New Debra DeWit Blog- Providing a helping hand

I hope everyone had a good spring break. Mine was unforgettable.

Sadly, the weather once again was not in our favor from a rice farming perspective. When I came home from my spring break mission trip, it was apparently the only sunny day. But now that the weather has gotten warmer, the ground will dry up sooner and my dad can begin plowing. We’re excited about starting a new rice growing season!

I spent my spring break in Mexico, going on a mission trip with my youth group Summit. It was an amazing experience that made me feel more connected to my friends and connected to the people of San Luis Rio Colorado (city in which we served at).


We were split up into four teams and sent off to four different churches. My team served at the Betania church. There we ran a vacation bible school, played games with kids at a nearby park and taught English classes.

My personal favorite was playing with the kids, whether it was at the park, just before the program or teaching English, I got to meet some really fun and great people even despite my minor Spanish 3 level education. That was challenging, but all worth it in the end.

I feel that everyone should this kind of an experience in their life, where they feel connected to a community, whether it’s in Mexico, Japan, or just in the U.S., by serving that community in anyway needed. The feeling is great, yet hard to explain. When we left, I felt like I was leaving behind family and friends. I thank God for giving us this fantastic opportunity to serve. I hope to do something like this again next year.

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

New CRC Blog- Going Hog Wild in California

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.

I learned something new about wild pigs. In the past, wild pigs were a potential threat to our horses when we horse camped along the California northern coast, and so I was always on the lookout for some crazy wild beast to come charging out of the bushes, spook my little quarter horse, Tucker, and I'd go flying over the handlebars!

What I didn't know was that pigs did not exist in California before the early 1700s. Spanish and Russian explorers and settlers introduced domestic swine to California and allowed them to forage freely, especially in the fall, to take advantage of fallen acorns. Since those early days, the domestic pig has escaped and been added to the wild population. And then in the 1920s, a Monterey County landowner introduced the European wild boar into California. European wild stock from this introduction bred with the established feral pig population, resulting in a wild boar/feral domestic pig hybrid.

Jaime's boyfriend, Nate, an avid, skilled bowhunter was successful in locating one of these wild pigs. Nate remarked that feral pigs are awesome animals to hunt in that they’re dangerous, alert, smart, vicious and challenging (and spook innocent horses and riders!). Needless to say, Nate was successful in his bowhunt and we were invited over to their home for a Going Hog Wild dinner party.


The final reward was having Jaime create a California rice dish to complement the wild pig. Jaime added carrots, onions and celery along with special herbs and seasonings to make a delicious meal. The pig was great, we met new friends, and even celebrated with a yummy bottle of Hog Wild Red table wine from Indian Springs Vineyard! Now that's hog wild!

National Rice Month Scholarship Program $8,500 in Scholarship Awards

September is National Rice Month and a scholarship opportunity.

Grand-prize Scholarship – $4,000

2nd Place – $3,000

3rd Place – $1,500

Download flyer for more information.

New CRC Blog- Marching Koi, Car Alarm Birds and a taste of home in Hawaii

By Jim Morris, CRC Communications Manager

How does one react when they first see paradise? I vividly remember when as a youngster I first viewed Yosemite Valley. Staring up at Half Dome and El Capitan sent a flock of butterflies in motion inside of me.

Waking up in Maui, looking out of the window and viewing the ocean that’s less than 70 steps away, this scintillating feeling is pretty close.

This is my first trip to Hawaii and I already know it won’t be my last. Beauty is everywhere, although some of it caught me off guard. On the first night of our stay I woke up at 5:55 a.m. to what sounded like a car alarm but it was actually a lovesick tropical bird. About an hour later, we found these Koi Fish, which marched along to eat their breakfast.

This is a true paradise and the perfect place to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary with Leslie. I love the lush green foliage, the calming ocean, the intoxicating climate and yes, even that familiar sight from home – California rice. Hawaiians are just wild about California rice, a staple of many islanders’ meals. The local Long’s Drugstore is a prime example.

I followed co-worker Julie’s suggestion and checked out Aloha Mixed Plate. I went with the Shoyu Chicken plate, listed as a local favorite and one of the restaurant’s specialties.

I often enjoy Hawaiian cuisine while in Sacramento. It’s the go-to choice when I have lunch with my friends. Lunch at Aloha Mixed Plate featured mountains of California rice in all of its moist and sticky goodness, plus macaroni salad and succulent baked chicken. They provide about 1,400 servings of rice every day.

I just ate every bite of this part of paradise!

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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 marathons.

Earth Day Special- Rancher saves ducks

Pat and Terry Marmon and their daughter, Sherri, operate Pacific Valley Ranch in Marysville, one of a handful of duck egg salvagers in the Sacramento Valley.

