by: Bryce Lundberg
Outstanding in the Field is a nice way to describe what farmers do while they work- they stand out in their fields. However, Outstanding in the Field is also a mobile restaurant without walls that organizes farm dinner events as a celebration of place and honors farmers and other producers of a region.
Last weekend, Outstanding and Ella Dining Room & Bar visited our farm and prepared an elegant dinner in the middle of an organic rice field. It was an exciting event for our farm; it provided us with an opportunity to help people connect with where their food comes from in a very unique manner. However, in the week leading up to the dinner, we received a comment from an upset individual. He was indignant that a rice farm should not receive the honor of hosting an Outstanding dinner because California’s water situation should prevent rice from being grown. While I appreciate this individual’s passion and concern for California’s water, the sentiment reinforced my view that events like Outstanding in the Field play an important role in promoting truth and understanding for California’s rice farmers. Rice farms provide over 550,000 acres of managed wetlands for California. Our state has lost over 90 percent of the natural wetlands which once spread across California. The rice fields provide habitat for over 230 species including millions of waterfowl and shorebirds in the winter. Over 60 percent of the waterfowl’s nutrition comes from rice fields as the birds migrate through the Pacific Flyway. These farmlands are essential and productive habitat for California and really cool from a public / private – win/win situation. Rice farmers grow very productive crops and provide habitat for the environment without costing California’s tax payers to manage these wetlands. Instead rice farmers continue to pay property taxes and income taxes – supporting State programs – including the Department of Fish and Game. Isn’t this outstanding?
California rice farms also have an outstanding story regarding water usage per acre and per serving of rice. Rice is grown in Northern California because the soil is perfect for rice. When you drive through “Rice Country” you may notice rice growing in water and presume that rice farmers are wasting water. The truth is that rice fields consist of heavy clay soils with a hard pan layer of soil about three feet below the surface. These two characteristics create the perfect place to grow rice. Water stays in rice fields the same way water stays in pools, bathtubs, and sinks – a drain has to be pulled to get them to empty. That’s why rice can be so efficient with water. Did you know that rice can be grown on the same amount of water it takes to grow many types of orchards and fruit crops? It’s true. And because we grow so much rice on each acre, we can produce a serving of brown rice on just 16 gallons of water. Isn’t that outstanding?
If you have a chance to join Jim and Leah for dinner in a local farmer’s field, you will enjoy a memorable evening. You will also gain a new appreciation for the care farmers have for the environment they share with their families, wildlife, and the community. I am thankful for Outstanding in the Field’s commitment to connecting consumers with farmers in fields where food grows. My family’s rice grows using sustainable farming practices – being careful with the soil, air, habitat, water, and other resources. It is my hope that Californians appreciate how California’s farmers grow their food – truly Outstanding in the Field!
