From the Field Editor's Blog

• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Despite delays caused by permitting and rain, Northern California rice producer and fifth-generation farmer Bill Weller finally began realizing his dream of producing farm-to-glass craft beers in his own brewery in January. The 40-barrel Farmers Brewing...

• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • If construction goes according to schedule, the University of Arkansas System’ Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center near Harrisburg will begin hosting rice field trials and experiments in 2021. This season, soil over much of the...

The rice field day circuit is different this year, and those of us who try to hit many of them may be having withdrawal symptoms. Sure, these events are a chance learn about the latest research at the various universities...

Matthew Sligar wears many hats: California rice producer, video blogger, husband and father, to name a few. Now he can add children’s book author to his growing list of job titles. About three years after Sligar came up with the...

• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Panda, a chocolate Labrador that calls the University of Arkansas’ Pine Tree Research Station home, has become somewhat of an unwitting social media celebrity. Although she doesn’t have her own Twitter account like Pedro, the...

My mom and grandmother on her side grew up in Minnesota, where they ate bland foods, like white fish, turnips and rutabagas, and rarely used seasonings other than salt. Nanny, my grandmother on my dad’s side, grew up in the...

• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • Rice breeders at the California Rice Experiment Station are on a roll, having released nine improved varieties in the past 10 years. And their success appears to be continuing as they have two lines —...

• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • To describe Pedro as a social animal is an understatement. After all, the gray and white tabby has his own Twitter account, posting as @CatUAEX (LonokeUAEXCat) and using the hashtag #catsupervisor. He also has his...

Infestations point out need for Provisia system to clean up fields. • By Vicky Boyd, Editor • 2019 could very well be dubbed the “year of weedy rice” — at least in Southwest Louisiana. Even growers who have been diligent about rogueing...

• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • The Louisiana State University AgCenter breeding program continues on a roll with the potential release of a new Clearfield long-grain variety as well as a conventional long-grain in time for the 2020 season. If that...

The 2019 rice planting season seems like it’s running in slow motion. Nationwide, slightly more than half of the anticipated acres had been planted as of May 12, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Crop Progress report. That compares...

Whether at industry group annual meetings or during Web-based seminars, the message remains the same: Agriculture has to do a better job telling its story to try to connect with consumers, who are generations removed from their agrarian roots. Many...

Every time I've flown through an airport in the U.S. Rice Belt lately, my carry-on bags have been pulled aside and searched as I went through airport security. No, I wasn't packing a weapon, carrying explosives or even toting...

Bill Murray played Carl the greenskeeper in the immortal classic film, "Caddyshack." Throughout the movie, the wily gopher challenged Carl, who was tasked with getting rid of the rodent because it was digging up the golf course. In one of...

Just looking at mature California rice fields this year compared to last, you can see one big difference. Most of the rice is standing this year — last season, the situation was just the opposite. The 2017 rice harvest in...