truly welcome winter with relief. I like to think that I get handed these "dirty jobs" because I am a stellar employee or because the family trusts nobody else with such important tasks...common, just let me believe that!

I would like to think I learned a lesson or two from this years harvest.

1) Duct tape can indeed fix anything. (If you are unhappy with your duct tape fix, you should have thought of that before you broke it).

2) Apparently, you can further your education in a bankout...if you are weird. (Completing six hours of ukulele practice per day or 50 pages of Russian literature is not uncommon)

3) Girls love rice harvest. (Seriously though, not one dude has ever come out to visit!)

Finally, the single greatest achievement in the history of harvest was on display this year...The Harvest Mustache!


You may not know the fullness of what this life has to offer until you have walked amongst 10 mustaches, all gathered in the same place for a common goal. Full 'staches, sparse staches, all were welcome this year as my family and I demonstrated what solidarity really is.

After two months of heavy mustache persecution and shunning by the female gender, we are proud to say that we are clean shaven...but the fond memories will live on in our hearts forever...now feast your eyes on these photos, and I will see you soon!

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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.