Ingrained

Episode 26: Water Planning in the Sacramento Valley

Even during difficult times like we’ve been experiencing, it helps to look for the positive. In Sacramento Valley rice country – two positives are unfolding. After a difficult year where drought left 20 percent of fields unplanted, harvest of America’s sushi rice is underway and early reports are favorable. Although acreage is down, initial reports on quality and yields look strong. “We’re about thirty percent down from the total acreage that we can plant,” said Everett Willey, who farms with his dad Steve, at E.D. Willey & Sons in Nicolaus, Sutter County. “The growing season went alright. It was a fight to keep water on some fields. That’s why we started harvest early. There was a lack of water on the bottom check of the sweet rice field we’re harvesting now. We couldn’t push water down to it, so that’s a big reason we’re harvesting this early.” A second positive is there’s help on the way for the Pacific Flyway – a program should provide emergency water to support the millions of birds heading to our region’s rice country to rest and refuel. “The Drought Relief Waterbird Program is focused on providing extra water from groundwater pumping to shallow flood rice and wetland acres in the Sacramento Valley for waterbirds, commented Luke Matthews, Wildlife Programs Manager with the California Rice Commission. “It’s going to be particularly important this year, given the lack of habitat that we expect to see.” In a normal year, about 300,000 acres of rice fields are shallowly-flooded after harvest, which breaks down rice stubble and creates vital environmental benefits. This year, current estimates are only about 65,000 acres will be flooded. That’s where the program with the State Department of Water Resources can provide substantial help for this vital part of the Sacramento Valley ecosystem. “Well certainly the current conditions truly heighten the importance of this landscape,” said Greg Golet, Applied Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, one of the conservation groups that work with rice growers to maximize wildlife benefits from their fields. “These birds, when they arrive here, typically are ready to rest and refuel before either they continue further south or they set for their winter period in this region.  But this year, they’re going to arrive in likely poorer condition, due to the lack of good habitat in their traditional stopover sites. In addition to malnourishment, they can be susceptible to disease, and that’s exacerbated by crowded conditions.” With such a dry landscape, rice field habitat is an even more important for the health of millions of ducks, geese and other birds.   “It’s really an incredible opportunity that we have,” Golet remarked. “There are all of these levers, effectively, that we can pull to create the conditions that these birds depend upon. We know what they want, in terms of timing, depth of the water and how long it stays out on the fields. With this system of rice agriculture and associated infrastructure, it’s really very straightforward to create those conditions and then we see virtually an immediate response. The trick, of course, is getting adequate water to create that for the birds.” The wildlife migration has begun. Shorebirds and ducks have already started to arrive. We will keep you updated on harvest and the amazing annual wildlife migration about to unfold. Episode Transcript Jim Morris: COVID, fires, and drought. This year has been a rough one throughout our state. It helps to look for the positive where you can. And for me, what I'm looking at is a positive, the rice harvest in the Sacramento Valley. It's a momentary respite from the unrelenting news cycle, and it appears there's good news as well for the millions of birds that depend on the rice fields every fall and winter in this area. Jim Morris: Welcome to Ingrained, the California rice podcast. I'm your host, Jim Morris, proud to have worked with California farmers and ranchers for 31 years. And it's funny how life can go full circle. Before, I was in ag communications. Ten years before, I was in the marching band at John F. Kennedy High School in south Sacramento, playing trombone alongside of Steve Willey. And this morning, I'm with Everett Willey, Steve's son, at ED Willey & Sons in Nicolaus, in Sutter County. And Everett and Steve have started harvest. So Everett, how have things gone with rice harvest to date? Everett Willey: Pretty good so far. It's a lot of downed rice right now, just because of the nature of the beast. So we're trying to get it out of the field while everything else continues to ripen up. Jim Morris: What varieties have you harvested so far? Everett Willey: Right now, just Calmochi-101, which is a sweet rice, short grain, made for mochi balls, mochi ice cream. That's what that rice goes into, a lot of flour, rice flour. Jim Morris: Yeah. And if anybody hasn't tried mochi, I suggest you go to Mikuni. And the mochi they have there wrapped around ice cream is phenomenal. It's well worth trying that out. So tell me a little bit about this year. It's been challenging in many fronts in California. So what did you see with the rice? You started off with not being able to plant everything. So talk a little bit about that, and then also the growing season. Everett Willey: Yeah. We're about 30% down from our total acreage that we can plant. So there's quite a few hundred acres that's just dirt right now because of lack of water. Growing season went all right because, I mean, it was a fight to try to keep water on some fields. And that's part of the reason why we're actually harvesting right now is because the field that we're in, there was a lack of water in the bottom check because we just couldn't, we couldn't push the water down to it. So I think that has a big part in why we're actually harvesting right now. Jim Morris: And it was very smoky throughout Northern California, in fact, still is. What impact did the smoke have on the rice, if any? Everett Willey: The smoke this year wasn't as bad as last year timing-wise. Last year, it hit really heavy right when the rice was all flowering and I think that actually killed yields. The smoke this year, it came a little later. So a lot of the rice was already flowered. It'll slow down the ripening process probably a little bit because it'll keep the temperatures a little cooler. And we're definitely not getting any of the north wind, that's really what helps dry out and ripen the rice for harvest. Jim Morris: In terms of the smoke, fortunately, rice has an external hull on it. So there's not going to be a damage to the kernel, but the lack of sunlight did slow some of the maturity down in parts of the valley. Also, to your point about not planning a full crop, we have about 100,000 acres less rice grown this year in the state because of the drought. So certainly, impacts have been felt there. So the rice harvest is interesting when you compare to other crops. Other crops are sometimes harvested late at night, early in the morning. Rice, not so much. So when do you start harvest and why do you start it at that time of day? Everett Willey: In the morning, our operation, we clean off all the machines, all the harvesters, we blow it all, all the chaff and stuff off, really looking for problems with the harvester, and that way we can try to fix it. But we won't start actually cutting rice until the dew is lifted because any excess moisture that you're pulling through the machine makes the machine work harder. And then it can end up in the trailer to have a higher moisture and you don't want that because that could affect your drying cost. It could make it more expensive. Jim Morris: What is the moisture range that you're looking for when you harvest the rice? Everett Willey: Kernel moisture percentage would be like... 18-22 is a good quality to cost ratio. If you cut a little higher, so like if you're cutting 22 to 26%, you might get a little bit better quality, but the cost for drying also increases. So that 18-22% range is pretty much where you want to be. Jim Morris: And how important is the high-tech machinery that you have? Everett Willey: Having good equipment is extremely important. Compared to 10, 15 years ago, before GPS was really incorporated into these machines, it was not as efficient. Everything was smaller. You had to go slower. So when the rice was ready to come out of the field, you had to plan for it a lot more. Now, you can react and go. It saves a lot of money in the end. Jim Morris: And the GPS, Global Positioning System, is important in other aspects of the growing season too. So how else is