A jar of zooplankton “bugs” that small salmon feast upon while in winter flooded rice fields to to prepare for their journey to the ocean.
Jan 24, 2022
COLUSA & YUBA CITY, CA -- More than 100 growers attended the California Rice Commission (CRC) annual grower meetings here last week.
Among the speakers was USA Rice Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Mosely who provided insight on the main ingredients of a farm bill reauthorization including the farm economy, the federal budget, and the politics that will influence the development and timing for the next farm bill.
Tyson Redpath of The Russell Group gave a recap of President Biden’s first year and what to expect for the balance of this administration. Louie Brown with Kahn, Soares & Conway, a Sacramento law firm specializing in state and federal legislative advocacy, gave an update on the latest state legislative actions affecting California rice farmers; and David Guy with the Northern California Water Association and Tess Dunham, from Kahn, Soares & Conway, talked about top water issues.
"These face-to-face meetings are an excellent way for rice growers to hear the latest on key issues impacting the industry," said Mosely. "The rice industry has unique challenges, and having these discussions each year helps us identify, prioritize, and tackle those challenges together."
California Rice Commission President & CEO Tim Johnson closed each of the meetings by encouraging growers to take advantage of a CRC-developed and NRCS-funded program supporting waterbird habitat in rice that is scheduled to kick off this year. He also gave an update on Phase 2 of the Ricelands Salmon Project, as well as a reminder for growers to remain diligent in their crop protection monitoring programs.