Rice Radio

Rice Radio is back in for its series finale, where I share my perspective on the inequitable numbers that make up the ag labor shortage and unemployment statistics.  

In this episode we will take a look at the latest water news impacting the Sacramento Valley.  What kind of water regulations are pending?  What are Voluntary Agreements, and how do they factor in?  What's the latest with Sites Reservoir?  All that, plus how inland flooding could the the savior that Sac River salmon have been waiting for.

In this episode of Rice Radio, we take a look back at the 2018 Rice Season.  What defined the season? What were the challenges? How did the crop turn out?

For decades, rice has been a key piece of the Sacramento Valley's identity.  But in the last 20 years, that has changed.  Rice acres have diminished at the hands of other crops.  More specifically, rice fields are being replaced by walnut and almond orchards.  There's several reasons for this trend.  In this episode of Rice Radio, we'll examine why this shift has happened, and the positive and negative impacts of this change.

The month of May is perhaps the busiest month the Sacramento Valley sees each year, as all farmers (especially rice) are rushing to plant their crops for the season at hand.  This May was no exception.  Find out in this episode how planting went, and how the rice is looking so far.  I also sit down with a local meteorologist for a preview of the summer weather forecast?  Are we due for a repeat of last summer's historic heat waves?  All that and more in this episode of Rice Radio.

Spring has arrived, which means we rice farmers jump into action on our 2018 rice crop.  It's a season where swings in the weather can both help us and hurt us, as we plow forward with ground work, fertilizer, and water.  Also in April, the California Rice Commission hosted it's annual Legislative Day at the State's Capitol, where sushi is as abundant as the swarming flocks of members of California's State Assembly.  So, what do our state law makers think about the future of agriculture in California?  I corner a few of them to find out what needs to happen to make California ag-friendly again.

It's March in the Sacramento Valley, which means farmers are chomping at the bit to start working ground.  In this episode of Rice Radio, we check in at the shop as the countdown to planting season draws to a close.  We also debunk a meme about Chinese GMO rice taking the United States by storm.  And a little perspective on new water storage projects.

The ongoing saga of Sites Reservoir and Proposition 1 made news this month, but not for good reasons.  In this episode, I sat down with Jim Watson, General Manager for Sites Project Authority, to break down the hysteria around Sites.  Rice Radio also checks in on the California snow pack.  And we take a quick trip out to the Colusa County Farm Show!

Sacramento River salmon runs have been on the decline for years, with almost no glimmers of hope or upticks in fish counts for more than a decade.  Several years ago, the farmer and water agencies who pump off the river decided to take matters into their own hands, adopting new science and a new approach to saving salmon.  Additionally, Academics have launched a series of fish food development projects.  Now both factions, farmers and scientists, are working together on what could add up to the solution that bureaucracy has failed to find on its own.  In this episode, a full overview of all the new thinking that's sweeping the Sacramento Valley, and already producing more tangible results than we've ever seen before.   Links: Cal Trout Documentary on the Nigiri Project. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmo5eHbQ-fk Short Video on River Garden Farms Habitat Structures. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzxU8Kb7tos River Garden Farms Blog Page, with updates on all their conservation efforts. http://www.rivergardenfarms.com/category/news/salmon-rearing-habitat/    

The USA Rice Federation held its annual Outlook Conference in early December.  It's a change for people from all avenues of the industry to get the latest on what's going on with rice in the United States and globally.  What's happening in the field? With the market? Trade? DC? Conservation? And who are the Rice Storytellers?  All the details in another episode of Rice Radio.

In February of 2017, the residents of Oroville, California, along with other downstream communities of the Feather River, had their lives turned upside down by the threat of flooding from failed structures at the Oroville Dam site.  It was a dramatic month in Northern California, as unprecedented rainfall blasted the entire Sacramento Valley.  So, what happened at America's tallest dam last winter? What's going on now? And what does the future look like at the dam?    

  Lodged rice, equipment breakdowns, parts shortages, crazy geese! In this episode of Rice Radio, we recap a California Rice Harvest that has been called one of the most difficult of the last 40 years.  I also talk to Fish and Wildlife about the Waterfowl Hunting outlook for the upcoming winter.  And what about all the water we need to grow rice and provide habitat to these birds?  The Bureau of Reclamation checks in to give us a capacity update on California’s largest, and most important reservoir.  Links: California Rice Commission YouTube Channel http://www.youtube.com/channel/UClbrXsoT_fo_bsKQVodUv_A California Rice Commission Website http://www.calrice.org  Rice Farming TV http://www.youtube.com/channel/UChGgTSaa-uh9u5EQWX4H1Zg Follow me on Twitter @KurtRichterAG

It's autumn in California, which means rice harvest is in full swing. In this episode of Rice Radio, we check in at harvest and see how things are coming along. I'll also introduce you to a new development in California Rice, which could change how rice is grown in the Sacramento Valley. In this episode, you'll also learn about the critical role rice fields can play in providing habitat to shorebirds of the pacific flyway.

The premiere episode of the new podcast, Rice Radio. Topics covered include a recap of the 2017 rice season, including wild weather and flooding. Also covered, army worms, weedy red rice, and the Chinese market finally opening up to U.S. Rice.