Latest / Ducks Unlimited Podcast / Rice Stewardship: How Farmers and Conservation Work Together (Ep 813)

Transcript

Rice Stewardship: How Farmers and Conservation Work Together (Ep 813) · Ducks Unlimited Podcast

• 0:00
  Jerad Henson: Hey, everybody. Welcome to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast. I'm doctor Jerad Henson, and I'm gonna be your host today. I'm excited about today's episode. It's gonna be the first of, like, a three episode miniseries that we're gonna do focused on our ag programs.
• 0:16
  We do a lot of work in the ag space now, and I'm really excited because as I introduced our guest today, I actually can introduce people who are agronomists and biological specialists that are specifically focused on ag practices, and that has not always been the case. So I'm really excited about bringing that side of the story today. And for our first episode in this, we're gonna jump into probably the ag practice that we've been most involved with for the longest, and that would be with our rice programs. And so to do that, I have three great guests from all over the country. That's the exciting part.
• 0:55
  I've got Misty Adams. She's an agronomist from our Southern region, and she works out of our Jonesboro office in Arkansas. Misty, thanks for being here.
• 1:02
  Misty Adams: Thank you for having me.
• 1:05
  Jerad Henson: I have Kyle Soileau. He's a regional biologist for our Southern region also off kind of out of our Gulf Gulf Coast region. And then I also have Regina Stafford. She's a biological specialist out of our Western region. So Kyle and Regina, thank you all for being here too.
• 1:25
  Kyle Soileau: Thank you for having us.
• 1:28
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. So as we talk through this episode, like, one of the things that I'm most excited about is to kinda hear the differences between the programs, but then also the similarities. And we've been in this rice space for a long time. Rice is a super important landscape for waterfowl, especially on the wintering side of that. But out west, I know Regina, it's also pretty important in some local waterfowl population.
• 1:54
  Ain't that correct?
• 2:00
  Regina Stafford: Full breeding. Mallards specifically really depend on it.
• 2:04
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. So kind of a unique aspect in that. It's one of the big differences just from the from the get go there. But I think when people think about Rice and Ducks Unlimited, one of the first thing that comes to mind now is our rice stewardship program. So, Misty, do you, Kyle, Regina, would one of y'all like to jump in and kinda give an overview of that program?
• 2:27
  Kyle Soileau: Sure. I can I can give an overview real quick? You know, the our rice stewardship program started around 2013 as a partnership between Ducks Unlimited and USA Rice Federation, you know, a trade association for rice. And, you know, we had we had common goals, you know, overlapping and to strengthen the rice industry and ensure these, you know, working wetlands continue to provide the important habitat that benefits waterfowl and and other wildlife. You know, our our big three goals are, you know, improving water quality, irrigation efficiency, and of course, with with Ducks Unlimited, our number one is increasing wildlife habitat.
• 3:11
  You know? So so the partnership we built, you know, everyone working together, you know, benefits both rice agriculture and waterfowl.
• 3:22
  Jerad Henson: And that's really important because I think one of the things that when Ryan and I were talking about this from Five Oaks, we did a a podcast earlier, you all wanna go back and check that out, on kind of rice and duck management. So waterfowl management specifically in rice habitats for ducks and for duck season kind of ideas. And there's been a couple papers come out recently showing the importance of rice agriculture in continental duck populations and productivity. And so that in itself shows how important this this commodity crop is to ducks in general and and to wildlife in general. It's not just ducks, shorebirds, and others.
• 4:03
  Other species really really thrive in these habitats, and part of it's due to the the grain itself, part of it's due to the infrastructure associated with it that holds water. So do y'all mind kind of I'm gonna bounce this around a little bit, and can you speak a little bit starting off to kind of the importance of rice in your region to wildlife? So Missy, I'm gonna I'm gonna throw it at you first. You're right here across the river since we're recording this in Memphis. So Missy, like like, when you think ducks and rice, like, what's what's kind of the thing that comes to mind there?
• 4:43
  Misty Adams: Well, when I think ducks and rice, you know, I think of the food, shelter, and water that's provided for the ducks. A lot of people don't think about, though, what a farmer does on his field, how that will impact the waterfowl as well. Yeah. So that's a lot of what I think about, and that's a lot of what we do is helping do conservation practices on their fields. It's not only good for the farmers, but it's also good for the waterfowl.
• 5:07
  Jerad Henson: Right. Right. And that differs a little bit up in the the Northern MAV where you're kinda looking at versus some of the habitats that, Kyle, you're working with.
• 5:19
  Kyle Soileau: Right. You know, we're catching well, after after rice is harvested, you know, the, you know, the whenever we close the close our our cuts and catch rainwater, we're catching, you know, the early migrations of blue winged teal, shorebirds, and, you know, we're holding winter water till, in most places, till late spring. And as a matter of fact, a lot of times, we're catching birds heading back north to the breeding grounds. Now what makes South Louisiana a bit unique compared to, you know, what what Misty deals with in Arkansas and what Regina deals with in California is probably 90% of the rice we deal with is in a rice crawfish rotation to where they will have water, you know, held over winter till probably May or June the following year. You know, now is is crawfish, you know, the perfect habitat?
• 6:20
  No. But it's a little deep, but it's better than dry fields, you know, as far as waterfowl habitat.
