Whether they prefer wind or water, the many species that call Conaway Ranch’s rice fields home are there by design.
“I’ve been farming here for 20 years, and the ownership group here at the Conaway Ranch practiced wildlife-friendly farming for a decade, maybe two decades, before I was even here,” tenant farmer Mike DeWit said. “It’s just been ingrained in this ranch, and if you’re going to be a tenant on the ranch, whether you like it or not, you have to practice wildlife-friendly farming. In a rice situation, it’s not that difficult because rice is so wildlife friendly.”
According to DeWit, 230 species—including fish, birds, reptiles and amphibians, many of which are endangered—benefit from Conaway’s rice operations every year. The decision to practice wildlife-friendly farming at Conaway has turned their 17,000+ acres into a rice farm that looks more like a wildlife refuge.
Who wouldn’t want to have a great commercial operation that has more ducks, more geese, more cranes, more swans? It’s just beautiful. I’m driving out here this morning, looking out at the fields, and it’s glorious. Not just because I see that we’re creating and producing food for the world, but because it’s a place for nature.
KYRIAKOS TSAKOPOULOS — CONAWAY OWNER
The sustainability initiatives at Conaway allow them to support populations of salmon, waterfowl, snakes and even endangered species like the tri-colored blackbird and Swainson’s hawk.
“Being a farmer, I’m an environmentalist by definition, so I like to see all these efforts,” DeWit said. “Along with feeding the world, if I can save the Swainson’s hawk, it’s a good feeling to have. I think these are all great programs, and I’m proud and happy to be involved in each one.”
One of the key initiatives at Conaway supports migrant waterfowl. Rice farmers in California used to burn the straw and stubble in their fields after harvest to remove crop residue and any lingering disease. But as the population of California grew, the smoke became an issue—leading California legislators to phase burning out in the 1990s.
At that point, the rice farmers in the Sacramento Valley decided to
work with environmental groups to find a new sustainable solution. They settled on flooding their fields in the wintertime, which helps with straw decomposition and came with the unexpected benefit of offering a habitat for waterfowl.
“Winter stubble flooding is one of our biggest success stories as far as the environmental efforts, and it happened almost by accident,” DeWit said. “We’ve already seen the goose population explode in the Sacramento Valley. It’s a win-win. We’re already seeing benefits in a relatively short amount of time.”
So what is Rabo AgriFinance’s role in all of this? According to the Conaway Preservation Group team, it’s a very important one. “Our relationship with Rabo is critical because Rabo has connected us in the state, in the nation and even internationally with people who are pioneering these innovative ideas and sharing them with us,” Tsakopoulos said. “I’m grateful to Rabo for helping us and others see how we can broaden the target to not just include the pure economics but also the benefit to society and the world of farming in a particular way.”
Though the programs already in place have been a success, Conaway continues searching for new ways they can further their commitment to sustainability and the community. Wildlife consultant Maya Kepner plays a huge role in bringing new ideas to the Conaway team.
“Usually, an idea will come across the table, and I’ll bring it to the ownership group to have a sometimes difficult conversation about the details within this opportunity,” Kepner explained. “Oftentimes, the reaction is, ‘How can we make this work?’ We want to be able to look at solutions, not problems.”
Kepner’s impact on Conaway Ranch is visible on every acre of the property, but ultimately, it’s the ownership group who rallies behind the ideas and gives them the green light.
“We have a really creative, innovative group of owners that are willing to take a risk,” Kepner said. “Sometimes, there are great success stories. Sometimes, there are things that we learn from. But we’ve tried to keep a really open door policy here and try to continue to learn from each other.”
Kepner’s interest in sustainability and conservation efforts stems back to her childhood, which she spent on wildlife refuges throughout the United States. Her father worked as a regional director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and she credits him for piquing her interest in not only environmental stewardship but also working together with different interest groups to solve problems.
“For someone who grew up on wildlife refuges throughout the United States, this is like candy land, because you really have this amazing opportunity to have 17,000 acres of an active rice farm, of which 6,200 acres are in agricultural conservation easements. It’s all in one location, and it’s just this magnificent opportunity to really do good things and provide practical models and ideas that can be replicated.”
Sacramento Valley’s Salmon Saviors
Conaway’s efforts to support endangered salmon by recreating a lost floodplain is a recent favorite among the team. Here’s how it works, according to Maya Kepner.
- Salmon fingerlings enter the flooded wintertime rice fields via a bypass from the river system.
- The salmon feed in the shallow, nutrient-rich fields without the threats of predators or malnutrition in the river system.
- Conaway then holds the decomposition water a bit longer, giving the salmon extra time to grow bigger and stronger.
- The salmon then migrate back to the river system with a much better chance of survival.
“I think the salmon piece is very exciting because they’re in such a vulnerable place right now. And if we have an opportunity to provide management techniques that can increase their survival by mimicking natural practices, then we’ve got to make it happen.”
Maya Kepner — Wildlife Consultant
Kepner and the entire Conaway Preservation Group team understand that their set of solutions to environmental challenges might not work on every operation. Nonetheless, they’re confident farmers everywhere can learn from their approach and create one all their own.
“Sustainability means different things to different people, I think that’s key,” Kepner said. “And there’s not one prescription that’s going to work for every single rancher, every single farmer. But there are ways to balance needs.”