GPS technology helping rice farming? Everett Willey: It's a big fuel saver because you're not... It knows exactly where your implement is going and has been. So if you have something that's 24-feet wide and you want to have a three-inch overlap, it'll do that for you. Whereas without it, you're going back and forth, so you have no overlap to a foot overlap. So having that consistent tillage is where you can really save some money, and it makes everything more uniform, which will make a more consistent yield. Jim Morris: Other high-tech aspects include planting, which is done by airplanes, which are guided by GPS. So it's very high tech here in California, rice country. And it's water efficient as well. Water is a concern after harvest. There will be a shallow amount of water put out there, but it's very limited this year because of the drought. I've seen a lot of wildlife on your farm. What thoughts and concerns do you have about the months ahead and rice fields helping the Pacific Flyway, but with a very limited water supply? Everett Willey: I think with the reduction in acres planted, a lot of farmers won't do a decomposition flood. Because on a fallow field, you'd be just putting water on dirt, which isn't benefiting either wildlife or the farmer. So the reason that we flood in the winter is to decompose the straw that is left over after you harvest it. So when we're done harvesting, we'll come in, we'll usually chop up the straw into smaller pieces to create more surface area, and then we'll till that ground up just a little bit to help add some air into the soil, and then we'll put a couple inches of water on it and hold that. And it'll decompose the straw, but it also provides a plethora of food and habitat for mostly waterfowl. I mean, we'll get all kinds of other stuff out here too. I mean, you got skunks, and raccoons, and coyotes, and all other kinds of things. It's a circle of life out here. Jim Morris: I've seen minks as well out here. And talk about some of the birds that you've seen too, lot of birds of prey, and not only numbers, but a wide variety of species. Everett Willey: We'll get bald eagles out here. The mink are actually pretty... They're cool. You see one of them run across and you're like, "Oh, that was a mink. I haven't seen one of those in a while." All the different varieties of geese, we'll get all the varieties of ducks. It was pretty cool. In one of our ditch systems, I actually saw a mandarin duck, which is super rare to see here, super, super rare. It looks like a wood duck, but cooler. Jim Morris: At the moment, there's not a lot of water on the landscape, and the needs for wildlife will be great later in the fall and winter. I'm speaking with Luke Matthews, Wildlife Programs Manager with the California Rice Commission. fortunately, there's a new program the Rice Commission is carrying out with the state Department of Water Resources that should help. Luke, tell us about the program. Luke Matthews: The Drought Relief Waterbird Program is focused on providing extra water through groundwater pumping to flood rice acres and wetland acres in the Sacramento Valley for waterbirds. And it's going to be particularly important this year, given the lack of habitat that we expect to see. Jim Morris: How much of a shortfall going into this program are we expecting in terms of the amount of shallow flooded acres in the Sacramento Valley? Luke Matthews: In a typical year, there's about 300,000 acres of flooded rice lands in the winter. And that provides an amazing source of food and habitat for ducks, geese, shorebirds, and more. This year, we expect, if conditions don't change, to maybe see about 60,000 acres flooded. So a very, very significant decline in flooded habitat. Jim Morris: And I imagine there's careful consideration when it comes to groundwater use. Luke Matthews: Absolutely. Yeah. We're being very sensitive to areas that may be experiencing depletions or issues with groundwater wells going dry. We also have considerations for proximity to rivers and streams, things like that. So we're considering all the options, but really focusing on providing the habitat for the resource of concern right now. Jim Morris: The Pacific Flyway is amazing, 7-10 million ducks and geese, many other birds coming through. It is really a jewel for the Sacramento Valley, important for our environment and something so many people enjoy. And how much is this water needed? Because I believe the birds are already stressed, correct? Luke Matthews: The water is really needed more this year because of a significant drought throughout the west. The Great Salt Lake is drier than it's ever been in recorded history, it’s very dry up in Oregon, and Klamath as well is almost dry. So these key areas that migrating birds in the Pacific Flyway typically utilize are dry or drying out. So they're in a worst-body condition when they arrive here and they're going to need the water even more than normal. Jim Morris: As we've heard from Luke Matthews, the drought is a significant concern for the millions of birds that are heading our way for the fall and winter months. I'm speaking with Greg Golet, an applied ecologist with the Nature Conservancy, good friends of rice growers and the California Rice Commission. And Greg, as you look at the stresses that the birds have already had as they're heading our way, how much more important is the Sacramento Valley to provide food and a resting place? Greg Golet: Well, certainly, the current conditions truly heighten the importance of this landscape. These birds, when they arrive here, typically are ready to rest and refuel before either they continue further south or they set up for their winter period in this region. But this year, they're going to arrive in likely much poorer condition due to the lack of good habitat in their traditional stop oversights. Jim Morris: What concerns do you have for the wildlife? Disease and even death are possibilities unfortunately? Greg Golet: Yeah, that's definitely the case. In addition to malnourishment, they can be susceptible to disease. A lot of that's exacerbated by crowded conditions. So you get transfer of the disease through the aerosol when the birds are taking off and landing. And when they're in tight quarters and you have those high temperatures, it's just that much worse. Jim Morris: Let's talk about something optimistic. There is a program in place that's being unveiled that hopefully we'll get more water on the landscape. And we've talked about this recently, that rice fields are surrogate wetlands. And so does that give you optimism or some degree of optimism that we're going to get through this fall and winter in reasonable shape for the wildlife? Greg Golet: Yeah, it definitely does. It's really an incredible opportunity that we have. There are all these levers effectively that we can pull to create the conditions that these birds depend upon. And we know what they want in terms of the timing, in terms of the depth of the water, in terms of how long it stays out on the fields. And with this system of rice agriculture in the associated infrastructure, it's really very straightforward to just create those conditions, and then we see virtually an immediate response. The trick of course, is getting adequate water to create that for the birds. Jim Morris: I have to tell you, after a year like this, I cannot wait to see the birds. And I've been talking with the rice growers. They're keeping an eye out because it is such a joy for me to see it. What does that mean to you, when you see that wildlife come in to the Sacramento Valley every fall and winter? Greg Golet: It's extremely uplifting to see these species drop into our valley. And that's already happening for the shorebirds whose migration is earlier than for the waterfowl typically. But for me, it provides confirmation that the network of habitats that these migratory species have evolved to depend upon that stretch from the Arctic all the way to South America are still functioning at least in some way. Because they're depending upon that. It's if you take out a link in that chain, the whole system can break down. So when they show up, I have that affirmation that, "Hey, we still have this incredible natural phenomenon in place." And it's just so rewarding and personally gratifying to be part of making that possible. Jim Morris: As the migration intensifies and this innovative program takes shape, we will keep you updated on the progress. Thank you to our interviewees, Everett Willey, Luke Matthews, and Greg Golet. You can find out more @podcast.calrice.org. Please listen, subscribe, and comment. Thanks for listening. 