• 6:29
  Jerad Henson: No doubt. No doubt. And then, Regina, do you mind kinda talking a little bit about kind of the importance of that rice agriculture to to wildlife in in the Western region?
• 6:43
  Regina Stafford: One of the one of the things that always stands out to me is, especially when I go to workshops or kinda present on this topic sometimes is people don't really realize rice production is in The United States. I think, you know, you you go out sushi and you enjoy it, but you don't really think about rice as a as a farmed commodity. And so, you know, those are kinda hit on some numbers. There's like I and you guys can correct me if I'm wrong on this, but this is my spiel. I always say there's about 3,000,000 acres, give or take, of rice grown in The United States every year.
• 7:26
  California isn't the biggest. Misty takes sap there in Arkansas, but we farm about 500,000 acres of rice here in California. And, you know, stereotypically, a lot of people think, oh, California's beaches and the ocean and all that. But, really, the northern part of the Sacramento Valley is a mecca for rice production. And 500,000 acres has kind of been set as a threshold for production.
• 7:59
  Jerad, you had mentioned kinda like these studies that are coming out nowadays about the, you know, the actual amount of of rice that's needed to produce and maintain some of these habitats for not just waterfowl, but all sorts of dependent wildlife species. And so, you know, we're looking at a a report that came out. They call it the California Rice Footprint Report, Point Blue Conservation Science, UC Davis, and California Rice Commission as to say, like, what is the threshold for a variety of species? And it shows that about 475,000 to 500,000 acres of rice is needed to withstand populations in California. And that's because, like, seven I think seven to 8,000,000 ducks and geese use our flooded rice fields.
• 8:58
  That's kinda like the estimated number that comes through the Sacramento Valley, which is the heart of the Pacific Byway. So it's it's vital, really. You know? We're not just talking about, oh, it's it's needed, and it's a working landscape, and we're dabbling and, like, helping these farmers. It's actually, you know, in our in our in our out here, it's vital to upstanding these populations and maintain.
• 9:26
  Kyle Soileau: Yeah. And, Jerad, since we're since we're discussing acres, you know, this this I'm sorry, guys. Before I move on, I need to stop recording and change a setting.
• 9:36
  Jerad Henson: That's the good thing about doing this. Not live.
• 9:39
  Kyle Soileau: Yeah. It's okay.
• 9:40
  Jerad Henson: You're just giving Chris more work to do. Alright.
• 9:46
  Kyle Soileau: Let's pick it up from the last thing she said. Yeah. I don't know if Kyle wants to do that.
• 9:53
  Jerad Henson: Kyle, you can jump back in while you're, I guess, speaking about acres or something.
• 9:57
  Kyle Soileau: Right. Okay. If y'all can hear me. Yep. I was saying okay.
• 10:02
  2026 is a tough year for Rice. You know, our rice acres along the Gulf Coast, Louisiana this year has around 400,000 acres, down from 480,000 last year, so we're down almost 20%. And Texas Gulf Coast is about a 110,000 acres this year compared to normally one forty five to one fifty. So they're down, you know, 25%. So this has not been the best year for rice agriculture.
• 10:34
  Misty Adams: Yeah. I can add to that.
• 10:35
  Jerad Henson: Arkansas can echo that. Yeah.
• 10:36
  Misty Adams: Go ahead. We're usually sitting over a little bit 1,000,000 acres of rice, and we're down to I think it's roughly between seven and eight hundred thousand this year.
• 10:46
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. Yeah. And at peak, Arkansas is generally, like, 1.4, 1,500,000 acres. So, I mean, that's a big hit there from from our highest. And what's driving that drop?
• 11:00
  Misty Adams: A lot of it is input costs.
• 11:02
  Jerad Henson: And yeah. So, yeah, input cost Right.
• 11:04
  Kyle Soileau: Right. Market prices. Yep.
• 11:07
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. That's the driver. And that's what I just wanted to acknowledge that and show say that it's not necessarily a water issue per se. It's it's it's the whole system and and then the the commodity price coming out the back end with with input costs coming up and the commodity price not going up Yeah. To keep up.
• 11:23
  That makes it makes a tough business strategy for a farmer. So
• 11:27
  Kyle Soileau: Brad, I was sitting with a with a farmer yesterday or or rather Friday, and, you know, we're talking input costs. And what he was saying is, you know, his breakeven for his crop this year is 68 barrels. You know, just to break even with with input costs.
• 11:47
  Jerad Henson: Wow. That's Wow. That's wild. And and, you know, you think about that. I mean, that shows the importance of programs like ours.
• 11:56
  Right? These incentive based programs to try and help farmers that, I mean, pay them to do good. That helps even better. Right? And so it makes them even more enticing.
• 12:07
  So you mentioned, Kyle, you give a great overview of kind of the rice stewardship programs, but what types of assistance specifically are farmers getting? If a producer comes out to y'all and they wanna enroll in one of our rice stewardship programs or something like that, what types of services do we do we offer?
• 12:28
  Misty Adams: So we have different grants that they can sign up for.
• 12:31
  Jerad Henson: Okay.
• 12:33
  Misty Adams: And then so right now, we're, you know, we're working on our advanced markets for producers grant. Through that program, they can work on nutrient management, pest management, irrigation water management. They can also sign up to get devices for their irrigation such as water level sensors, pump automation. Those types of things, do help in decreasing your water usage. So you're decreasing electric usage, and you're lowering some of those costs.