Q: When and why did you get involved in salvaging eggs?

A: “I’m caretaker at a duck club. Back in 1992, my boss and I were on a rice check and we saw a hen. I said “If I had an incubator I’d hatch them for you.” I had actually been hatching birds since I was 10 years old. It has been a lifelong hobby. We got the necessary state and federal permits and have been going ever since.”

Q: How do you and the team carry this out?

A: “We get ahead of the rice and wheat farmers and pick up the eggs from their fields in the Sacramento Valley. The farmers are good to give us what notice they can. We get a crew in there and pick up the eggs and incubate them. It takes 28 days for the growth process. The farmers are great. We are solely dependent on their cooperation. They stop their machines, allow us to pick up the eggs and I have incubators across the valley. We couldn’t operate without the help of a lot of farmers.”

Q: How much work is involved?

A: “We start in March by cleaning the hatchery andbegin gathering eggs from area farms in April. We will stay busy until the end of August. It’s an all spring and summer job. It’s like a dairy- you can’t leave it and go on vacation. At least one of us has to be here to take care of those babies. We are always tickled to see the first babies come in and tickled to see the last band on the last bird that we release. The ducks are well worth the inconvenience. To date, we have banded and released over 32,000 ducks. We have released ducks any where there is a wetland habitat-- as far south as Los Angeles.

Over the years, I’ve discovered about 70 percent of the hens we released into these habitats will come back and lay eggs in those same habitats. They imprint there. We aren’t just restricted to ducks—any bird that would nest in a wetland habitat. We have aided Canada Geese, wild turkeys and pheasants.”

Q: Can you describe the other similar egg salvagers in the valley?

A: “Derrold Daly in Live Oak has done at least 30,000 and I suspect Roger Moore in Grimes has done that amount or more. There is one more hatchery near Richvale. I taught their people how to do this work. They have been at it for about 8 years. Between all of us I know that we have saved over 100,000 birds. This isn’t a one-man show. It’s a lot of people doing a lot of volunteer work. I’m thankful for all of their help.”

Q: Why do this?

A:“It makes me feel good. As a hunter, I know I’m helping to give back. I think the farmers feel the same way. They’re out to conserve our wildlife and there’s no sense in destroying something if you can save it. I think it makes everybody feel good!”

VIEW PHOTO ALBUM BY PHIL ROBERTSON

My Rice Story: Artist Dolores Mitchell

Dolores Mitchell comments about her time in California rice country. Dolores received a B.A. in studio art and a PhD in art history from UCLA. She taught art history at California State University, Chico, for 30 years. Since her retirement ten years ago she has returned to painting with a specialty in North State agricultural scenes. She paintings can be seen at Avenue 9 Gallery, Chico.

New CRC Blog- Not your typical Rice Krispie Treat

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.

While attending a Metro Chamber Business Mixer at Sacramento's Mulvaney's Building & Loan, we were treated to a wonderful tasting of delightful, handcrafted American cuisine.

I was excited to try their version of a Rice Krispie Treat and they (okay, I had more than one) were delicious! Did you know that Rice Krispie Treats were invented in 1928 by Mildred Day and the staff at the Kellogg Company home economics department? Mildred decided to use Rice Krispies Cereal to make a special treat for a girls camp fundraiser, and for over eighty years most of us have grown up eating some version of Mildred's original Rice Krispie Treat dessert.

Patrick Mulvaney, a native New Yorker, has been the owner of Culinary Specialists since 2001. In 2005, he opened Mulvaney's B & L, located in a charming 1893 Firehouse. Patrick was kind enough to share his recipe for White Chocolate Rice Krispie Treats. It's an easy dessert recipe--give it a try!

Ingredients:

2 oz. white chocolate
1 cup rice krispies cereal
Melted dark chocolate in a piping bag or squeeze bottle for decorating

Procedure:

Melt white chocolate gently. Stir in just enough rice krispies cereal until they are all evenly coated. Prep molds with dark chocolate drizzle.

Fill molds and chill, pop out and try not to eat too many before the guests arrive, or just make some more.

Or you can just spoon the mixture on to a pan or plate and cool until crunchy.

I recommend doubling or tripling the recipe! Yum Yum!

Mulvaney's commitment to showcasing local products has helped grow a large following. If you would like to experience a restaurant that features local, fresh, and organic ingredients, head to Mulvaney's. Look for the Pigasus – “pig on the corner” - the landmark at 1215 19th Street. Enjoy!

New video- Rice and Water efficiency

Butte County Farm Advisor Cass Mutters discusses how much water is consumed by California rice plants.

New CRC Blog- Food Therapy in Rice

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.

During a recent damp, windy and chilly evening, I felt the strong desire for some serious food therapy. We found ourselves at the Red Lantern Room located in Lincoln's Thunder Valley Casino Resort.

