Tractor Mudding: Stomping California Rice Straw!

[@ericsargeson]

Joel’s a natural. You should have him back.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Will do, Eric! I agree 100%. Take care. -Matthew

[@quietusplus1221]

Yep, he's an interesting fellow. Would love to see him back.

[@mauriciocastro9785]

@@Ricefarmingtv Hello Sir My Name is Mauricio 24 years i would like to Work with You can i get a Job driving

[@valalicante6455]

Fifth generation rice farmer, you guys are truly a pioneer.

[@arthenry498]

This is GREAT!! With you, Joel, Juan Browne, and the Millenial Farmer I have so much information in my head that my hair hurts!! LOL Seriously, it is a pleasure and a privilege to listen to people so well qualified AND articulate enough that even I can understand them. Thank you for all you guys do. I enjoy all these channels VERY much.

[@johnmaclellan2589]

Thanks Joel for allowing the viewing public to gain some valuable insights into "stomping" and the long term benefits to those rice farmers who have tapped into your expertise.

[@Jorrie86]

Looks like a Mississippi Steamboat going down the field 😀👍

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Haha! Nice visual comparison! It totally does in a way. Thanks Jorrie, have a great day! -Matthew

[@HartungFamilyFarms]

Awesome drone shots Matthew, beautiful scenery during golden hour

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thank you, brother! My battery was low to start out with so that was all the shots I got! Wish I could have flown closer to the steel tires. Glad you enjoyed. -M.

[@Badgermatt-nc5nr]

Would be interesting to see what that field looks like in the spring when it's drained compared to the other methods.

[@rickbrandt9559]

That is/was a articulate guest with an interesting subject!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Rick! Glad you enjoyed. It was a fun video to do and you're right, Joel is very articulate so it made for an interesting video and it was easy to edit. -Matthew

[@miriambertram2448]

I have to say that I just love all the specially adapted farming machines. And some of them have been adopted by the farmers themselves and not produced by large companies

[@sbvol7385]

Mr. Rice Farmer, I'm totally digging the vids. Here are some of the reasons. 1) You are videoing just how innovative farmers have to be to survive. 2) you are showing that farmers have to be smart. Lots of regs, farming techniques, etc. Gotta evolve or die. 3) you didn't show any action shots involving hands (LOLs). Thanks and keep up the excellent, professional work!!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thanks SB VOL! You don’t like hand action shots? Man, that’s hilarious. You know I was looking for the hands-on-wheel action shot but it just never happened. Thanks for the cool message. -Matthew

[@troyadamswaymarfarm5224]

Hi Matt...🇦🇺 Joel's got it right, the stomping is a one pass operation... Very interesting to see the depth of the steel wheels as they pass over the stubble layer.. looks like very good incorporation of the stubble back into the field.👍

[@NorthViewModelShop]

That’s a cool Tractor rig he’s got there. Love the drone shots

[@mooorecowbell4222]

Always wondered what those 6 foot wide metal wheels were made to do... and now we all know... thanks Matt for all your super powers. The Sutter Buttes in your shots are gettin' green.

[@skibik64]

Could you to get a shot of that field once it is drained? Would be cool to see the affects of the stomping and what it looks like. Thanks for another great video!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Dean, that would be a great follow up as winter comes to an end. I'll try to remember that! Great suggestion! -Matthew

[@mohsanmayo986]

Hello my @@Ricefarmingtv greed

[@cntslesfabrication]

I love the way he is set up and teaching us what he does makes alot of sense

[@s3hel]

Thanks Joel and Matt. Another good video.

[@juku619]

This is intresting, I have never seen rice farming before.

[@lizj5740]

Thanks, Joel. What a weird-looking piece of machinery. The GPS "driving" was something I hadn't seen before. Merry Christmas, guys.

[@patmancrowley8509]

Fascinating, Matthew. Thanks Joel! Learn something new every day!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Glad you enjoyed, Patman. This was a fun one to film and because Joel was so well spoken, an easy one to edit! -M.

[@bigtractorpower]

Impressive. Very interesting to see. Is this STEIGER always set up to stomp or do they put tires on it to do other jobs?

[@ThatPhilBurgGuy]

Awesome video man. I love seeing them stomping fields around here. The wheels are massive!!

[@Dale37]

That is an interesting way to deal with the straw. Here in Louisiana we can still burn the straw, so the struggle isn't quite so bad.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Very fortunate, Dale. Any sense that that tool may be ratcheted back due to regulations? Or smooth sailing? -M.