• 13:04
  Jerad Henson: That's awesome. I mean and that's something I've seen some really impressive farms in the Arkansas Delta that that had some of those cool technologies. And it was like, it it really changed the way they manage water on their farm. They weren't running to catch surface water. They could do it from one guy I talked to, I think he could open his tiles from his couch.
• 13:28
  Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. That was kind of cool, like, oh, no. I'm gonna catch surface water on this ditch because sensor just told me that it's up and I'm gonna open a pipe from here and I don't have to.
• 13:36
  Misty Adams: I mean, it'll automatically go to the app on their phone and Yeah. They can be like, oh, I can it's time to turn it off and just turn it off
• 13:42
  Jerad Henson: and And turn it back the programs pay for for those water incentives.
• 13:46
  Kyle Soileau: Mhmm.
• 13:48
  Jerad Henson: And, Kyle, what were you gonna add there?
• 13:50
  Kyle Soileau: Well, besides our advancing market for producers, you know, like Misty mentioned, well, with with our AMP project, in Louisiana right now, we have just over 50,000 acres under contract, and in Texas, about 25,000 acres. But besides that program, you know, in in South Louisiana, we stay fairly busy. We also have our NERD program, which is our natural resource damage assessment project. We have about 13,000 acres under contract, and it's a nutrient reduction program on a watershed basis in Southwest Louisiana. You know, and some of big practices are nutrient and pest management, irrigation land leveling, and of course, all our projects, you know, shallow water development and winter water holding.
• 14:42
  Now we also have our Conjunctive Water, RCPP, which is a three state project, you know, converting groundwater irrigation to surface water irrigation, you know, less pressure on the underground aquifers.
• 14:59
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. I think misty And
• 15:00
  Kyle Soileau: that's that saves a whole lot of money
• 15:02
  Jerad Henson: Oh, yeah.
• 15:03
  Kyle Soileau: Whenever you're going from, you know, pulling water from a 110 feet in the ground and comparing it to, you know, a bayou pump where, you know, you might be pulling it 10 feet, you can have a reduction of about reduction in cost of about 70% for irrigation. Works really well.
• 15:24
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. I've seen a big surplus in that. I'm excited to see kind of that that infrastructure go in. And, yeah, somebody was telling me a little bit about that, and it was amazing. Like, you you're pumping a 150, a 110.
• 15:35
  There's areas in Arkansas I know now are even going to 200 foot. Yeah. And that starts to become cost preventative for the crop when you have to start pumping from that. So really cool to see that kind of support for producers that they can get some assistance to try and develop surface water strategies and and pumps. Regina, what what kind of programs are are, like, the focus for our Western Region?
• 16:06
  Regina Stafford: I would say similar. The AMP or Advancing Markets for Producers grant has really kind of kicked kicked off the West Coast side of the Rice Stewardship Partnership. You know, over those thirteen years that it's been in existence, there's been a few projects, but I wouldn't say that Dedue is actually the lead on a lot of those over, you know, historically. This has really been the first one where we're making a presence out here in California. There's, you know, a ton of collaborative partnerships out here on the West Coast that's working in California rice country.
• 16:49
  We are a little bit different in the fact that we have a powerhouse in our own California rice commission who really kinda takes the lead on a lot of these wildlife programs, and then we get to just kinda pay play a role in those. So with me coming on board, you know, I've only been with DU for two years, and that's because of this AMP funding that came through for us to to really get out on the landscape out here in California. And, it's been fun because I get to work with people like Misty and Kyle who've been a part of the Rise Stewardship team in their own states for a long time, and they've seen it all in their great mentors to somebody who's kind of, like, trying to, forge my own path out here in California to see where DU can not just, you know, fill spots in, but really kinda make our own way, with producers out here, and the AMP grant has been so great in allowing us to kind of establish ourselves in the ag community out here. So we're doing all those say same things. I would say one of the biggest things, though, is water costs out here and pumping for winter water is can be costly.
• 18:06
  And so that's, you know, nice to see that the AMP project is helping incentivize farmers to utilize water in the you know, at post harvest and hold it for, you know, birds and not just ducks, but all sorts of shorebirds as well to utilize through the wintering months.
• 18:30
  Jerad Henson: Well, that's awesome, and I'm and I'm glad you brought that up. And I'm glad you mentioned that you're kinda newer to to DU, because I completely jumped into this without giving Kyle and Misty and yourself the opportunity to introduce them yourselves a little bit and kinda give your background. So I'm actually wanna go back a little bit and have I'll start with Misty. How long have you been with DU and what brought you to DU and kind of what's your primary focus?
• 18:52
  Misty Adams: Yeah. So I've been with DU for six years now. I started right when COVID hit really hard and everything started shutting down. I had worked with NRCS previously. And so I had worked with a lot with the RSP team that was in place then.
• 19:11
  Jerad Henson: Mhmm.
• 19:11
  Misty Adams: And that's how I kinda come on to this and really can't kinda jumped in there and helped where the offices were having to close for COVID and kinda going out and helping meet their producers and getting things signed for their offices. So it's been a great experience, so I love it.
• 19:26
  Jerad Henson: Awesome. I'm glad to have you on board. And, Kyle, can you give a little background on yourself?
