Learn about the History of Rice

[Music playing] Narrator: The history of rice cultivation spends 3,000 years and most of the world’s civilizations. Today rice is growing on every continent except in Arctica, yet nowhere is a crowned like it is in California Sacramento Valley. Historically, these lands were considered unsuitable for most for most crops. The land was dried except in years of flooding and the clay soil hard to work with. But rice production change all that in early 1900, where it was found that the water retaining soil and the long sunny growing season were perfect for rice production. Rice is planted from in the spring and harvested in the fall. In Winter, the rice field are flooded, making a winter home from migrating water fall and other wildlife were allowing for rice straw decomposition. Jack M. Payne, Ducks Unlimited To be really appreciate why it was important for the rice industry Ducks Unlimited to come together, you first -- you need to understand how are our country has manage it is wildlife in the past and continues to do now, and that is one mainly of acquisition of land, and the restoration that land the habitat, and this become national wildlife refugees, state wildlife refugees, national seashores, etcetera, and they are all wonderful. They are diamonds on the landscape but the cause today of acquiring land and restoring it to what we used to have is prohibited. So, a lot of these have come to appreciate the fact that if wildlife is to have future in this country is in the hands of farmers and ranchers. Rice farmers have the problem with straw after they harvest the rice every year. Unlike other grain crops, rice straws is real high in cellulous and it is very difficult to decompose. And they grow rice in the same field year after year after year. So high in silica so they cannot hay it from farther from animals. There is lot of different ways to get rid the straw. We saw an opportunity to work with farmers with the method that they only decomposes the rice straw and solves the economic problem for the farmers, but helps to restore the pacific flyway, providing a season wetlands which helps the resource. Historically in California, we had between four and five millions acres of wetlands and unfortunately today, we have lost 94% of those wetlands. But what is nice about rice fields, there are 600,000 acres of rice fields in Sacramento Valley. So in working with agriculture, we can provide temporary wetland or seasonal wetlands of the time of the year, the winter time and the birds are here and need that habitat. [Music playing] Narrator: Brown rice is unmelt with the whole removed. It retains the brown layer which gives it a nutty flavor and allows the grain to retain more of the vitamins, minerals and fiber. White rice is brown rice that is melt removed the other brown layers? It is the most common form consumed around the world. It has a cleaner flavor, a lighter bite and complements more types of food. [Music playing] Narrator: Most people could dramatically improve their diet by eating more grains like more rice. Rice is a healthy food, part of a complete diet. Rich in essential minerals, vitamins and amino acids, rice has only a trace of fats, an experiment show that it may help lower cholesterol in the blood. This might explain why Americans have double their consumption of rice in just over a decade. [Music playing] Narrator: Rice is natures abandoned gift, a healthy whole food. It sustains more than half the world’s population and is friendly to the environment.