Episode 25: Go Time for Harvest and the Wildlife Migration

Episode 24: Must Add Water

The driest year in decades has been a jolt to much of California. Challenges extend beyond cities and farms, as wildlife is impacted by a sharp drop in habitat. One saving grace in the Sacramento Valley is the continued creativity and collaboration between rice growers and conservation groups. Millions of ducks depend on areas rice fields and adjacent wetlands, and there is a concerted effort to help them make it through the drought. One helpful program from the California Ricelands Waterbird Foundation in partnership with the California Rice Commission and California Waterfowl involves protecting seasonal upland nesting habitat on rice farms and tracking nesting ducks that use the fields. One of those working to help ducks is biologist Marina Guzman of California Waterfowl; who is passionate about helping wildlife. Marina and colleagues spend many hours in the field, chronicling ducks and their nests. Small transmitters are even placed on some hens, to track their movements and behaviors. Every observation is key to building a better understanding of how to provide these beautiful birds their best chance of survival. “We’re learning a lot,” she commented. “This study documents nesting ducks in ag, which hasn’t been done since the 90s, so getting all of the information, all of the pieces and having everyone work together will help the birds in the long run. It’s a lot of work, but it’s all worth it.” Another key conservation partner is Ducks Unlimited. Regional Biologist Craig Garner is among those working hard to help maintain healthy duck populations. He says Sacramento Valley rice fields are critical to ducks. “The Sacramento Valley ecosystem is extremely important for waterfowl.” Garner said. “It’s primarily important for wintering waterfowl. The ducks that migrate south to overwinter in more milder climates hang out here in the Sacramento Valley, and then return north when it's warmer up north.” Garner works with rice growers to improve habitat conditions on the ground, including water use efficiency – especially important when water is scarce. A future area of concern is ensuring sufficient water in rice fields during the peak Pacific Flyway migration. After harvest shallow water helps decompose rice straw – providing vital habitat. There is a lot of discussion to try to ensure ducks and other rice field visitors will have a place to rest and refuel during their long journey later this year. December is the peak month for ducks in our region. “The Sacramento Valley is unique for many reasons,” he remarked. “The complimentary benefits from having natural habitat and benefits provided by rice are just amazing. The agricultural community is very important for many reasons, but fall-flooded rice fields provide benefits to numerous species – not just ducks. It’s amazing to see, not only the ducks out here, but the wading birds, the amphibians and frogs - everything that uses these wetland habitats.”  Episode Transcript Marina Guzman: We're heading out to do some trap tries. We're going for a Mallard and two Cinnamon's. Jim Morris: It's another busy day for Marina Guzman, Biologist with California Waterfowl at Conaway Ranch, a rice farm in Yolo county. Marina and others are studying duck nests in cover crops on this rice farm and the news is not always good. Today has been a tough day, but this is key research, especially during this drought. Marina Guzman: We found this nest about seven days ago, she's incubating around two days, so now she should be about nine days. She still has about 20 more days ago, a little less than that, 19 more days ago. She got depredated. Jim Morris: What got the eggs? Marina Guzman: I'm assuming the way it's dragged out and how the eggs are, it could be a little mammal that comes and just pokes his nose right through the egg. They're all on the side, right? So usually avian birds, raptor birds will carry the eggs away where a mammal will come and eat it at the nest. So hopefully the hen got away. It looks like she did. Marina Guzman: This field has about 13, 14 checks. It's 176 acres. So it just goes on forever. Marina Guzman: Oh no. Oh no. Jim Morris: Too close for it to be…? Marina Guzman: Yeah, for it to be there. We know that these fields are getting hit hard by something, and so we want to figure out whether it's a coyote, a fox or ravens, and if it is, how can we help? Jim Morris: Have you always been an optimist or have you learned to be one when you're out here looking at the nests? Marina Guzman: I started off really well, like I was like, "Yeah, all the birds are going to make it, all the ducklings are going to make it." And then reality hits and it's like, but you can't give up you know. Sometimes they do make it and you get really excited, yeah, that made it, yeah. But there's no point in giving up Jim Morris: Welcome to Ingrained, the California Rice Podcast. I'm your host, Jim Morris, proud to have worked with California farmers and ranchers for more than 30 years to help tell their stories. And there are no two ways about it, this is a tough year. It will take ingenuity to get through. But fortunately there is plenty of that in our region. Marina Guzman is a biologist with Cal Waterfowl and Marina, before we get into the work that you're doing in the field to help ducks, let's talk a little bit about your background. You're the first one in your family with a college degree. Can you tell me about that? Marina Guzman: My family migrated from Mexico out here. I'm one of the first among with some of my cousins to be the first with a degree. I decided to go in the wildlife degree direction and then it's turning out well for me, actually. My whole family came out and there's a bunch of us, like 50 cousins and everything. So it was really exciting to have everyone there, especially my grandma to see her second generation to go and get a degree, you know, the reason why she came out this way, this far and worked so hard. Jim Morris: So, tell me about what the work is that you do. Marina Guzman: So we are doing a nesting setting, so we're basically seeing how many nests are using cover crop fields. Jim Morris: Tell me about working with ducks. What do you like about that? Just spending some time with you, it's clear you have a big passion for them. Marina Guzman: I love ducks. I'm so in tune with the nesting settings and the way mallards are using this land that I actually know where habitat or like I'll flush a bird, right? I'll flush a bird off a nest and to find the nest, you have to actually be like, okay, if I was a mallard, where would I hide? How much shade would I like, and what would I use? And so once you find those little key pointers, you're able to find these nests a lot quicker. Jim Morris: While more is learned, there are successes that more than balance the challenges seen this year. The day after my visit with Marina, they found more than 10 active duck nests at Doherty Farms in Dunnigan, and they even placed a transmitter on a mallard. So researchers are soaking up additional knowledge that will pay dividends now and into the future. Marina Guzman: Getting all the information, all the pieces and having everyone work together will help the birds in the long run. Whether this is like a sad year, a lot of depredation, it would be better in the future. Jim Morris: How important are rice fields to the whole equation? Marina Guzman: I was surprised to know how many rice fields and, just having those rice fields, birds really came into to that water. They really come and look for that water. You can have the most gorgeous fields, but if there's no water around and that's what rice fields provide is the water. If there's no water around, there's no birds. So rice allows the birds to come and key in to the land, whether it be on the side, the levees, or even the field adjacent to it, or like you see now across even a road like this, they'll travel up to three miles. We know like they'll travel up to like a mile, mile and a half, up to three miles to get to water. So having those rice fields close to dry upland fields like this, is super important for their survival, not only when they're laying, but once the duckling are hatched. Marina Guzman: Ducklings, as soon as they hatch, they're little snacks for anything that can put them in their mouth. The faster they're able to go into water, like a rice field, they're able to hide from predators and use that water to feed and to hide. So keeping both the ducklings and the hen safe from predators, especially since rice grows so quickly and so tall, it's able to protect them. Jim Morris: I've learned a lot in our short amount of time, driving in the ATV, including the cinnamon teals are the fastest of the ducks that you work with. So what are some facts that people may not know about the ducks that you look at? Marina Guzman: Cinnamon teal, mallard and gadwall would lay an egg one day until their average cut size. So normally mallards we'll do nine eggs. GAD will do 10, 11, maybe. And then cinnamon's would do a little more than that. Then once they have their clutch size or whatever clutch size they feel comfortable