• 19:32
  Kyle Soileau: Sure. I've been with Ducks Unlimited around eleven years, but I've been doing rights conservation for about twenty five years, previously with the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry's Office of Soil and Water Conservation. You know, I was I was a three nineteen project manager in Southwest Louisiana. So, you know, very similar to the work, you know, we do now. You know, basically, I've always considered myself a conservation salesman.
• 20:03
  You know, my goal is to if there's any conservation money available, to get it into the hands of the farmers so conservation can be put on the ground.
• 20:14
  Jerad Henson: And that's awesome. And as we mentioned, that's kind of the thing that's been so rewarding in watching this program and seeing this kinda come to fruition is, again, paying producers to to undertake those conservation actions, voluntary conservation inside those ag programs, and that's that's what we want. We want people to be able to to get paid for making those good decisions, try and help them do that and provide good habitat along the way. And, yeah, it's amazing how far that will carry us right now. Y'all mentioned that rice is going down a little bit as far as, acres this past year.
• 20:51
  Hopefully, that'll come back up as commodities come around. We know those when we talked a little about this already, the importance of rice agriculture for ducks, and I've said this before is I know it's really important not just for food, and I've we mentioned this on our last podcast when I did some rice and waterfowl management is the forage value for rice is quite impressive. Unharvested rice is almost untouchable. It's like 30,000 duck energy days, which is a lot. But harvested rice, combines are efficient.
• 21:28
  So it's about a 140 bushels or a 140 duck energy days behind the combine. But even still, as I mentioned, that infrastructure associated with rice agriculture allows for water to be held on a landscape, and that's something that's that's really important. Kyle, you mentioned the the crawfish rotation, and that holds water. Up here within the MAV, we have a lot of producers that opt for fall tillage, and I think part of our programs kind of help reduce that and put some water on the landscape too. Is that correct?
• 22:06
  Kyle Soileau: Right. We're we're a little different inside Louisiana. You know, North Louisiana is more similar to Arkansas, where a lot of times they'll they'll draw up their levees every year. Down here, you know, we got some levees that were, you know, exterior levees that were pulled up, you know, eighty, ninety years ago, and they're still there. So as far as infrastructure goes, you know, the levees are there, the grade stabilization structures are there.
• 22:38
  So it it makes it fairly simple to you know, for people to hold water for wintering waterfowl.
• 22:48
  Misty Adams: Yeah. It really does make for the perfect environment to do that. Everything's already in place. So, really, you know, we're we don't really ask them either to put water on the field per se. You know, we just want them to capture that rainwater
• 23:02
  Jerad Henson: Yeah.
• 23:02
  Misty Adams: That falls through the winter.
• 23:03
  Jerad Henson: Yep. Hold some habitat there.
• 23:06
  Kyle Soileau: Right. At at at diesel at around $5 a gallon right now, and it makes it rather difficult to ask somebody to to pump water
• 23:13
  Jerad Henson: No doubt.
• 23:14
  Kyle Soileau: Over the fields. But at least, you know, down here where we usually get at least 60 to 65 inches of rain a year, you know, winter tends to be our wet season, and so it makes it real easy catching winter water.
• 23:31
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. You got me just dreaming about winter right now. It's hot here.
• 23:34
  Misty Adams: Hope we have rain this winter. We haven't had any rain.
• 23:37
  Jerad Henson: It's been dry up here, and and hot. I think we're we're, you know, mid September as we're filming this, and it's still a 100 degrees outside. So
• 23:47
  Kyle Soileau: And I remember the good old days where the temperature, even, you know, three or 4AM would drop below 80 degrees. Yeah. Yeah. I'm I'm tired of walking outside at 04:00 in the morning, and it's seventy eight, seventy nine degrees.
• 24:00
  Misty Adams: Yeah. Yeah.
• 24:02
  Kyle Soileau: Yeah. It'll it'll be gumbo weather soon.
• 24:05
  Jerad Henson: We're we're looking forward to it too.
• 24:07
  Misty Adams: No doubt. Crossed.
• 24:10
  Jerad Henson: So can y'all talk me through a little bit of I get we've kinda hit on a little bit and and some of the perspectives to growers, like and producers. When y'all are talking with a producer about our programs and incentives we offer, Kinda how does that conversation go? What are the points that you're trying to get across to them when you'll have those conversations?
• 24:31
  Misty Adams: So really, it's what do they want? What are you what are they looking for? And how can we help you make that better? Because a lot of these practices are practices they already do, you know, a lot of these management ones. So, you know, like nutrient management and pest management, you know, most of them have scouts.
• 24:52
  Some of them are pulling the soil test. It's just about making sure we follow through with those, you know, those guides and using just what we need on the fields. And then do they have a field land level? Has it ever been? Do they need that kind of assistance?
• 25:08
  What can we do to help make your irrigation more efficient here? You know, are there tools that needed to be in place? Do you need more pipeline? Things like that.
• 25:16
  Jerad Henson: And all those are different programs that DU can help support. Right?
• 25:19
  Misty Adams: Yes.
• 25:19
  Jerad Henson: So everything from land leveling to to pipes, still infrastructure. Yeah.
• 25:25
  Misty Adams: According to the program we have at the moment. Yeah.
• 25:28
  Jerad Henson: Right. And the program shifts every few years.
• 25:30
  Misty Adams: It does.
• 25:30
  Jerad Henson: It does.
