Feature Story

At certain times of the year, gusty winds howl across California’s Sacramento Valley, known for its rich adobe clay soil and home to the Sutter Buttes, described by many as the smallest mountain range in the world. For generations, farmers have grown rice in this area of the state, and producer Frank Rehermann is no exception. In 1972, fresh from the Navy, Rehermann began his journey as a California rice farmer with the assistance of his father-in-law, Ron Harrington. One piece of property that they farmed was owned by the Righero brothers, who originally began the process of wrestling the unleveled ground with sloughs running through it into good, farmable rice fields. Later, using an old D-7, Rehermann continued straightening the levees throughout the property to achieve greater efficiency. Today, he knows those fields well and has used that knowledge to help shape his rice production strategies. Rehermann has to be mobile because his operation is spread out, encompassing property at Live Oak, the Riceton area and the White Ranch – located on the other side of Richvale – that he began leasing from Minnie May White in 1973. In all, Rehermann farms 900 acres of rice, planting 50 percent to M-206 and the remainder to M-205.

Arkansas farmers share their recipe for success The main ingredients for their operation's success, according to fifth- and sixth-generation Arkansas rice farmers Paul and Gil Dreher, include choosing the right varieties, investing in a grain management system, managing their water...

CRC partnerships help fuel conservation in rice fields By Paul Buttner, Environmental Affairs Manager, California Rice Commission This was another eventful year as the California Rice Commission (CRC) successfully helped deliver programs to growers who willingly engage in wildlife conservation. It...

While there is always a chance of a few surprises, it appears that 2014 was a good production year with aboveaverage yields and good to very good quality being reported. Now the focus will be on finding enough demand for rice supplies that are estimated at nearly 10 percent higher than the previous year. Based on USDA's October 2014 supply and demand estimates, demand is expected to increase by seven percent for the 2014/15 marketing year. While positive, this increase isn't expected to be enough to keep ending stocks from experiencing a sharp increase – nearly nine million hundredweights (cwts), a 27 percent increase from last year and five percent above the five-year average. While domestic rice usage and total rice exports are expected to increase during the 2014/15 marketing year, the slow start to export sales has placed a cloud over the market. The reported good quality of the 2014 crop and the current lower prices should help continue to support domestic demand. The struggle with demand has been in the export market. To this point, total rice exports are down 13 percent from a year ago. With exports for the 2014/15 marketing year expected to be up by 10 percent, this market will need to see a significant improvement in export business moving forward to meet those expectations. And while it is still very early in the marketing year, the slow start is concerning. This is especially true for longgrain milled rice exports, which are currently running 27 percent behind last year's pace. Without some improvement in export business, there seems little to entice mills from moving from current price levels.

According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District, "The Grand Prairie Area Demonstration Project (GPADP) is a comprehensive water management plan designed to protect and preserve the Alluvial and Sparta Aquifers. This project also allows the continued irrigation of current agricultural crops and reduces further depletion of ground water aquifers, while continuing to provide critical benefits for the millions of waterfowl, which annually migrate through the region. The reservoir for this farm will provide about eight inches of water for the producer. The other foot of water that he will need will come from the pump station. "For all practical purposes, the farmer is using his existing irrigation system," Carman says. "We are adding to the normal availability of the water. We do not put any water into natural ditches. The water from the pump station will come directly into the farmer's tailwater recovery system." The other foot of water that he will need will come from the pump station. “For all practical purposes, the farmer is using his existing irrigation system,” Carman says. “We are adding to the normal availability of the water. We do not put any water into natural ditches. The water from the pump station will come directly into the farmer’s tailwater recovery system.”

Mississippi Delta growers keep rice in the mix After graduating from Mississippi State University (MSU), Chico and Pete Williams returned to the family farming operation near Hollandale, Miss. Their grandfather, Leo Williams established the farm in the early 1940s and...

Management techniques differ from commercial drying By Dennis Gardisser and Johnny Saichuck Drying and storing rice on the farm can be an excellent marketing strategy. The way that rice is handled during the drying and storage process will determine its quality...

When is a hammer not a hammer, but still a hammer? Most of us would agree that our government has a unique way of couching its rules and regulations, sometimes in a manner that many of us might find a...

2014 conditions may influence acreage, production practices By Carroll Smith, Editor Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Water is the driving force of all nature.” Even today, this statement holds true, especially for rice production in the United States. The presence of...

Tiffany Dowell, Texas A&M Agri-Life Extension Service economist and agricultural law specialist in College Station, has seen her Texas Agriculture Law Blog gain popularity due to timely topics addressing issues affecting landowners across the Lone Star State. “I continue to...

By Bruce Schultz, LSU AgCenter Dustin Harrell, LSU AgCenter agronomist at the Rice Research Station near Crowley, is participating in a multi-state study on arsenic in rice to determine if levels of the element are higher in different varieties and...

Tools, technology and training in real time on the turnrow Most rice farmers are familiar with the high-profile items used in producing a crop and regulations related to managing their employees. However, Rice Farming has compiled a short list pertaining...

California Rice Commission urges "real people" to communicate about rice during the drought If there is one thing that is associated with rice other than rice straw burning, it is misperceptions about its water use. The common dig that rice...

ACR project begins in Califronia, aims for Mid-South expansion The American Carbon Registry (ACR) has recently listed a first-of-its-kind project aimed at rewarding rice growers for voluntarily reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Emission Reductions in California Rice Management Systems project...

Be proactive in controlling resistant weeds When weed resistance in rice first appeared, it soon became clear that a silver bullet herbicide program was not magically going to materialize to solve the problem. Everyone involved with weeds in the rice...