[@Dale37]

@@Ricefarmingtv It's all smooth sailing here. Our air quality isn't compromised as easily since it's all wide-open flat land here.

[@guneshsheikh2098]

❤nice I am loving rice business ❤

[@ohioplowboyhawk6738]

As always impressive Matt keep up the good work

[@michaelnorris45]

I never knew rice could be so fascinating! Great shots of the tractor ‘floating’ across the field and the Ibis looking for a meal (we don’t get them here). California Soul (Joel)!! 🙃

[@makingithappen9722]

It looks really fun. 😂 In the distance, you get a thought about a Mississippi wheel steamer 🎣 🐟

[@00nutt]

Man I like that idea. We pull what we call a water buffalo. Same principal but it's a big drum pulled behind with angled plates welded to it on edge. Plus it's on hydraulics with travel axles so you can drive it down the road with no need to trailer the equipment.

[@josippenezic7106]

I dont know why but I think this is cool as it gets

[@Decentralized_Maze]

As always.... Love the video content and videography! Great job Rice Farming TV and thanks Joel!

[@airforce1393]

Welcome to the five fields.

[@jasonbuechler4448]

Very cool dudes! I had no idea that rice was grown in California. One question I had was, how do you get from field to field ? Can you drive on the road with the steel wheels?

[@jrgranados6769]

Nice and short. Very convenient 👍🏼👍🏼

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Glad you enjoyed, JR. Thank you. -Matthew

[@johnlindquist6335]

That looks fun to drive the stomping tractor in that deep of water. The owner of the tractor has a good idea on cutting cost in raising rice. Matt have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[@youngricomhh]

John Lindquist it’s fun for the first few hours but after bout 6 hours you start to feel sea sick 😂

[@yoder82]

Love those tractors. I spend my summers in a 9130 pulling a kinze grain cart !

[@casey5711]

Joel nice guy . Thanks for a very interesting video .😀👍🏾🚜🚜

[@roberthoffman870]

Would like to see how they move the stomper to different fields.

[@travisswetkovich8388]

We use a lowbed with out riggers.

[@jimd9511]

Travis Swetkovich Would be interesting to see the process of loading and unloading the rigs.

[@chevyon37s]

That looks like awesome duck hunting area

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Most definitely is, Drew. Probably the best in the state. -Matthew

[@golfbravowhiskey8669]

Love that old school gps. Reckon how many times he’s caught his finger under it 😁😁

[@michaelstern1945]

Great video learning something new each time👍

[@hanhdangle709]

I love to play with mulch

[@SLCFarms]

Awesome stuff Matt.

[@thecrazymanfromireland]

Fantastic video keep the videos comming 👍👍👍

[@DonnerPassWhisky]

This looks like a efficient method for dealing with the straw. Guess every option is a compromise as you mentioned in the previous episode that cutting very low that you need to do for this puts more wear on the internals of the combine but when compared to all the other activities you are not doing it would save? Thanks

[@eddief3326]

north east arkanas and south east Missouri use a roller with slats or steel plate 6 to 10 in. deep and the rollers are up to 40 ft. long ,, thay do fold so you can get down roads .. thay travel fast enuf that through mud over the tractor . in spring thay pull a land plain if needed. or just plaint. gumbo ground .

[@trevorpike3003]

great!

[@Murphyslawfarm]

G'day

[@franksmith2200]

Another great video. Have a merry Christmas.

[@umrgaming269]

I came from Outdoor Chef Life.

[@shamshersinghpawar5406]

Love from punjab

[@samueldeborba4686]

Ricer good

[@makingtechsense126]

This video is the first of yours to be recommended to me. To be honest I am surprised that California allows rice farming because of the amount of water required to do it (that is a comment towards leftist politicians, not rice farmers). Also, I am surprised that they allow such an old tractor to still operate due to emissions but I am glad to see the tractor still working hard. Great video. Really neat to see.

[@wranther]

Very interesting method of late season soils conditioning Matthew! Is there a sufficient tillable aspect to the stomping method that removes a chisel step in the spring? Or does the volume of winter water compress the soil too much during the winter's rest phase? -Bob...