• 25:31
  Misty Adams: You know, even reservoirs then
• 25:32
  Jerad Henson: Yeah.
• 25:33
  Misty Adams: Like Kyle was saying, you know, the surface water, you know, how can we utilize surface water around you to help your irrigation?
• 25:41
  Jerad Henson: Oh, that's awesome. Regina, out west, do y'all have some benefits for, like, that water conveyance type infrastructure?
• 25:52
  Regina Stafford: We do. I mean, in this program that we're currently, you know, utilizing, we we do have a few a few projects that will be doing some infrastructure upgrade work at land leveling as well and just kind of getting it fine tuned. And that's you know, I wish that could be more widespread out here because, most of California rice is depending on where it's farmed, we rely mainly on surface water irrigation. We have two main systems, Shasta Dam up north up north of, like, Reading area, and then we also have Orville. So these reservoirs are kind of the bread and butter for water conveyance and and, you know, all the different water districts that are within those reservoir maps or land landscapes.
• 26:51
  So most of the infrastructure, I would say, is is good, but it's those ones that, you know, are really trying to fine tune what they're doing and how much water they're, you know, needing to grow rice. And that's kinda what I've felt has been some of the coolest stuff. I mean, it's still early. This is our first growing season that we've been really, you know, implementing some of these incentive incentive based practices out here. But it's it's just neat to see how these farmers want to work together in a sense and learn from each other to better their operations.
• 27:32
  And some, you know, have have already fine tuned some of that, and others are just kind of, like, going by what's always been done, and it's really been interesting to see how much idea shares are gonna be coming from this project in itself. So, you know, I mean, everything from water sensors out on the landscape, not everybody out here, not all the growers that I contracted with out here opted in to water sensors, but those that did are really into sharing what they're doing and that data that they're pulling from these, you know, really high-tech sensors that they have out there. And that's, you know, exciting to see, and and it's exciting for, like, someone like me whose mind's constantly working, like, what's next? What comes after this? Is how can we keep this going to be as efficient with our water use as we possibly can out here?
• 28:28
  Jerad Henson: And that seems to be a problem that's that's moving across the country now. I mean, water tends to be a little more, you know, restricted in areas where once we thought it was unlimited. And that that comes from someone who lives in I I live in the Delta, Arkansas Delta as well, and rice is becoming a little harder to grow where we're at just because of how far they're having to to drill to to pump water now. So interesting to hear that over there and see how that works in an area that's quite water stressed and strained and and and know that those technologies and the lessons we're learning out West are are gonna come in handy in the future. I think one of the thing
• 29:13
  Regina Stafford: I think that's kinda something that stands out too, Jerad, about California rice is a lot of the rice that's in production out here is in soils that really kind of the best thing it can do is grow rice, you know, really clay based soils and and you're we don't really see the the rotations of different commodities or different crops being grown in our rice ground out here because pretty much that's all that can be grown on it. You know, we have a little a few different different differences as well with our post harvest management practices where we're not allowed to burn, like we used to. I mean, that's been decades ago now, but state mandates said, you know, like, no more burning for decomp purposes. Only in some, you know, special cases can a percentage of the ground be burned for disease resistance needs, but that's it. I mean, like, decomp water is is kind of one of the best management tools we have out here to get that rice straw decomposed and and those fields ready for the next season.
• 30:25
  So but it's costly.
• 30:27
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. Yeah. Well, and that's really interesting because Misty and I were talking about this earlier. We've hit that time of the delta where where the sky's on fire. The there's smoke everywhere because farmers are burning off off stubble.
• 30:41
  But for the listener out there that's not a producer, not as familiar with with rice agriculture, can y'all take me through kind of some post harvest, procedures? Like, what happens post harvest in an ag field or rice ag field?
• 31:00
  Misty Adams: So I can take I can cover my area. So, it really there's just a couple of different things that they may do. They may go and roll the field and leave it at that. Someone may just roll strips and leave stubble up for the waterfowl in the winter. We have a lot of burning as you just said.
• 31:19
  So which is fine, and that's also very beneficial for the ducks. So they can burn the fields, and that's fine as well.
• 31:27
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. And from a burn standpoint, yeah, there's there's there's some positives and negatives associated with that. But from a forage value, if you burn it, you kill you toast the germ and most of the seeds, so you you cut down on re sprout rate rates. And so that can be beneficial for for leaving waste grain in the field, especially if it was cut really early like most everything is these days. Yeah.
• 31:49
  Kyle, does it look similar down there where you're at?
• 31:53
  Kyle Soileau: Well, we don't burn down here. All residue is left in the field, you know, and you flood up for crawfish.
• 31:59
  Jerad Henson: For crawfish. Yeah. Okay.
• 32:01
  Kyle Soileau: Right. So, you know, I'll I'll be honest with you. Haven't seen someone burn a a rice field since probably I was a kid.
• 32:09
  Misty Adams: Well, come up here and visit me, Kyle. You
• 32:13
  Kyle Soileau: know? So, you know, like I said earlier, you know, inside Louisiana, probably 90% of the people we work with Good. Are are in, you know, rice crawfish rotations. You know, with the with the economics of rice, you know, crawfish is is how they survive. You know, we have a couple of the the larger landowners that's, you know, more all about waterfowl hunting, so they want to do crawfish and rat.