with, they'll start incubating and they'll incubate. Cinnamon teal will incubate to 24 days and then mallard and gadwall to 26. They'll take a nest break in the morning and a nest break at night. That usually starts around two, and then they'll come back right before dawn to keep those eggs warm at night and then stay throughout the night. Marina Guzman: Tell me about transmitters that are put on ducks. That's wild. Marina Guzman: Transmitters are always fun. If you're doing a nesting study, like obviously you're going to try to get some backpacks out. That's the whole point, right? And that's the key is having a backpack on a hen so that we can disturb her less. If once we have her in hand, we look at her, her age, we know her nest scene. And so we can put a backpack on her and then see where she goes, whether she is using this field, or is she using that field or where she's going. And then once her ducklings hatch, we know where they take them and whether they survive or not. Marina Guzman: So say she has nine ducklings and she goes out, takes the nine ducklings and for whatever reason, something picked them up, they didn't like the water she'll come back and lay again. And we'll know where she nests already because she has a backpack. So backpacks are vital, vital, vital, vital for these projects. Jim Morris: People may have the wrong impression of a backpack. It's not like the one my son would wear when he goes to school that's like 30 pounds or something. How small are these backpacks? Marina Guzman: They are very small. The mallards, usually they take the backpack and they're just off, this does not bother me, I don't mind having this on me. And Gaddy's same thing. They'll just take the backpack and take off. So we always look for that, when we put a backpack on her, how well they're flying when they leave; it's suited nice so we have no future problems and then we can continue to get information for that hen for years, hopefully if she stays in the sun, because it's solar powered, those backpacks are solar powered. Jim Morris: The drought will pass, we'll get to a better spot, and thanks to work that you're doing and others, these beautiful birds will still be here. So what joy do you have in all of this? Marina Guzman: Oh, it's so much fun. I mean, people always tell me like, "Oh, you get paid to do this." And sometimes I forget that because I do get paid to do this, and it's a blast. I come out here every day with a positive attitude. I look forward to seeing these mallards, seeing how they're doing and how far along their nesting comes and whether they do walk away with ducklings, that's important to me. I want them to walk away with ducklings, that's the key is to have these nets hatch. Just being grateful to be out here and having fun, especially with good coworkers and good teammates that's what makes it everything. It's being able to get the data we get and then having a good time, having everyone in a good attitude. Jim Morris: You have to be honest, have you ever dreamed about ducks? Marina Guzman: No, I don't think so. Jim Morris: You surprised me. Marina Guzman: I mean, I go to bed thinking about my nest cards and I wake up thinking about my nest cards all day. That's literally the only thing. But no, usually during the field season, if I hit that pillow, lights out. I'm so tired after just running around, trying to catch these birds. A lot of people don't think how much work I am putting into these fields. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of work to try to catch these hens, but it's all worth it. Jim Morris: I'm at the Norton Family Rice Farm, which is just about 10 miles from the State Capitol, visiting with Craig Garner, Regional Biologist with Ducks Unlimited. Craig, thanks for your time. Tell me a little bit about your background and the work that you do in the Sacramento valley. Craig Garner: I'm originally from South Carolina, I'm a Clemson graduate. After graduation I moved west and started working for Ducks Unlimited. I started working for them at a Western regional office in 2006. I did a short time working around the Great Salt Lake, about four years working for Ducks Unlimited. I moved back to California in 2012, and I've been here ever since then. Jim Morris: How does the Sacramento Valley ecosystem compare to the others that you've seen? Craig Garner: The Sacramento Valley ecosystem is extremely important for waterfowl and there are numerous areas around the country that are important for waterfowl. Craig Garner: The Sacramento Valley is primarily important for wintering waterfowl, the ducks that migrate south over winter and more milder climates, they hang out here in Sacramento Valley and then return north when it’s warmer up north. The Great Salt Lake is primarily a migration habitat, so as the birds are migrating south, they need places to stop and refuel and rest. Areas like the Great Salt Lake and other migration habitat areas provide food resources while they're migrating to the wintering areas. Jim Morris: As a regional biologist, what are some of the projects that you have, and also Ducks Unlimited to try to maintain this duck population, particularly in a year like this it's really challenging with the drought. Craig Garner: So my responsibilities are delivering DU's conservation mission in the Sacramento Valley. Simply that means working with private and public landowners to improve habitat conditions on the ground. Craig Garner: We do a lot of habitat improvement projects, which includes improving water use efficiency. When you don't have much water, you want to use that water in the most efficient manner as possible. We do earth work projects, install infrastructures to help fill wetlands, drain them quickly if you need to get the water on and off fast, and use your water in the best way possible. Jim Morris: How cooperative are the growers that you're working with on these steps? Craig Garner: The growers are very receptive to that. Water is the most important thing to wetlands and rice. If without water, you don't have wetlands or rice habitat. So being able to use water is very important. In years like now when you don't have much water, it's even more important. Jim Morris: As we look towards the fall and winter, that is a critical time with millions of ducks coming through here, what are your concerns about the state that we're at right now? I know we want it to improve, but it's a little bit daunting to think about the Pacific Flyway migration in a dry year. Craig Garner: On an average year, the Sacramento Valley supports approximately three to 4 million waterfowl. These are ducks, and another three to four million geese. We primarily support those from managed wetlands and fall flooded rice fields. There's about just under 70,000 public and private managed wetlands in the Sacramento Valley in a normal year and about 350,000 acres of fall flooded rice lands in an average year. With that amount of habitat, we can support that population, no problem. Now, if those acres decrease to a certain level, then it becomes more challenging to support those high numbers of water fowl and geese for the entire winter that they're down here. Jim Morris: Will there be an effort in the coming months, depending on how the weather shakes out to make sure there's at least a minimal amount of flooded acreage to make sure the duck population stays healthy? Craig Garner: One important factor everybody can do, and they did this back when we had the five-year drought, if you're not going to get rice decomp water, put your boards in anyway, and when the rains come in November, December, you can capture that water and provide that habitat. The highest number of ducks and geese that arrive in the Sac Valley peak in December. So if you can capture some of that rainwater, we can still provide some of the habitat needed by these birds. Jim Morris: And you mentioned decomp. So at the end of harvest, a little bit of water is put in the fields and that helps decompose the rice straw, which is an important part of the growing season. When we look at the ducks and you were out here in the fields and you see them, what goes through your mind? I saw several pairs this morning. It always gives my heart a little bit of a rush to see that. Craig Garner: The Sacramento Valley is unique for many, many reasons, but you know, the complimentary benefits from having a natural habitat and benefits provided by rice is just amazing. That agriculture community is very important for many reasons, but fall flooded rice fields provide benefits to numerous species, not just ducks. So that was amazing to see not only the ducks out here, but the wading birds and all the amphibians and frogs croaking and it just everything that uses these wetland habitats. Jim Morris: That wraps up this episode. Thank you to Marina Guzman of Cal Waterfowl and Craig Garner of Ducks Unlimited for their time and comments. We also appreciate Ducks Unlimited, Cal Waterfowl and our many conservation partners who are helping rice fields be the best they can to help the environment. You can find out much more at Podcast.CalRice.org. We appreciate your comments, please subscribe and thanks for listening.

