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my boys in a zero grade rice field
Zero Grade Rice Farming is the modern process of land and water conservation used to grow rice in fields that, no longer have levees throughout, but are precision leveled to give the farmer more efficient control of the water levels required for rice to develop. Watch this short video clip and get to know Jim Whitaker from Whitaker Farms as he tells us why they use Zero Grade Rice Farming.
We all remember times when we were full of hope as we executed a strategically planned project, event, or proposal. That’s how farmers feel every time they begin a new growing season. Hope abounds during Springtime planting!
cousins planting the family garden
Excitement fills the air. The sky is crystal blue and the leaves are that light green color that tells you they have just begun their life. Courageous farmers have tried new methods and are anxious to see if their risks will pay off. Will they see more sustainability from their resources this year? Will they have a higher yield in the Fall?
a plow that is pulled behind a tractor
Farmers have spent the winter analyzing the market to determine which crops will bring the highest price, planning how many acres of which crops to plant and preparing equipment for long hours of operation. I remember listening to my dad discussing new ideas for the next growing season and wondering why he was already planning for next year when it seemed so far away to me as a child.
a water furrow: part of the drainage system in a rice field
Now it’s time to get the land ready by draining the water off the rice fields and spraying herbicides to kill the weeds in row crop fields like cotton, soybeans and corn before they plant.
For years farmers began the pre-planting season by tilling the soil, which is done by driving a tractor over each field several times to prepare the soil. The tractor pulled a plow to loosen the ground and kill the weeds that had grown through the winter. Farmers have realized that these multiple passes over the fields cause soil erosion and is an unnecessary fuel expense.
Many, in fact, have moved away from this annual practice in order to keep the nutrients in the soil for the crops to consume. Also, the breaking up of the ground releases the greenhouse gases that are stored under the surface. So, by moving to "no till" farming, valuable nutrients are preserved and greenhouse gases are contained.
a tractor pulling a planter with cotton seed
Once the seed has been purchased, it’s time to get started. Most seeds are placed in the soil with a planter, which is an implement or attachment that is pulled behind a tractor. This one fascinating piece of equipment opens up a furrow, sprays a liquid starter fertilizer, drops the seed, and then covers the seed all in one fluid motion.
a rice planter
Rice is planted using a slightly different type of planter. One large hopper holds the rice seed for a tractor and small tubes are attached to many drop points that are strategically spaced across the implement. Tracks, instead of tires, are used on the tractors because the soil is moist for rice and tires would make deep ruts.
asparagus "crowns" (young plants) for the garden-- some being planting and some being enjoyed
Everything is in full swing now. In a few short days, green sprigs will break through the surface reaching to the sun for life and growth. Hope for a bountiful harvest abounds.
Have you recently heard “organic may not be what you think it is?” I’ve been hearing that a lot over the last few months and this recently published article in Forbes magazine answered many questions I've had about the value of organic foods. I'm going to follow this author's lead as he is standing on science to debunk the mysterious world of organics.
standing in a rice field
Steven Savage was an enthusiastic supporter of the organic movement and its founding principals 30 years ago. Simultaneously, he celebrates the changes this movement has brought and expresses his concern for unethical marketing about organic foods that has promoted a "super brand."
standing on a pipe that's part of our water recycling system
Over the last 20 years, conventional farmers have heard the concerns the organic movement has highlighted, and they have taken action. Fewer pesticides are used today. No-till farming, which isn’t used on organic farms, allows for significantly less soil erosion on conventional farms. Water-recycling has become common place on many conventional farms as a result of innovative engineering. Higher yields seen by conventional farmers have resulted in using fewer acres for producing, which frees more land for natural habitats to be reclaimed. Sustainability and soil health continue to improve because agriculture professionals have been actively listening.
standing on the top bar of a grain truck full of harvested rice
I appreciate that, even though Steven was an early backer of the organic movement, he hasn’t been blind to the negative transformation it has taken. He has remained clear-headed by looking objectively at scientific studies about pesticides and nutritional values and taking those findings seriously regardless of any preconceived ideas he may have had. He states that “many consumers believe that the Organic label means the food has superior nutrition and is safer, especially in regard to pesticide residues. This is not true. Studies have shown no appreciable difference in nutrition between crops grown either organically or conventionally.”
standing by a pond
Steven acknowledges that food labels and organic-funded marketing are creating confusion and preying on the fears of uninformed consumers. They have attempted to create a “super brand.” He mentions that parents, specifically, have been pressured into breaking their budget in order to “protect” their children.
standing beside the goat pen
I have seen first-hand the relief on the faces of friends who are mothers when I tell them, using scientific evidence, that conventional farming methods are completely safe and are actually far more environmentally friendly than organic methods. One friend even said “Oh I’m so relieved! When you started talking about food safety, I thought you were going to give me one more thing I should feel guilty about or avoid.”
standing in a horse barn
Referring to several scientific studies, Steven recognizes that the safety and sustainability of conventionally grown foods have been proven time and again. Scientists around the globe have agreed, international food and health organizations have endorsed these findings, and environmentalists from numerous countries have observed these advancements.
standing in a truck full of harvested rice
Yet, the money funding the false marketing is allowing the fear and confusion to continue. This courageous author confidently stands firm in the midst of a national conversation swirling with mis-information. I respect his fortitude and have come to the same conclusion. I encourage you to read Steven's article for yourself and let me know what comes to mind.