• 32:40
  You know? And, you know, if you we go a little bit further north from where we're at, you know, we'll see, you know, soybeans, but in in the off year, but still with soybeans. You know, we'll still get them to close their their water control structures, you know, after the rice harvest, and that also helps with wheat suppression. And then they'll drain it, you know, into February and get and get ready for soybean planting in April.
• 33:09
  Jerad Henson: And and so on that, you hit you hit on a a point there that I kinda wanted to talk about is talking about some some agricultural benefits of winter flooding. So I've heard a couple things from residue management. I've heard forage value for for ducks, obviously, but but also pest management in there as well. Are there any other agricultural benefits of winter flooding for rice?
• 33:36
  Misty Adams: So it also leaves some more organic matter in the field as well, having the ducks in there.
• 33:42
  Kyle Soileau: Absolutely. Benefits all health.
• 33:44
  Jerad Henson: Yeah. I'm just thinking from a producer standpoint, what's the benefit to to leave water other than having ducks on your field? And because as much as I wish all producers that was the driving factor, it's not always. Right? They're making a business decision at the same time.
• 33:58
  So so those are the really good points. I really wanted to point that out that that there are agricultural benefits to winter flooding in those areas. Trying to go through some of this stuff. We've talked a lot about kind of the program itself and high level. Are there any successes of this program that are not measured in acres?
• 34:32
  Kyle Soileau: Oh, I like to touch on that. One of my favorite things we do is water quality monitoring. You know, rice rice fields are a giant filter strip. So basically, whenever you take really muddy turbid surface water, pump it on on rice to irrigate, and then, you know, ten, eleven weeks later, whenever they release it prior to harvest, you know and and we've I've been doing this for years even before I came to to Ducks Unlimited. You know, pulling water samples, checking for total suspended solids and turbidity along with nitrate, nitrite, and phosphorus, and then compare that to the cleaner water whenever it's released prior to harvest, and we're looking at at about a 75 to 80% reduction in suspended solids and turbidity.
• 35:26
  So, you know, the more ice on the landscape as compared to to other commodities, the cleaner the the surface water.
• 35:34
  Jerad Henson: That's awesome. And I and I actually I think I use a picture of that in some of the presentations I give when I talk about DUs practices to to different groups. And I think it's the only commodity crop that water leaving the field is cleaner than water entering the field, from what I understand. Giant wetland. It's it's kinda amazing what happens there.
• 36:01
  So there's there's water benefits. There's also some other stuff too that that we've kinda hit on in passing. It holds water on the landscape, which also prevents runoff as fast. So you get some flood benefits and and things like that too that are really neat with with rice agriculture. How do you could y'all speak a little bit?
• 36:24
  We talked a lot about the wildlife benefits. How does does DU and and USA Rice actually measure the the wildlife benefit of rice stewardship to to wintering ducks? Like, what is it? How exactly is that measured? Is it through duck energy days?
• 36:43
  Is it
• 36:45
  Misty Adams: Well, so currently through our ant program, we're doing a lot of data collection through that.
• 36:50
  Jerad Henson: Okay.
• 36:50
  Misty Adams: So, we're gonna collect all the data on the fields. Anything that they've done to the field, put on the field Mhmm. Will all be collected. And so with that one, originally so the primary focus was the greenhouse emissions. Mhmm.
• 37:04
  And so looking at reducing those. So we'll be collecting all that kind of data every year throughout the contract and kinda see them beginning and ending.
• 37:12
  Jerad Henson: That's it. Yeah. That's awesome. And those are the so the greenhouse emission looking at carbon stuff, and and I know that I've I've talked to a couple people that have gotten rice programs recently that are actually in carbon programs, some avoided emission carbon stuff. And I know that the the AMP program at one point had a very strong carbon focus and it switched more now to that water focus front.
• 37:40
  So that's really interesting to talk about all those different benefits that are not just wildlife.
• 37:47
  Misty Adams: Yeah. And so how we're looking at reducing that too is there's two different practices that they can sign up for and that would be alternate wetting and drying or row rice. Mhmm. The alternate wetting and drying is just letting it dry down to that mud, that first dry down that they put on there. They put their water on, and that first time they started letting the water down, they're gonna let it get to that wet gunky mud and kinda let that soil just kinda breathe a little bit and then put that water back on.
• 38:14
  Jerad Henson: And that's preventing the the methane flux. Right? Yeah. So that's really fascinating. I always enjoy kinda listening to rice because rice is so much different than than rice agriculture type stuff because it's so much different than than say corn or or soybeans or something that most people around those areas would be as familiar with.
• 38:40
  So I guess one of the next things wanna go back into some of those those grower perspectives and spotlight areas that we talked about. We can cut this part out later. So when y'all are talking with growers, what is the main thing what's the biggest hook? What's the thing that most people find the most beneficial? What is it that generally catches them first?
• 39:08
  And I imagine that's gonna vary a little bit by region. Region. So
• 39:14
  Kyle Soileau: Right. With with down here, it's mainly, you know, the conservation dollars.
• 39:19
  Jerad Henson: Okay.
• 39:19
  Kyle Soileau: You know, where people just trying to be as efficient as possible, you know, they wanna know where their next bill how their next bill will get paid. And if, you know, we can kind of point them in the right direction, get them some extra money, that's that's what they're all about over here.
