Author Archive
Armstrong & Getty visit a California Rice Field
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012
Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty comment after visiting a family rice farm in Sutter County during planting season.
Making up for lost time
Thursday, May 3rd, 2012
Just like last year, our rice farm and others throughout the Sacramento Valley are getting a later than ideal start to the planting season.
Ideally we’d like seeds in the ground in late April, but the calendar has shifted to May and we are still working towards that goal. Ground preparations have been made and it looks like I’ll get five inches of water on my fields by the end of this week. We would then be ready for airplanes to apply the germinated rice seeds by the middle of next week.
The weather of late has been helpful. North winds have helped the fields dry up to allow us to get the ground ready for our next rice crop.
What would help moving forward would be a growing season similar to last year’s, where we pretty much stayed away from extreme temperatures. It was warm enough to let the rice grow but we didn’t have a significant hot spell to upset the plants.
We are again facing a later start to the season, but hopefully everything will go smoothly between now and fall harvest.
Punch Haskell grows rice in Colusa County and is part of a family farming operation that began approximately 60 years ago.
Ideally we’d like seeds in the ground in late April, but the calendar has shifted to May and we are still working towards that goal. Ground preparations have been made and it looks like I’ll get five inches of water on my fields by the end of this week. We would then be ready for airplanes to apply the germinated rice seeds by the middle of next week.
The weather of late has been helpful. North winds have helped the fields dry up to allow us to get the ground ready for our next rice crop.
What would help moving forward would be a growing season similar to last year’s, where we pretty much stayed away from extreme temperatures. It was warm enough to let the rice grow but we didn’t have a significant hot spell to upset the plants.
We are again facing a later start to the season, but hopefully everything will go smoothly between now and fall harvest.
Punch Haskell grows rice in Colusa County and is part of a family farming operation that began approximately 60 years ago.Going Hog Wild In California
Thursday, April 26th, 2012
By Julie Cader
Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.
I learned something new about wild pigs. In the past, wild pigs were a potential threat to our horses when we horse camped along the California northern coast, and so I was always on the lookout for some crazy wild beast to come charging out of the bushes, spook my little quarter horse, Tucker, and I'd go flying over the handlebars!
What I didn't know was that pigs did not exist in California before the early 1700s. Spanish and Russian explorers and settlers introduced domestic swine to California and allowed them to forage freely, especially in the fall, to take advantage of fallen acorns. Since those early days, the domestic pig has escaped and been added to the wild population. And then in the 1920s, a Monterey County landowner introduced the European wild boar into California. European wild stock from this introduction bred with the established feral pig population, resulting in a wild boar/feral domestic pig hybrid.
Jaime's boyfriend, Nate, an avid, skilled bowhunter was successful in locating one of these wild pigs. Nate remarked that feral pigs are awesome animals to hunt in that they’re dangerous, alert, smart, vicious and challenging (and spook innocent horses and riders!). Needless to say, Nate was successful in his bowhunt and we were invited over to their home for a Going Hog Wild dinner party.
The final reward was having Jaime create a California rice dish to complement the wild pig. Jaime added carrots, onions and celery along with special herbs and seasonings to make a delicious meal. The pig was great, we met new friends, and even celebrated with a yummy bottle of Hog Wild Red table wine from Indian Springs Vineyard! Now that's hog wild!
I learned something new about wild pigs. In the past, wild pigs were a potential threat to our horses when we horse camped along the California northern coast, and so I was always on the lookout for some crazy wild beast to come charging out of the bushes, spook my little quarter horse, Tucker, and I'd go flying over the handlebars!
What I didn't know was that pigs did not exist in California before the early 1700s. Spanish and Russian explorers and settlers introduced domestic swine to California and allowed them to forage freely, especially in the fall, to take advantage of fallen acorns. Since those early days, the domestic pig has escaped and been added to the wild population. And then in the 1920s, a Monterey County landowner introduced the European wild boar into California. European wild stock from this introduction bred with the established feral pig population, resulting in a wild boar/feral domestic pig hybrid.
Jaime's boyfriend, Nate, an avid, skilled bowhunter was successful in locating one of these wild pigs. Nate remarked that feral pigs are awesome animals to hunt in that they’re dangerous, alert, smart, vicious and challenging (and spook innocent horses and riders!). Needless to say, Nate was successful in his bowhunt and we were invited over to their home for a Going Hog Wild dinner party.
The final reward was having Jaime create a California rice dish to complement the wild pig. Jaime added carrots, onions and celery along with special herbs and seasonings to make a delicious meal. The pig was great, we met new friends, and even celebrated with a yummy bottle of Hog Wild Red table wine from Indian Springs Vineyard! Now that's hog wild!