Episode 23: Whatever it Takes

Episode 22: Nurturing Nature

Episode 21: Dry Year Plans Taking Shape

Taro Arai has an electric personality. As Chief Dreaming Officer for Mikuni, with nine popular restaurants and sushi bars in Northern California, his enthusiasm and generosity are well known throughout the region. But it wasn’t an easy road to success. After arriving from Japan, the Arai family opened their first Mikuni restaurant in 1987. Reverend and Mrs. Arai prepared food in the kitchen, while Taro and siblings Noamichi and Keiko worked as greeter, busser and server. After a lot of hard work and perseverance, Mikuni continued to grow and prosper. Their success has left an indelible imprint on Northern California. Before the pandemic slowdown, Mikuni served more than 1 and a half million customers a year, utilizing about 20 tons of California rice every month. Taro said he is continually humbled by their success and vows to maintain their approach of giving back to the community. Mikuni has supported more than 80 charities. Their rescue rolls have raised tens of thousands of dollars for many who have suffered through disasters. Their golf tournament has raised millions of dollars for charity. Why do so much? “Without God and our community, we’re not here right now,” Taro remarked. “We need to give back.  To be here, share the joy and help charity, I’m living a dream right now. The least I can do is to go out every day, spread the joy and help others as much as we can.” Episode Transcript Jim Morris: Welcome to a special bonus episode of Ingrained. I'm Jim Morris with the California Rice Commission, visiting with one of my favorite people on the planet, Taro Arai, Chief Dreaming Officer at Mikuni, a fantastic group of restaurants and sushi bars in Northern California. Taro is an author, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and one of the kindest people I've ever met. And I've often suspected you don't sleep, Taro, and now you're planning your daughter, Chiyoh's, wedding. So how do you balance all that? Taro Arai: Ooh, I'm so excited. I've been waiting. I had a tuxedo ready two years ago, and also a speech for the wedding. I have been ready, so I'm excited about it. My wife keeps telling me, "It's not your wedding," so that's the thing I have to remind myself every day. Jim Morris: That's awesome. Tractors are working in the fields, airplanes are flying over seed, there's a new season underway in rice country in the Sacramento Valley. You have seen this process firsthand, so what are your thoughts as we're starting a new season for rice in California? Taro Arai: I love it, and also it’s a new season for my family too. Right? So getting marrieds great, but for me having a grandchildren, next generation of workers, that's exciting too. I love always something new. Jim Morris: You have more than 50 different sushi rolls, so how important is it to have local, affordable, high-quality rice to work with? Taro Arai: I mean that's everything. Sushi without sushi rice, that's not sushi! Of course, I grew up in a culture that rice is the most important thing in the food culture. Then I can't imagine without having rice, and also having a rice in our backyard, how blessed are we? We're spreading all over the love of rice to United States too. Right? Jim Morris: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah. Taro Arai: I mean I'm so proud of California rice, and I'm so fortunate to be here. Jim Morris: You have seen the rice fields in Japan and probably have a lot of experiences when you grew up, so tell me a little bit about being a child in Japan and some of your experiences in rice. Taro Arai: We used to play baseball on the rice field. Oh, I get yelled at because we make it dirt so hard while baseball season. And here when I went there, you see the big truck, the big airplane. I mean it's totally different way of raising rice here. Jim Morris: And we owe so much to the Japanese culture, not only as one of our big customer bases, but also the Japanese varieties, Koshihikari, Akitakomachi, on, and on, so we are incredibly grateful for that relationship. Let's get to the here and now. We're sitting at your restaurant in Roseville and there's people here eating. It is so refreshing to see. But tell me a little bit about how the pandemic has been. It has just been really tough for restaurants. Taro Arai: Toughest thing is we had an unknown future, so we couldn't plan anything. That was the hardest things for us. We don't know if we can open the restaurant, close the restaurants, and then all the employee are going through COVID protocol. I don't know. Every day we have a new challenges. It was a really long time suffering or overcoming this COVID thing. But meanwhile, my job was to encourage my managers. We don't want to just survive, but let's thrive in this, let's keep our hope, so that was my message to our managers all through this COVID season. And then we got a lot of benefit too through this. We learned so much about each individual managers, and also even sushi class too. I used to do 35 people max. Now I do a virtual, so we learn how to do the virtual sushi class. We did for 300 people the other day. Jim Morris: Oh wow. Taro Arai: So a lot of things. Through this we learn positive things, too. Jim Morris: We are getting closer to maybe a full reopening, so how excited are you to get more people back in the restaurants? Taro Arai: I'm excited, but I just want to focus on thanking our community since we're closed a long time, we had amazing support in to-go’s, curbside, I mean delivery. We never seen anything like it in the past. Like two, three hours of waiting they waited for us to deliver food. I mean I can't thank enough to our community. I can't wait to give back as much as we can in the future too. Jim Morris: And you have given back considerably, tens of thousands of dollars to charities with your Rescue Rolls, and also I believe more than 80 charities Mikuni has supported. Why do you do it to that degree, especially in a time when it's hard to run restaurants? Taro Arai: Without God, without our community, we're not here right now, so at least we can do is give back. For example, last August we had a golf tournament that was 25th annual. Middle of the pandemic, heat waves, smoke from the fire, they told us, "Please, you should just cancel it." But I said, "People still need money, help, so we have to have it. If we can get together, we do 4x4, just nine-hole tournament." So we pushed forward, and then we raised $300,000. That was a record breaking with a nine-hole tournament because people are so supportive here, and we ended up raising $2.5 million just from the golf tournament for charity. So anything we do, again, we can't do ourselves. We just make sushi. The community has to come together and support. That's why we could do amazing things. Jim Morris: You have been rolling sushi for more than 35 years. Mikuni has more than one-and-a-half-million customers every year. That's pre-pandemic, and I'm sure you'll be back to that. So what keeps you motivated and positive? Our world needs more positivity right now. Taro Arai: Every morning I wake up, first thing I thank God for, my life and then also people around me. I don't know. I kept thinking so many things that I can't wait to go out there and spread the joy that I have in me. So every morning I'm so passionate about it, just meeting people. I do a lot of private parties nowadays. I just can't wait to go out there and then share Mikuni's story because we don't deserve to be here. Coming from Japan with nothing, no friends, no language, to be able to be here and share the joy and help the charity, I'm living in the dreams right now. So at least I can do is go out there every day to spread the joy, help others as much as we can. Jim Morris: Don't ever change, Taro. Thanks so much, Taro, for your time, and thank you for listening to this bonus episode of Ingrained. You can find out more at podcast.calrice.org.