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hi Bob, the stomper primary goal is to mix straw and soil. I don't think there's a sufficient tillable aspect that removes the chisel step in the spring. In fact I would think that, in the spring after chiseling, the discing, land planing, fertilizing and flooding of the field we already settle the soil and any chisel marks. As Joel mention: one aspect that aides spring work that the stomping accomplishes, is filling in any drains or harvest ruts made by tractors. In the spring the field will be a nice even plain to run tractors across. -M.

[@stevet8121]

Joel, do you charge by the hour? Or by the acre? Thanks.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

He charges by the acre, Steve. Good question. -M.

[@joelgiusti9317]

Yes by the acre. Thanks!

[@ivycadle4117]

Super cool!

[@schmidfarms1702]

Sweet!

[@carmelbenjamin4178]

Cool

[@robertsmith4040]

Cool video. 😁

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Thank you, Robert! Glad you enjoyed. -Matthew

[@billyhighfill]

California rice farming...how much has your land subsidance have you seen from all the groundwater your pumping? If you haven't maby you should look into it.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Well we’re not pumping groundwater. We’re flood irrigating with surface water delivered from Lake Oroville Dam. -Matthew

[@billyhighfill]

@@Ricefarmingtv good to know! Thank you

[@backachershomestead]

California is always in a drought. How can this be very profitable? It is awesome to see this produced in the USA.

[@miriambertram2448]

I've been following you for a few months but I had never seen this bizarre machine. Then a farmer in your neighborhood who is KZbinr Famer Tyler Ranch showed it to all of us and told us what it did.

[@HasanAKhan150]

Thank you for another informative video. One question. Is it not worth planting another crop in winter after rice? Why flood the fields and leave them unproductive for so many months? Just curious.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hasan, it’s just too cold and dark over the winter. Tonight is was totally dark at 4:30 PM and 45°F...later tonight it will drop below freezing. Also we really need to just get rid of the straw...not add more vegetation to the fields. -Matthew

[@HasanAKhan150]

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess I was mixing up your area with Southern CA.

[@dalesuhre6522]

Did they have water to stomp the rice stubble this year?

[@JuanLopez-tp7hj]

Is this the cal rose rice like in the supermarket I see on the bag grown in California?

[@mortenandersen8538]

Do they put it on a truck for roading

[@ryaniest8103]

Hey Joel or Matt, how do you move the tractor from field to field. Do you take dirt roads the whole way, or transport it on a trailer? Thanks!

[@peteparker7396]

Ryan Iest that was my question too.

[@Sicktrickintuner]

Said in other comments, low boy

[@joelgiusti9317]

Lowbed every where. Stompers are not very kind to asphalt roads! 😂

[@peteparker7396]

Joel Giusti I imagine not! Never saw something like that. Pretty cool idea.

[@ryaniest8103]

Joel Giusti, Do you have to take the wheels off, or run an extremely wide load?

[@leonjohansson6542]

What is physically happening to the straw/soil profile? And why and how does it work in the management of the rice straw?

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hey Leon, did you see last week’s episode? kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3KrepqCq7-XsKs The soil and straw incorporation under water helps speed along the decomposition process of the straw. This breakdown helps rid the field of straw, making way for next years crop. -Matthew

[@donharper7759]

How does soil compaction affect the rice yields?

[@db-cd8hx]

minimal if any been stubble rolling in the delta since the late 60's

[@dixiecupdrinker1]

Rice ground needs to be compacted in order to hold a flood.

[@aselachathuranga1761]

Wow supra

[@Fenrirsleash]

Odd way to do things lol. Interesting to see how people do things. We always burned, conditions were always good in the Arkansas Delta though.

[@clearingbaffles]

Who do you call for tyre repair? US Steel

[@redeemedfarmer2670]

Nice

[@paulerwin721]

Are those wheels sumthing he designed/built or is this a technique that's been used by others

[@youngricomhh]

Paul Erwin used by a lot of farmers they also use steel wheels for spraying

[@joelgiusti9317]

Paul, No I did not design these wheels. (Wish I could take credit for them) stomping in one shape or form has been around for quite some time, with the added regulations it has gain “traction”

[@ricop9966]

Hey Joel I work next door in Marysville and got a video you probably love to see of us stomping this year with a bankout.. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bl7Qfn-bprlmrMk

[@jorgemrivera5973]

Can you tell me if the US, China trade feud really affect your or the other rice farmers in the valley?

[@boomerang379]

Jorge M Rivera no it doesn’t

[@MattSpooner69]

And it smells sooooo good

[@sample1306]

Average cost of land in sutter ?