We were warmly greeted by the Red Lantern's Manager, Jimmy Yee, who commented that the restaurant uses California rice in crafting their authentic Asian dishes.

I tried the Queen Clam Congee, a thick porridge of California rice that is boiled in many times its weight of water for a long period of time until the rice breaks down and becomes a fairly thick, white porridge, or as I call it, serious food therapy. A delicious way to end a stormy day!

New video- Assembly Member Richard Pan comments on California Rice & water

Assembly Member Richard Pan comments on the importance of maintaining reliable water supplies for farmers, including rice growers.

New Lauren LaGrande video- Rainy Spring Break in Maxwell

Lauren LaGrande from a family rice farm in Colusa County comments on how late rains may slow preparations for the 2012 California Rice season.

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Lauren LaGrande is the latest in a family farming tradition that began nearly 100 years ago. She is a sophomore at Maxwell High School and is active in FFA, Future Business Leaders of America, volleyball, basketball and softball. When she’s on the farm, you’ll often see her with her trusted companion, Hank, the family dog. Lauren’s great-grandfather grew his first rice crop in the Sacramento Valley in 1916 and the family has continued this tradition ever since.

New CRC Blog- California Rice Receives Environmental Award

By Paul Buttner

I had the great honor of accepting an environmental award for efforts related to our greenhouse gas programs in the California rice industry. The California Rice Commission and Environmental Defense Fund were co-honored at an elegant event hosted by Winrock International and the American Carbon Registry.

The Innovation Award recognizes the two organizations’ collaborative efforts to develop necessary data, technical tools and new approaches leading to the creation of protocols that can pave the way for rice growers to generate greenhouse gas offsets.

On behalf of California rice growers, I accepted the award from John Kadyszewski, Director of the American Carbon Registry, at the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco and conveyed the California rice industry’s sincere appreciation.

John and his team put on a top-notch event and I enjoyed seeing old friends and meeting many new people dedicated to addressing climate change. Much thanks to my partners at the Environmental Defense Fund and our key technical consultants, Applied GeoSolutions and Terra Global, for several years of new trail-blazing towards a future of carbon offsets in rice.


We are excited about pilot-testing our new program on several farms over the next couple of years.

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

New My Rice Story: Ag Pilot Rick Richter

Rick Richter, Owner/Operator of Richter Aviation in Maxwell, comments on the value of rice.

New Recipe by Chef Antonio Villagomez ~ Head Chef, Owner Cilantros Restaurant

Brown rice encrusted halibut with red pepper sauce and cauliflower puree

By Antonio Villagomez ~ Head Chef, Owner, Cilantros Restaurant, Yuba City

View recipe

New Josh Sheppard video- Clay soil helps efficiency

Family rice farmer Josh Sheppard describes how the heavy clay soils of the Sacramento Valley help growers achieve peak water efficiency on the crop.

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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.

New Peter Rystrom Blog- Adventures in Chile, Part One

“Well,” I said to myself, “I’m tired of all this American rice!”

Four months after rice harvest in California, I found myself standing in a foreign rice field only weeks away from cutting….All it took was an eight thousand mile plane flight across the equator, and a little adventurous spirit!

After a month of backpacking through the Patagonian wilderness with my best friend Brandon, we arrived in Chilean rice country adorned with Beards that would make any farmer jealous (and any female sick!) I met my father in Talca, a city two hours south of Santiago. Getting from the lakes district 400 miles north to Talca had proved quite a feat. Apparently one is expected to “reserve” a seat on a bus for the last weekend of the Chilean summer vacation!

Our Guide for day one of the farm tour was a rice miller named Gustavo. He works for one of the biggest food companies in Chile, Carozzi (which, incidentally, was who Brandon and I bought most of our backpacking food from!). Gustavo and his family took the whole day off to show us rice farms both big and small. Though all the fields had contoured levies, varying degrees of technology were employed. Ignacio, a local farmer, proudly showed us a fallow field that had just been laser leveled!

We also were able to tour one of Carozzi’s drying and storage facilities.

We were surprised to find out that 100 percent of the drying was done by burning excess rice hulls!

It was fascinating to experience the “every day” in a not so “every day” way. But for those of you who are so interested in the details of rice farming, let me entertain you with a few observations…

1. All farmers look the same!!! But seriously, just look at this picture…can you tell me which one is the American?
   
   
   
2. Gas stations in America have some catching up to do…I enjoyed one of the best steaks I have ever tasted inside of a Copec station!!! The place kinda smelled like fuel, but you get used to it by the time your salad comes!
   
   
3. Apparently ordering tap water makes you weird…but then again, I’m carrying around a four month old beard on my face…why even try to be normal???

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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.