BONUS Episode: Leading with Compassion

Episode 20: Moving Forward in a Dry Year

Episode 19: The Sushi Prodigy

Episode 18: History, Tradition and Compassion

It’s a miraculous journey done every year. An estimated 1.2 million snow geese are part of the annual Pacific Flyway migration, traveling thousands of miles as they head south for the fall and winter. Fortunately, the Sacramento Valley provides just what is needed for these boisterous birds to rest and refuel. Rice fields provide more than 60 percent of the fall and winter diet for these hearty travelers, as well as the flocks of migrating ducks. “The Sacramento Valley, I don’t think you can overstate how important it is, especially for wintering waterfowl,” remarked Mike Casazza, Research Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Western Ecological Research Center. “We’re in a Mediterranean climate here, so they’re not facing climatic extremes. These birds, they’re primarily coming from the northern latitudes. They come down here, to spend the winter. The environment here is just ideal. They can relax in a rice field. There’s food here for them.” Snow Geese share local rice fields and adjacent wetlands with many other bird species, and it can be a balancing act to make sure the finite habitat can best support this diverse ecosystem. Andrea Mott, Biological Science Technician with the U.S. Geological Survey, is among those studying geese populations, including snow geese, to see how their growing population impacts other waterfowl species in our area. To do that, she and colleagues have placed GPS/GSM collars on about geese, which allows them to continual monitor their migration via their computers. Currently, about 100 geese are being studied. This allows researchers to better understand where they are moving around the valley and the fields they are using. They have transmitters on ducks as well, so areas of overlap can be studied and analyzed. “Technology has come really far in the last several years,” Mott said. “It used to be that we put a transmitter on and we had to be within a mile or so of the bird to hear a beeping to understand where it is. With these, once we put them on the goose, they have solar panels so they recharge and keep the battery up. It literally just transmits its locations through cell phone towers and then sends it to my computer. Then, I can look on my computer from my desk and see where all of my geese are.” The monitoring system provides a location of each goose every 15 minutes. The data is saved and offloads every 24-hours, showing where all of the geese have been. This information helps researchers better track the goose migrations and much more – including how high they are flying and “accelerometer data” – showing the movement of the goose; whether it’s flying, sleeping, eating or walking. Mott said the Geological Survey work is made possible through a collaborative effort, including the California Department of Water Resources, Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl, and UC Davis, along with many others. The goose tracking information will be reviewed and critically analyzed before any future steps are made to make sure the Sacramento Valley best serves the entire array of migrating wildlife each fall and winter. Episode Transcript Mike Casazza: The Sacramento Valley, I don't think you can overstate how important it is, especially for wintering waterfowl. Jim Morris: Mike Casazza, Research Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey on the importance of rice fields for wildlife, including more than a million snow geese, an iconic and boisterous bird in our region. Mike Casazza: We're in a Mediterranean climate here, so they're not facing climatic extremes. These birds they come primarily from the Northern latitudes and come down here to spend the winter. And the environment here is just ideal because they can relax in a rice field, there's food there for them. Jim Morris: Maintaining that habitat is important, and you're about to find out how researchers work to keep balance in this diverse ecosystem. Welcome to Ingrained, The California Rice Podcast. I'm your host, Jim Morris. Proud to have worked with California farmers and ranchers for 30 years helping tell their stories. Winter in Sacramento Valley rice country is a great time. The harvest is done and these rice fields have a tremendous value as wildlife habitat for millions of birds that are making their annual Pacific flyway migration. I'm visiting with Andrea Mott, Biological Science Technician with the U.S. Geological Survey. Andrea, you are working to try to help maintain this healthy population. What are some of the areas that you're working in? Andrea Mott: I'm just looking at snow goose populations and just seeing how the healthy, or maybe a little too healthy population, may affect other waterfowl species that also winter in the Valley. Jim Morris: It does appear that we have a very healthy snow goose population. Some of that is good, some might be challenging, but generally speaking how has that population been in recent years? Andrea Mott: It's kind of increasing exponentially, so every year we're seeing more and more snow geese calling the Sacramento Valley their wintering grounds. Jim Morris: Why is it important to track their population? I believe it has something to do with the other wildlife that depend on the rice fields and making sure there's a good balance. Andrea Mott: There's a ton of overlap in habitat between snow geese, other species of geese, and then ducks and swans as well. So they all depend on the rice and the rice fields that the Valley has. There's a ton of overlap, so we're just monitoring to see if too many geese may end up being detrimental for waterfowl populations, ducks specifically. Jim Morris: How do you do that? How are you able to track geese? Andrea Mott: We put out GPS/GSM collars on these geese and we can monitor them from our computers. So, I can essentially see where they're moving around the Valley, what fields they're using, and then we also have a bunch of ducks transmittered, so we can see where major areas of overlap are and go from there. Jim Morris: How do you get the transmitters on the geese? Andrea Mott: We have to trap them. We use rocket nets where we set them up in an area where a bunch of geese are hanging out and we essentially just shoot these nets over a flock of geese, and it just traps them. We go pick them up really quick, and put them in crates, band them, and throw a collar on them. Jim Morris: How many geese are you tracking at any given time? Andrea Mott: We have about a hundred active right now. They're not all in California. Some of them went to the Central Flyway, which is kind of the mid-continent, like the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, and that area. It's a collar that goes on the neck of the goose. So yeah, technology has come really far in the last several years. It used to be that we put a transmitter on and we'd have to be within a mile or so of this bird to hear a beeping, to understand where it is. Where these, we can put them on the goose. They have solar panels, so they recharge and keep the battery up. It literally just transmits its locations through cell phone towers and then sends it to my computer, and I can just look on my computer from my desk and see where all my geese are. Jim Morris: How often can you track the birds, and why is it valuable to know where they are? Andrea Mott: We have the collars set to take a point, or like a GPS a spot, every 15 minutes. Then it saves up that data and then offloads it every 24 hours. So, I get a day's worth of data every 24 hours on where all of the geese have been. It's just really important to see what they're doing, where they're going. Like, we've been able to look at crazy migrations that they've been doing like flyway switching. You know, sometimes they'll stay in California one winter and decide they want to go to Nebraska another winter. We can see all of this stuff from these collars. Jim Morris: I'm picking California for my winter as opposed to Nebraska, but that's just me. If you have your laptop open, and what is on the screen that we're looking at? Andrea Mott: This is the website that all of the GPS points get uploaded to. So, here we're looking at a snow goose that was collared up on the North Slope of Alaska. It is a male, and he's back here in the Valley. We can see here, this yellow line is just kind of where he's been in