From the Field Editor's Blog

• By Vicky Boyd, Editor • More than 1,500 farmers, community leaders and urbanites attending an Aug. 20 rally sent a passionate message to the California State Water Board about their disgust with its proposed unimpaired San Joaquin River flows. The event...

The entire fight over what can and can't be called rice has spilled over into a food that many in South Louisiana consider sacred — boudin. For those not familiar with boudin, it is a sausage made of meat, whether...

Arkansas producers have only to look to California to see what can happen if they don't follow a voluntary smoke management program and get their open-field burning under control. "If we don't make an active attempt to manage this issue,...

It appears the Food and Drug Administration may begin enforcing a standard of identity that defines milk as a “lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows.” This would mean the...

Here we go again. The California State Water Resources Control Board has come out with an updated proposal for unimpaired flows on the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. Upon first glance, the most-recent rendition isn’t much changed since the...

"Necessity is the mother of invention," so the proverb goes. Faced with tight budgets, the Louisiana State University AgCenter needed to take a hard look at Extension agents in its parishes and invent a more sustainable way to provide services...

I recently attended the Field to Vase Dinner held on the grounds of the California State Capitol in Sacramento. Not only was the event a feast for the senses, but it also allowed California's cut flower industry to showcase...

I recently sat in on one day of the San Joaquin County Farm Bureau's four-day Ag in the Classroom program. Now in its 32nd year, it is designed to educate the educators about the importance of ag in the...

When you think about it, crawfish are nature's ultimate recyclers. Because of that, the red crustacean complements the rice industry's already strong sustainability story. Sustainability is like a three-legged stool comprising economic, environmental and social benefits. If you're missing even...

The California Department of Water Resources announced an initial 2016 water allocation of 10 percent for customers of the State Water Project. The allocation could be increased or decreased, depending on precipitation received this winter. The Department of Water Resources,...

For as long as I remember, the USA Rice Outlook Conference has been an outstanding meeting where all segments of the industry gather to hear the latest developments pertaining to U.S. rice from the field, the Hill, domestic and...

I first heard of what Blanca Isabel long-grain purple rice is all about while visiting with south Louisiana rice producer Fred Zaunbrecher last fall. This variety was developed by LSU AgCenter’s Dr. Milton Rush in 1998, while he was looking for a rice variety with a natural resistance to sheath blight. While drafting an article about Blanca Isabel for the January issue of Rice Farming (https://ricefarming.webpublisherpro.com/departments/feature/blanca-isabel/), I spoke with the late Dr. Rush’s daughter, Claudia. She and her family operate Rush Rice Products, LLC, in Baton Rouge, La., where they market and sell Blanca Isabel. Go to www.purpleblackrice.com to check it out. Claudia graciously sent me a bag of Blanca Isabel to sample for myself. Last night, I cooked up a pot and used it in a chicken casserole dish. You cook it the same way you do regular rice (2 cups water, 1 cup rice, etc.). The water turns a deep purple color, and in about 18 minutes the rice is ready. I have to say it is delicious.

The 2014 rice production season has come to a close, while hunting season, the holidays and planning for 2015 are in full swing. An important part of the planning process for next year is attending winter meetings to stay...

I’ve never been much of a cook, but I am a creative, which means when you get in a situation for which you have no explanation, you just make something up. Let’s consider Halloween 2014. While trying to answer...

Please Comment On Proposed WOTUS Rule By October 20! Arkansas congressman Rick Crawford recently noted that EPA’s new proposed rule under the Clean Water Act titled “Waters of the U.S.,” or WOTUS, is definitely cause for concern among rice farmers. And...