• 39:39
  Misty Adams: I would say for sure right now, that's that's the big incentive because they need all they can get right now to kinda help them keep going, and we wanna help them. We wanna make sure we keep our eyeshackers on the ground, so
• 39:51
  Regina Stafford: Yes. And I we see that out here too. I mean, it it helps. Money talks. Right?
• 39:57
  So but I would say that a lot of the growers I work with have a general have like an interest in conservation. They they want to do good for the land. They want to, you know, be they're business minded, and they wanna be as efficient with all aspects of their business as they can and and and also giving back. And and conservation work, you know, does pay, but it also you know, in my in my point of from my point of view, I think that a lot of the conservation incentives are also mediating potential risk because we are asking them to try something new, in some cases. And so, you know, that money is not just, you know, icing on the cake.
• 40:46
  It's not just the cherry on top. It's actually mitigating, in some of cases, some risk that they could potentially see from a change in their normal practices. Or if we're asking them to do something a little bit different, there could potentially be some risk there. So, you know, I wouldn't say that it's always just like, woo hoo. I'm getting this paycheck because I'm doing this.
• 41:08
  It's it is a general interest and actually being more efficient and conservation minded, and I think that just stems from the fact that farmers really are the best plant managers, and and they're doing what they can for all aspects of being from a sustainability standpoint or mindset is, you know, it takes all the different, you know, legs of the stool to keep a business upright in terms of sustainability and conservation comes into play there big time.
• 41:40
  Kyle Soileau: Absolutely. You know, farmers farmers are the ultimate conservationist. You know, I've never met a farmer who didn't wanna to leave his farm in better shape, you know, for for his children to take over.
• 41:56
  Misty Adams: Yeah. And, you know, they sign up to do these practices, but probably 90% or more of the farmers that have been in these programs continue on to with these practices afterwards. And that's what we want. That we want them to keep carrying them on. And, you know, with the winter flooding, I have farmers that I know that aren't any in any programs, and they do it just because they wanna see.
• 42:19
  They wanna drive by the field, and they wanna see the ducks in the field.
• 42:22
  Jerad Henson: That's it. And it's not hard to put boards in a field.
• 42:25
  Misty Adams: Yeah. It's not.
• 42:26
  Jerad Henson: Uh-oh. Yeah. If they're gonna pump something up, that's more of a cost or something there. But if but if you can catch surface water, and that's awesome to still still hear that and feel that. And I I live in an ag community now.
• 42:39
  We've, you know, and and that's one of the things that I love about that is the fact that my community is connected to the land. They are. And they're still they're the ones that hunt, they fish, they grew up on it. You know, they've got stories and their blood, sweat, and tears literally tied up in that dirt. And so it's it's really fun to see that and to see ways that we can help them kind of keep that going.
• 43:02
  And as you mentioned, cut down risk on trying new things, And that's a big part of it because farmers are are risk averse. They're already gambling as it is. If you're fighting with mother nature, that's a tough road. But Yeah. So as we start to kinda wrap this up, I think we've we've hit on all the main topics that I really wanna talk about.
• 43:26
  We we kinda went a little bit all over the place, but I enjoyed the the conversation. It was a lot of fun. So I'm gonna start I've got a couple questions I wanna talk about, but I want each one of you to kind of explain in your own words. Do you use Ag Mission in one sentence?
• 43:45
  Misty Adams: Well, mine would be working with producers to achieve conservation on working lands for waterfowl while maintaining profitability and maximizing the habitat.
• 43:59
  Jerad Henson: That sums it up pretty good. Kyle?
• 44:03
  Kyle Soileau: Well, I guess mine mine would be strengthening the rice industry by making rice growers as efficient as possible to sustain rice on the landscape. You know? Because ducks don't like cement, and they, you know, they don't like don't like sugarcane.
• 44:27
  Regina Stafford: And, I mean, to kind of just follow-up with with these guys, I want you know, it's it's basic and as simple as let's keep farmers in production. Keep farmers farming because the ducks don't like concrete.
• 44:41
  Jerad Henson: No.
• 44:42
  Regina Stafford: So, you know, and rice is a great one, but there are other crops and commodities too that are that are just as great working landscape habitats. And whether we're talking about grasslands and grazing lands, or our rice fields, and and what we specifically do with the Rice Stewardship team, I I think that the main goal is to just keep farmers farming and working landscapes working because that's what's gonna keep habitat on the landscape.
• 45:12
  Jerad Henson: And that's awesome. And that's why we're here is we want to support farmers. We wanna see the rice industry continue on and be successful because it is such an impactful industry for the waterfowl and the the wildlife that we love. I guess the last thing I'm gonna throw up in the air is what does the the future of the the Rice Stewardship Program look like in y'all's eyes? What do y'all see?
• 45:36
  I'm glad it's in your hands. I can say that after these this conversation. Y'all are very excited and passionate about what you do. So what do you think the the next next ten years of the Ratchford program look like?
• 45:51
  Regina Stafford: As as the newbie in the group, no. I I think, you know, DU has a couple standout features as an organization is just that one of the biggest things with working with farmers, and I know Misty and Kyle will probably say this, it's relationship building. And it's a lot easier when you say, oh, I'm with Ducks Unlimited. We just have this historical understand. You know, people just know who Ducks Unlimited is, and we have just this reputation of doing good, and it's easy even from the ag standpoint.