I remember asking my mom and dad a million questions as a kid. I guess I was trying, at an early age, to develop the art of asking questions.
me in the kitchen cooking with my mom
While I helped my mom in the kitchen, I asked “Why do you have to chop the onions up so small?” She would answer, “Because the boys don’t like a lot of onions and chopping them smaller will give the flavor without having big chunks of onions in the meatloaf.”
my daughter in a field of mature cotton
As I looked out the window of my dad’s truck and saw different crops growing throughout the countryside, I asked “How can you tell the difference between beans and cotton?” He answered “Soy bean plants are usually smaller and the leaves are shiny green. Cotton plants are bigger and the leaves are dull green."
I loved that they both validated my questions by giving me honest, mature answers - even if that led to more questions from me. I felt smart and encouraged when they responded with “That’s a really good question.” or “You ask good questions. That’s the way you learn.”
my son in an empty train car that is waiting to be loaded with cotton seed
I also remember feeling perfectly settled if the answer was a sincere “I don’t know.” I would ask my dad things like, “What’s in the boxcar and where is it going?” With curiosity that equaled mine, he would reply, “Hmmm. I don’t really know…. maybe there’s cotton seed in there and they are taking it to a cattle farm in Kansas. Or maybe there are peanuts in there and they are taking them to the Planter’s processing plant in Pine Bluff.”
I felt a sense of comfort and relief knowing that my dad didn’t have all the answers and it was ok for me not to have the answers to some questions as well.
my boys observing and questioning
I love when my kids ask me questions now. I can see the gears in their minds turning, trying to figure out the world around them and how they best function in it.
my daughter exploring the farm
With many answers at our fingertips today, we can explore and learn together. However, some questions still don’t have answers and that’s ok too. But let’s keep asking and perfecting the art of asking questions....
(Reader Warning: snakes are creepy)
We just never know what we are going to find when we visit the farm. This day was going to be different for sure. Southeast Arkansas was drenched with flooding rains through most of the week before we arrived. Because we knew the fields were going to be under water, my nephew, Abel, took us out in a boat so we could explore.
What we didn't know was how many snakes we would see. So many.... Most were laying on branches in the sun over the water which is their annual mating ritual. We found a couple on the ground. I almost stepped on one.
Abel caught a grass snake as a pet for the kids. They named him Roji. He made the trip back to Dallas but only lasted about 48 hours in our back yard before he escaped. My daughter said “He’ll probably be happier without us.” Wise girl.
Once we were over our shock of seeing all the snakes, we began to explore the flooded fields. I had hoped to meet Matt Miles, the farmer who will be growing cotton here this year, in the field and "introduce" you to him on video. However, like many plans in agriculture, the weather forced us to delay. We shelved that idea and decided to enjoy the adventure in another way.
My kids running through the flooded cotton field. It's hard to imagine anything will be growing here in a few weeks.
There's never a dull moment at the farm! We'll be following this field through the growing season.
Thankfully, Matt hadn't planted before the water came. If the rains would have come a few weeks later, Matt would have had a disastrous loss from the money he spent on seed, fertilizer and fuel for planting. He would have had to start all over again. Courageous men around the country take risks like this every day to insure Americans have a continual supply of food and ag products in our market.
The Grain Dryer
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As you probably know, farming schedules follow the seasons. Some seasons are seasons of harvest while others are seasons of rest. My dad has always said that farming is a lifestyle. When we were young, that lifestyle included vacation schedules that were opposite of what many other people follow.
Instead of Summer vacations, we went on adventures during the winter when the farmland was resting. I remember my parents planning fun trips to the beach and Disney World and Colorado for skiing around our Christmas breaks at school. It was always special to get to skip out on a few of the last days of the semester to get to travel with my family.
We only took a week off, but the land needs to rest for several months. This is what rice land looks like during the winter while the cold weather helps break down the previous year's crop residue. We can’t see anything happening in these rice fields, but underneath it’s going through the necessary healing process. The land gets a whole season to be still and produce nothing.
In fact, the rice fields shown in these pictures are actually receiving instead of giving like they do during the growing season. The thousands of ducks and geese that migrated here for the winter have replenished the nutrients in the soil that it generously gave to last year’s crop while enjoying the rice that fell on the ground during harvest.
It’s getting ready to repeat the next stage in the natural cycle. Even though we can’t see what’s going on under the rich soil, potential is building.
While the farmer may have the opportunity during the winter months to take his family on vacation, he doesn’t have several months to rest like the land. This is the time to plan for next year. Many questions are swirling around in his mind.
Which variety of rice will produce the highest yield with the least amount of cost input? How can he recycle the water more effectively to avoid paying a higher electric bill for pumping and preserve the environment? What if he tries alternating the water levels to avoid stagnant water and reduce greenhouse gases?
Spring is just around the corner, and both the rice land and the rice farmer will be ready. He will have crunched his numbers, secured his funding and refurbished his equipment.
The land will have healed by receiving valuable nutrients from the waterfowl that had the privilege of a place to spend the winter. Agriculture is full of symbiotic relationships. This is another great example of the partnerships that are mutually beneficial and will bring them right back here next year.
