farming & ranching

By Paul ButtnerAs the Manager of Environmental Affairs for the California Rice Commission (CRC), I was humbled to stand with our President & CEO Tim Johnson to accept the 2013 Partner of the Year Award from the Central Valley Joint Venture (CVJV) o...

Dan Gannon, owner of Humble Roots Community Supported Ag in West Sacramento, farms without machinery. His only source of labor is his animals.Dan Gannon goes about his work as a farmer as if his feet are planted firmly in the 19th century. O...

By Tim JohnsonEvery five years the leaders of our country have a discussion on farm policy. In large part the debate is healthy, though, sometimes to make a point, arguments get off track. In the upcoming weeks and months you will hear both good argume...

Grower Peter Rystrom discusses progress on the 2013 rice planting, including participation in a special wildlife program. After completing his college education, Peter Rystrom is happily back at work as a fourth-generation farmer in Butte County. Work...

The day starts like most days –Working alone not long after sunrise.The work, though,Is different. The ewes, separatedFrom their lambs and held off feed,Voice their opinion at maximum volume.Set up begins.  The shearing board is leveled,The shea...

By Jim MorrisDrive through the Sacramento Valley these days and you very likely will see and hear airplanes seeding more than a half million acres of rice. I was able to witness an entirely different seeding method at the Rice Experiment Station in Big...

ELK GROVE-

The debate between vegan students and those that eat meat at Elk Grove High School has made its way onto Instagram and other social networks, and the words being used aren’t all that pleasant.

“ keeps posting …

Curveballs. They're great in baseball but nerve wracking in rice farming!  I had a big one thrown at me the other day.  This spring had been pleasant enough apart from all the north wind.  The ground dried out early and our "leisurely" p...

Chair of the California Air Resources Board Mary Nichols provides comments after touring a Sacramento Valley rice farm.

Rice grower Tom Butler of Robbins says despite some delays due to strong winds, this planting season is well ahead of recent years. More about Tom: Tom Butler farms rice with his father, Steve, in Sutter and Yolo Counties. Tom is the fourth generation...