An American Icon - Posted Friday, July 16th, 2010
The California Rice Commission sponsored two carving
categories, capturing riceland wildlife.
The prestigious judging panel of the rice wildlife.
The winning carving of a Green Heron, done by artist Jim Burcio of Antioch.
Artist Jim Burcio also won for this rendition of a Wilson's Snipe.
"I'm blogging from 30,000 feet. A first for me. I'm on my way to Dallas for two-and-a-half days of summer meetings with the USA Rice Federation. It’s an organization encompassing rice farmers like me, rice millers, rice marketers, and other industry people..."
"...I just returned from my second session with the USA Rice Leadership Development Program. This program chooses seven individuals each year to participate in the two-year program from throughout the U.S. This session began in Illinois and ended in Arkansas..."
"... This photo shows how one of my rice fields looks after a tractor sprayer with steel wheels goes through the crop. If we don’t spray to kill the grass and sedges it will soon canopy over and kill the rice. The rice is really looking poor. I have talked to several people who have been spraying the weeds in rice and they say it’s the worst stand of rice they have ever seen. It just doesn’t want to tiller very well if at all ... We have to baby this crop so much it's getting ridiculous ..."