the last couple days. So yeah, he's in a rice field around here, currently. Jim Morris: Tell me a little bit about some of the travels he's made, if you don't mind. Andrea Mott: Yeah. He's just kind of bopping around the Valley. You know, I'd have to look at it a little closer, but most geese spend time in the rice eating and then spend time on refuge areas to sleep, and loaf, and that kind of thing. Jim Morris: So some of that is predictable. Like you say, they come here, they need to rest and refuel, but it is interesting that within that group I imagine there can be some variables. So, one of the reasons why it's important to track it through the computer. Correct? Andrea Mott: Sometimes a goose will just get a wild hare and just go fly off into some weird spot, and that's a cool thing to see. And we get geese that end up in places that we didn't expect them to be. Like I have one of our snow geese is in Mexico right now. Jim Morris: Besides your ability to track their journey, do the collars help in any other way? Do you receive any other data through them? Andrea Mott: They don't just give us GPS points. They also can give us elevation data, like how high they're flying. They can tell us temperature, outside temperature, and then we have accelerometer data, which I mean I know doesn't mean a lot to many people. But essentially, it's the movement of the goose. So, a lot of times we can see, based on this graph, if it's flying, sleeping, eating, walking. We can see what it's doing based on the data that these collars can take. Jim Morris: A lot of the conservation work I see in the Sacramento Valley, there are partnerships that are important to get successful results. Is that the same case for the work that you do with the USGS? Andrea Mott: Absolutely. This is a major project. Lots of collaboration from Department of Water Resources, Ducks Unlimited, California Waterfowl Association, so it's a ton of people that are helping. It's not just USGS. Jim Morris: Have you traveled and done work like this elsewhere? Andrea Mott: I was really lucky and I got to go to Alaska in summer 2019. It was their molting grounds. So for about a four-week period snow geese and all geese can't fly because they molt all of their flight feathers. So we just corral them into a catch pen, and band them, and I was able to put collars on them up there in Alaska. Jim Morris: I'm glad you went in the summer. I'm reasonably well-traveled, but I've never been to Alaska, but I'm fascinated by it. So, where in Alaska were you, how long did you stay, and what are some of your observations about that area? Andrea Mott: I went all the way up to the North Slope, which is the furthest north part of Alaska. There's a ton of snow goose colonies up there. I was up there for about a week or so. Jim Morris: I'd love to know a little more about the landscape. It sounds really interesting. Andrea Mott: It's tundra, so it's not like the mountainous landscape that a lot of people picture Alaska. It's pretty flat, a lot of little seasonal ponds and stuff, which is super important to all of the birds that nest up there. But yeah, I essentially flew into the biggest major town and then we took a helicopter out to a river delta where we camped for about a week. Yeah, we had to have polar bear fences up just in case a polar bear came into camp, which it didn't thankfully. Jim Morris: Oh, yeah. Andrea Mott: But yeah, it was pretty crazy. Jim Morris: Any interesting things that you saw or ate while you were there? I mean did you have a caribou burger or anything? Andrea Mott: No. No caribou burgers. We essentially just had to bring some food out with us. But everything was just very different than everything down here. I saw so many birds on their breeding grounds that I've never seen. Like I've never seen baby specks because they're always adult-size down here. I did see some polar bears when I was up there, so that was really cool. From a very far safe distance, thankfully. Jim Morris: Well, that's good. Andrea Mott: Yeah. Yeah. So yeah, it was really, really cool. Jim Morris: You say specks, those are a specklebelly or Pacific greater white-fronted geese. Do I have their title correctly? Andrea Mott: Yeah. Yeah, that's right. Jim Morris:  Tell me a little bit about some of the observations that you've seen since you've started this work, and what are some of the things also that you've observed and learned when you've been in and around the rice fields? Andrea Mott: I've just noticed how much these geese actually use the rice. I am not from this area, so when I got here for the first winter I was like, "Wow. This is the most waterfowl in one area I've ever seen in my life. This is amazing." And people are like, "Yeah. It's because there's all the rice agriculture here, and it really helps support such a large population." Jim Morris: When you're in the field and you're looking over the data, it's pretty cool to have that visual. Right? I mean it's extremely foggy today, but normally seeing thousands of geese in a field, I find it pretty uplifting. Andrea Mott: Oh yeah, for sure. I love just going out and doing field work because I get to look at all the geese and the ducks that are around and just the sheer numbers that are here. Jim Morris: Tell me about the journey that they make, because you've been on different ends of the Pacific Flyway Migration, and to think about that they do it every year is unbelievable to me. Tell me about that journey. Andrea Mott: It's absolutely nuts how far these geese migrate every year, like thousands of miles. They're down here, they go up to Alaska, remote parts of Canada, Russia even. And, with these collars, we're able to actually see these migration pathways and kind of see where they're going, if they're taking weird different routes, or the same kind of route. So we've been able to really see interesting detail on their migration, their nesting grounds, and their wintering grounds. Jim Morris: One of the things that I've learned with the U.S. Geological Survey, I thought years ago that it was simply just geologic-type subjects. And, in visiting with some of your colleagues on our giant gartersnake podcast, Episode 11 if you want to check that out it's really cool, Anna Jordan and Allie Essert, Giants in the Rice Fields. Did you work on the snake project for a while too, and what were your experiences there? Andrea Mott: Yeah. It was cool to just get outside of the bird world for a minute, so it was a cool experience. Snakes don't scare me- Jim Morris: Oh good. Andrea Mott: ... so that was fine. But yeah, it was neat to see the other species that really use the rice outside of the winter season. Jim Morris: What do your friends and family think as you're tracking geese with radio collars, and handling snakes, and everything? Are they surprised? Andrea Mott: No. I mean my parents think this is the coolest thing they've ever heard. On a regular basis they tell me they can't believe that this is my job and it's super exciting. But yeah, a lot of my friends are like, "What is it you do again? Chasing geese around the Valley?" Like yeah, that is what I'm doing. Jim Morris: I love that sound. It takes a while for all this data to be gathered and then decisions to be made to make sure the populations are all sound, so where are you in the process? Andrea Mott: We spent the first couple years collecting the data, trapping the geese, and now we're in the data analysis phase, where we're starting to look at the big-picture questions and figure out what we want to ask with this data. Jim Morris: How does it make you feel, knowing that you're playing a role in hopefully having healthy populations of wildlife in rice country for a long time to come? Andrea Mott: It's very important to maintain these bird populations from a wildlife aspect, but also conservation hunting, and all of that. I want to be part of what preserves these animals for years to come. I love when a huge, huge flock gets up and starts swirling around, and the sun hits them just right, and just the noise, the sheer noise of how many are there. It's just a really cool thing that I hadn't really seen before in my life. Jim Morris: That will wrap up this episode. Thank you to Mike Casazza and Andrea Mott with the U.S. Geological Survey for their time and insight. You can learn more about their work and listen to past episodes at podcast.calrice.org. You can also subscribe, and we appreciate your feedback. Thanks for listening.

