By Alex Struckmeyer
Born and raised in Colusa County, California, Alex began working on his family’s farm at a young age, eventually merging farming operations with his parents, Joe and Julie, in 2017.
As a sixth generation California farmer, I went into the Rice Leadership California Session with the notion that I would be taking in familiar views and visiting with local farmers and friends who I have known for some time. As our class embarked on our trek, from the oyster farms of Tamales Bay at Hog Island to the rainbow-colored fields of the Salinas Valley, I quickly realized I would be experiencing an entirely new view of California agriculture and find new facets to an industry I have grown up with.
We began the session meeting with Terry Sawyer, the founder of Hog Island Oyster Company, where we were given a master class in sustainable aquaculture amidst stringent regulations that mirror (if not exceed) the ongoing struggles California rice farmers face each year. This candid discussion gave us an in-depth look at how to navigate red tape and persistently create success while still being a steward of the land or, in this case, the water.
The next major stop had our class airborne as we took an aerial tour of the North Valley. Starting in Sacramento and ending in Salinas, our pilot and tour guide, Kent Wiley, described the region’s water infrastructure as we took in landmarks like the Oroville Dam and the Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District. Back on the ground, we headed to Costa Farms where owner Mike Costa showcased cutting edge technology on his produce farm, from harvest to weed eradication. A highlight for me was the use of a laser weeder, an AI-powered robotic that annihilates weeds like something out of a science fiction novel.
The following day began our foray into California rice country with farm visits hosted by Sean Doherty, Leo LaGrande, Josh Sheppard, and Nicole Van Vleck of Montna Farms. These visits highlighted the commonplace diversification of agriculture in California, where crops like almonds, walnut, prunes, and tomatoes can coexist alongside rice fields and even within shared boundaries. At Montna Farms, we experienced true dedication to waterfowl preservation in their field flooding practices, showing that rice is truly an environmental crop.
During this rice country trip, we also made stops at Sun Valley Rice, American Commodity Company (ACC), Farmers Rice Co-op (FRC), and the Butte County Rice Growers Association (BUCRA) to tour facilities and hear updates from some of California's rice handlers. Highlights included ACC’s co-gen power, Sun Valley’s new and innovative milling procedures, and FRC’s expansion into rice flour.
It is impossible to talk about rice without talking about water and the environment. A perfect example of this combination was presented by Don Bransford, board member of the Glenn Colusa Irrigation District, who educated the class about the impact of surface water and the lengths the industry has gone to protecting salmon, including a multimillion-dollar fish screen.
This session brought me a newfound appreciation for the lengths that the California rice industry goes to secure its position, amidst an ever-changing landscape of political and environmental change. This steadfast footing balances the desire for high yields alongside the integrity of high quality, giving hope for a secure position for generations of rice farmers to come.
The Rice Leadership Development Program is funded by grants from John Deere Company, RiceTec, American Commodity Company, and Supreme Rice to The Rice Foundation. USA Rice develops and manages the program on behalf of The Rice Foundation.