The history of rice cultivation spans three thousand years and most of the world's civilizations. This legacy continues in California, where rice growers are taking a leadership role in building alliances with environmental and conservation groups and in developing innovative farming practices that protect the earth. This careful stewardship of the land, air and water will help sustain the environmental quality of the region for generations to come. California rice is grown in a temperate climate characterized by warm, sunny days, cool evenings, and a long growing season. Most water used to produce rice comes from rain and snow which falls in surrounding mountain ranges.
Rice is an extraordinary asset on the environmental balance sheet.
As a green plant, rice naturally pumps oxygen into the atmosphere during photosynthesis. Sacramento Valley rice fields produce enough oxygen each year to sustain the entire population of Los Angeles. Each year one acre of rice biologically scrubs from the atmosphere about 23,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, the same amount produced by a typical automobile in a year. Rice farmers in California have developed a unique water-seeded method of growing rice that promotes vigorous, healthy crops and minimizes weed growth. Farmers plant rice in April and May and harvest it six months later in September and October.