Marching Koi, Car Alarm Birds and a taste of home in Hawaii
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
By Jim Morris, CRC Communications Manager
How does one react when they first see paradise? I vividly remember when as a youngster I first viewed Yosemite Valley. Staring up at Half Dome and El Capitan sent a flock of butterflies in motion inside of me.
Waking up in Maui, looking out of the window and viewing the ocean that’s less than 70 steps away, this scintillating feeling is pretty close.
This is my first trip to Hawaii and I already know it won’t be my last. Beauty is everywhere, although some of it caught me off guard. On the first night of our stay I woke up at 5:55 a.m. to what sounded like a car alarm but it was actually a lovesick tropical bird. About an hour later, we found these Koi Fish, which marched along to eat their breakfast.
This is a true paradise and the perfect place to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary with Leslie. I love the lush green foliage, the calming ocean, the intoxicating climate and yes, even that familiar sight from home – California rice. Hawaiians are just wild about California rice, a staple of many islanders’ meals. The local Long’s Drugstore is a prime example.
I followed co-worker Julie’s suggestion and checked out Aloha Mixed Plate. I went with the Shoyu Chicken plate, listed as a local favorite and one of the restaurant’s specialties.
I often enjoy Hawaiian cuisine while in Sacramento. It’s the go-to choice when I have lunch with my friends. Lunch at Aloha Mixed Plate featured mountains of California rice in all of its moist and sticky goodness, plus macaroni salad and succulent baked chicken. They provide about 1,400 servings of rice every day.
I just ate every bite of this part of paradise!
Jim Morris is Communications Manager for the California Rice Commission. Jim has worked in communications for more than 20 years. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys his family, faith, football, outrageous monster stories and running marathons.
How does one react when they first see paradise? I vividly remember when as a youngster I first viewed Yosemite Valley. Staring up at Half Dome and El Capitan sent a flock of butterflies in motion inside of me.
Waking up in Maui, looking out of the window and viewing the ocean that’s less than 70 steps away, this scintillating feeling is pretty close.
This is my first trip to Hawaii and I already know it won’t be my last. Beauty is everywhere, although some of it caught me off guard. On the first night of our stay I woke up at 5:55 a.m. to what sounded like a car alarm but it was actually a lovesick tropical bird. About an hour later, we found these Koi Fish, which marched along to eat their breakfast.
This is a true paradise and the perfect place to celebrate my 10th wedding anniversary with Leslie. I love the lush green foliage, the calming ocean, the intoxicating climate and yes, even that familiar sight from home – California rice. Hawaiians are just wild about California rice, a staple of many islanders’ meals. The local Long’s Drugstore is a prime example.
I followed co-worker Julie’s suggestion and checked out Aloha Mixed Plate. I went with the Shoyu Chicken plate, listed as a local favorite and one of the restaurant’s specialties.
I often enjoy Hawaiian cuisine while in Sacramento. It’s the go-to choice when I have lunch with my friends. Lunch at Aloha Mixed Plate featured mountains of California rice in all of its moist and sticky goodness, plus macaroni salad and succulent baked chicken. They provide about 1,400 servings of rice every day.
I just ate every bite of this part of paradise!
Jim Morris is Communications Manager for the California Rice Commission. Jim has worked in communications for more than 20 years. When he’s not on the job, he enjoys his family, faith, football, outrageous monster stories and running marathons.Food Therapy in Rice
Monday, April 16th, 2012
By Julie Cader
We were warmly greeted by the Red Lantern's Manager, Jimmy Yee, who commented that the restaurant uses California rice in crafting their authentic Asian dishes.
I tried the Queen Clam Congee, a thick porridge of California rice that is boiled in many times its weight of water for a long period of time until the rice breaks down and becomes a fairly thick, white porridge, or as I call it, serious food therapy. A delicious way to end a stormy day!
Julie is Finance & Administration Manager for the California Rice Commission, and a big proponent of trying new recipes- especially if they feature California rice.
During a recent damp, windy and chilly evening, I felt the strong desire for some serious food therapy. We found ourselves at the Red Lantern Room located in Lincoln's Thunder Valley Casino Resort.
During a recent damp, windy and chilly evening, I felt the strong desire for some serious food therapy. We found ourselves at the Red Lantern Room located in Lincoln's Thunder Valley Casino Resort.
We were warmly greeted by the Red Lantern's Manager, Jimmy Yee, who commented that the restaurant uses California rice in crafting their authentic Asian dishes.
I tried the Queen Clam Congee, a thick porridge of California rice that is boiled in many times its weight of water for a long period of time until the rice breaks down and becomes a fairly thick, white porridge, or as I call it, serious food therapy. A delicious way to end a stormy day!
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