• 46:37
  Maybe not everyone understands that as much as D works in ag, but we have this, like, trusting relationship, already built in. And it's really exciting, I guess, as a new person in this organization just to have that understanding already spelled out for you. So if you're a conservation salesman, as Kyle says, it's it's already built in that, oh, the DU gal is coming to chat with us. And it just makes our job easier because Ducks Unlimited just had such a great reputation. And I do wanna add to you guys, and I don't know if you wanna cut the pesos or put it somewhere else, but one of the cool aspects that we're doing out here in California is rice land easements.
• 47:28
  And I know Texas is dabbling in easements as well a little bit, and it's, you know, nothing new to DU. Obviously, it's permanent easements. But to have it specifically, you know, as we're talking about the future and legacy with some of these farms, for that to be an option depending on how we can leverage funds from and match funds, federal and state to, you know, secure rice production into the future, through permanent easements is is kind of a really cool tool that we're also utilizing out here.
• 48:06
  Jerad Henson: Regina, I'm glad you mentioned that because, Kate Hackett next to my office, would be very upset with me, if I didn't mention that. She's the director of our lands program and our and our conservation easements. People think of that as a lot of times, like, if you put a conservation easement on it, you can't touch it right after that. In fact, that is not the case with most of Ducks Unlimited's conservation easements, and especially our ag based easements. All those easements say is that you're gonna keep that in a productive farm, and you're not gonna turn it into concrete, and you're not gonna turn it into a solar array.
• 48:41
  That's really what it says. Right? You're gonna keep farming across it and keep that habitat there for ag purposes and for wildlife. And so those are definitely a point that that I'm glad you made. I'm glad you brought that up for sure.
• 48:56
  Missy and Kyle, what do y'all think for for the rice stewardship program in the next, say, ten plus years?
• 49:02
  Misty Adams: Well, I hope we're sitting here again talking about even more projects.
• 49:05
  Jerad Henson: I hope so.
• 49:06
  Misty Adams: But, yeah, just keep exploring what grants we have out there and keep getting more money out to the farmers and more incentives, more conservation practices, keep offering that technical assistance to the farmers. But, yeah, I look forward to the future.
• 49:24
  Jerad Henson: Me too. I I am too. Kyle?
• 49:27
  Kyle Soileau: Right. I'd say the the future of rice stewardship is bright. You know, we utilize strong partnerships whether conservation partners like NRCS or rice growers or supply chain, you know, seed fertilizer companies. We all have an unwavering commitment to rice agriculture along the Gulf Coast and the MAZ. So I think it is bright.
• 49:50
  Jerad Henson: And that's awesome. And I'm so glad y'all kinda wrapped up with that because I've been around DU a long time. Because of the Ratchford stewardship program, because of the work that y'all are doing, DU's reputation in that space in the ag industry is better than it's ever been. We went through some rough times a while ago, learned from our mistakes, and and now have wonderful relationships with producers as being a solutions provider in that space and and a true partner on their farm and in their practices. So I'm really excited about the work y'all do every day.
• 50:24
  I'm excited that we could bring this episode to to our listeners and and let them hear about the programs that we offer. Are there any closing statements that y'all wanna make before we step away from this?
• 50:37
  Kyle Soileau: Eat more rice.
• 50:39
  Jerad Henson: There was a bumper sticker out there at one point. I think we should bring those back.
• 50:43
  Kyle Soileau: Absolutely. I have a bumper sticker on the side of my desk. I'm sure the one you're talking about.
• 50:50
  Jerad Henson: Some people will know about that. Some people may not. Y'all could look it up.
• 50:54
  Kyle Soileau: I've been trying to get Louisiana rice growers to to come out because the one I have says Missouri Rice Council.
• 51:01
  Jerad Henson: Yeah.
• 51:01
  Kyle Soileau: It's probably a 25 year old bumper sticker.
• 51:04
  Jerad Henson: That's it. And I will mention too is as we've talked about this in the Rise Stewardship Partner program, it is a partnership. It's USA Rice. It's Ducks Unlimited. There's a lot of other partners that y'all mentioned, so I'm not gonna go through the exhaustive list of that.
• 51:19
  But there is a huge partnership of people working together to to move that.
• 51:24
  Misty Adams: Yeah. We definitely couldn't do what we do without our sponsors, without the partnerships. A 100%.
• 51:30
  Jerad Henson: I definitely wanna acknowledge that. Other closing remarks?
• 51:35
  Regina Stafford: Let's go with the what the stick our sticker said, farmers make it happen. And I just wanna thank all the growers that believe in us and trust us and sign up with us and deal with us on a daily basis.
• 51:54
  Misty Adams: Well, you know, so after our ant project's completed, we'll have touched 1,100,000 acres of rice, and I can't wait to see that number jump even more.
• 52:04
  Jerad Henson: That's awesome. Absolutely awesome. That's an impact right there. So well, Misty, Kyle, Regina, so glad that y'all jumped on today. Thank you for joining the Ducks Unlimited Podcast.
• 52:19
  I've gotta reach out and say a big thank you to all of our listeners. I really appreciate y'all tuning in. Hopefully, you enjoyed this episode. Be listening for a couple more episodes on this. We'll be doing one on grazing and one on soil health.
• 52:32
  And then we always have to thank mister Chris Isaac, the man behind the curtain at at making us all sound great. So thank you for everything you do, and thank you again for tuning in to the Ducks Unlimited Podcast.