Episode 17: An Incredible Journey Multiplied by 1.2 Million

Episode 16: The Case for Sites

Episode 15: Where the Wild Things Are

Like clockwork every fall and winter, Sacramento Valley rice country welcomes millions of visitors. They’re here for several months, to rest and refuel, before continuing on their epic annual journey. The millions of visitors are ducks, geese, shorebirds and many other birds that make the annual trek along the Pacific Flyway. Some come from as far north as Alaska and the Arctic and travel as far south as Chile and Argentina. A fantastic way to view our seasonal visitors are wildlife refuges, and there are several outstanding options in the Sacramento Valley. “The National Wildlife Refuge System in our country is the greatest network of protected lands anywhere in the world, if you care about wildlife, fisheries and habitat conservation,” remarked Paul Souza, Regional Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service, California Great Basin. “In California, Nevada and the Upper Klamath Basin of Oregon, we care deeply about migratory birds. This is the heart of the Pacific Flyway. Coming through in the fall, we have a tremendous number of birds. Millions and millions of birds rely on the refuge complex.”  “Be prepared to be amazed,” said Curt McCasland, Refuge Manager with the Sacramento National Refuge Wildlife Complex. “In the Sacramento Valley, from November through January, this is an incredible place, where millions of birds stack into this area, visiting the national wildlife refuges, state wildlife areas, but also the ricelands in between those. Everything from clouds of geese to the sheer noisiness of these areas. It’s absolutely amazing!”  Photographer Sue Graue has made countless trips to local wildlife refuges, providing an awesome array of photos and building great memories. Especially during a year as challenging as 2020, she encourages people to take in the vibrant beauty at local refuges. “It takes you away from the mundane parts of your daily challenges,” she said. “There are no challenges here. You can surrender to the moment.” Sacramento Valley rice fields provide vital wildlife habitat to nearly 230 wildlife species. After harvest, a shallow amount of water is added to the fields to break down rice straw. This coincides with the Pacific Flyway migration, providing key habitat to millions of birds. Rice fields provide more than 60 percent of the fall and winter diet for the several million ducks and geese visiting the Central Valley every fall and winter.

Episode 14: Refuge

Before your sushi roll or rice bowl, there’s a team effort to grow, harvest, mill and ship the fundamental ingredient – California rice. Fall is a busy time in the Sacramento Valley, with GPS-guided harvesters bringing in more than four billion pounds of grain from a half-million acres of rice fields. In Colusa County, America’s largest rice-growing area, Kim Gallagher continues the family tradition of her father and grandfather. Rice quality and production continue to rise, thanks to hard work, forethought and amazing advancements in technology. Rice varieties have improved. Through conventional breeding advancements, California rice varieties are semi-dwarf, meaning they are shorter and produce more grain than what was planted in past generations. Also, newer varieties can be harvested earlier in the season, helping avoid pitfalls of rain during harvest. Global Positioning System, or GPS technology, has dramatically changed planting, fieldwork and harvest. “I’m having a little bit of fun with that this year,” Kim said. “We have the technology where I’m actually taking these yields, putting them on my laptop, looking to see where the yields are as the harvester is going through and counting how many grains are going through that harvester. It can tell me where my weak spots are in the field and where my strong spots are - where I have high yields. Then I can go back the next year and make decisions based on that yield, what I want to do with fertilizer and where the weeds were. There’s so much information now available.” Kim said she shoots for 10,000 pounds of rice produced per acre, which reflects the amazing growth in productivity in California rice farming during the last 20 to 30 years. Kim and her family run the Erdman Warehouse, which dries and stores more than 30-million pounds of rice each season. Rice is stored with its protective hull in place, which helps maintain its quality and shelf life before milling.  The former Biology Teacher is not only enjoying farming, but marvels at the diverse ecosystem found in rice fields. “That’s probably the whole piece of the puzzle that makes this job so satisfying,” she remarked. ”There’s an enormous amount–millions of waterfowl that come in – and they eat first of all the rice and then the bugs. They just love living in our rice fields during the winter. Even after the waterfowl leave, we have all of these shorebirds. This is such an incredible crop. How many things can we feed? There are just so many different wildlife species that make their home out here. All through the year, you can find something amazing out here.” 

hubhopper

Ingrained

hubhopper