New Blog- A global success story right in our backyard

Most people know that California grows rice, but you probably didn't know that California grows some of the best, highest quality rice in the world that sees demand from every corner of the earth.

I should first mention that California grows between 20 to 25 percent of all rice produced in the United States. The other 75 to 80 percent grown outside of California is mainly US#2 Long Grain rice, which is traded on the Chicago Board of Trade like corn or soybeans. California rice, however, is different. It’s not a commodity to be traded like a stock, but a specialized, high-end food item that has demand across the world. California can grow literally hundreds of different varieties, but for today, we'll stick to the broad grouping of most rice grown in California- Japonica rice.

If you're interested in learning more about other types and varieties of rice, I discuss it in a previous blog.

Growing high quality Japonica rice is not an easy task. There are many people in many places the world that try to grow this specialized rice. Most can grow some, but only a few can grow it well, and of those, none that compare to California rice. There are many reasons that California does such a good job growing this rice. Here are a few:

1. We have a great Latitude.
   California’s rice growing region in the central valley between Sacramento and Chico lines up with the same latitude as the traditional rice growing areas in Japan.
   
   
2. We can hold our water.
   California’s northern central valley has a very heavy clay soil, which retains water extremely well. Not only is this perfect for rice, but it also provides extreme water efficiency.
   
   
3. Pure and simple.
   California's water supply is a beautiful, clean and fresh water supply mostly originating as snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The clear water allows sunlight to penetrate through the water, nourishing the young plants.
   
   
4. Give it a rest!
   We can experience pretty extreme temperatures during the middle of the summer, (recent weeks are a great example of this) but it also usually cools off quite a bit in the evening. This same principal that made the Napa Valley famous for its Cabernet also applies to rice. After a long hot day, the rice needs a cool evening to take a break and promote more, fuller rice kernels.
   
   
5. Farm On!
   We have the best, most efficient and sustainable farmers in the world. In California, we tend to see average yields from the rice field around 8,500 pounds per acre. If you compare that to the global rice average of 3,570 pounds per acre, it’s apparent that we not only excel at quality, but also at efficiency.

When you have a couple of these above factors, you can probably grow some pretty good rice. When you have all five together in one place, you are experiencing something special. No matter where you are in the world, it could be the East Coast, Europe, Russia, South America and even Asia. If you’re eating at a restaurant that wants to serve the highest quality rice available, they will be serving California rice.

The next time you're in the rice aisle of the grocery store, see how many different countries or regions are represented. You will likely see rice from many places and many countries.Sometimes we overlook what's right in front of us because we think products from another country are exotic or special, but the truth is, we already have the most exotic and special rice in the world. As Californians, we're very fortunate not to have to choose between buying locally and buying the best-they are one and the same.

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Brendan O’Donnell is Vice President, Sales at The Sun Valley Rice Company, LLC, which mills, packages and markets premium California rice both domestically and around the world. He is the Fifth generation of his family to be involved in California agriculture and has been marketing and promoting California rice since 2007. He is a graduate of UC Davis with a B.S. in Agricultural Systems and Environment and Communications. Brendan is also an active member of the Rice Leadership Development Program. When he’s not selling rice, Brendan enjoys golfing, skiing and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Erin have Two children, Bridget and Liam.