[@jobertconcenco4323]

Araranguá SC Brasil.

[@IIrandhandleII]

Is this imperial valley?

[@MrZimmaframe]

The reason he said 17 foot wide is because the trailer staggers the inner of the outer wheels by half a foot each side, to prevent lines of missed crop on the field. It’s common for most agricultural machinery to be like that.

[@netdog713]

Banana Slug hoodie for the win! :) Tractor question- are those steel wheels custom made? Also do you have to add weight to the trailer or is it heavy enough on its own?

[@youngricomhh]

netdog713 wheels are custom made i work with a similar “trailer” and ours is 7500 pounds just enough to not jump around

[@henryford4856]

I am thinking that tractor better be quite reliable,no mechanic wants to repair in a foot or 3 of mud!

[@Ricefarmingtv]

So true, Henry! Mechanic would have to come out on a raft. -Matthew

[@joelgiusti9317]

They do brake down! We lost a rear drive shaft earlier this season and I can tell you swimming in 40 degree water when it’s not much warmer than that outside is not fun! We will put on chest waders to help keep us warm/dry while repairing the rigs, usually by then end of the repair the waders will end up full of water! Thanks

[@henryford4856]

@@joelgiusti9317 better you than me! Good luck out there and your machine is truly awesome!

[@johndantice2577]

Interesting process to aid decomposition of the rice straw. What does the "trailer" weigh compared to the weight of the tractor?

[@joelgiusti9317]

John, I have never had the trailer on a scale but I can say it takes two 8k rated forklifts to get the trailer off the ground for repairs.

[@youngricomhh]

The trailer probably 7000-1000 pounds

[@youngricomhh]

10,000

[@jackbarry9469]

How much horsepower would it take to pull it with and extra 2 rows on the trailer as in tractor has 2 then middle and skip one each side so 5 x 6 ft wide a little less than 30 ft wide per pass

[@jackbarry9469]

That tractor is 335 hp I think so in theory ( 30 ft / 18 ft ) * 335 hp = 560 hp

[@Mansingh-vx4tl]

What is the advantages of decomposition of straw in siol?

[@sanfranciscobay]

How level or unlevel do you want your fields for water pooling or water draining?

[@Dale37]

I live in Louisiana and farmers here use lasers & GPS and earth moving equipment to slightly slope the field away from the water well, the fields look perfectly level though, until they start flooding them.

[@shaileshingale2260]

After which next crop in farland

[@hahuynh978]

How to buy rice straw ,please

[@huntingandstuff9489]

Why are the fields flooded all winter?

[@qualquerdomundo]

What is the rice production in pounds / acre?

[@subbareddyspr7246]

Hii bro i am from India can you say which varities rice shown in the field?

[@vasudevaraog6208]

How you will get that much water in fields

[@KingofStriker]

Weren't you next to a stomper in Brazil???

[@subhashdayal9410]

👍

[@BobBob-kw2xq]

the rice farms in LA. grow crawfish in the off season, does CA. do this too?

[@ricop9966]

Bob Bob yes we do it on this side too

[@trentbadon5581]

@@ricop9966 Where's your market? Seems like San Francisco would have a healthy demand for them. I am involved in crawfish down south.

[@ricop9966]

I’m in the northern Sacramento valley here is a article I’m sure you would love to read e360.yale.edu/features/the_sushi_project_farming_fish_and_rice_in_californias_fields

[@terrynicol2098]

Is anyone running completely self driving tractors? I.e. with no driver at all in the cab?

[@redneck_1]

I like that iron wheels

[@ashwanichouksey2472]

Would you try this method for next year? It could be more economical for you or not. Give your thoughts on that

[@samhake4023]

In a compaction point of view, doesn’t stomping make it worse? Plus the fact your playing in mud. Great video though just a curious viewer from the north east!

[@ryanlotgd]

dunno if there would be much i can see where ur coming from but the fields must have a fairly shallow clay layer to help keep the water in place (not a farmer just makes sence to be like that)

[@oceandrew]

I wonder if they will drain this field before spring to chisel and disc or if they'll keep it flooded for planting. I assume they still have to turn the soil over before it's ready for seeding again.

[@db-cd8hx]

@@oceandrew keep it wet till spring to rot the straw and help rot the red rice seeds, in a pinch they would just water seed rice behind rice with no tillage at all

[@boomerang379]

I was waiting on a Yankee to make a compaction comment. Compaction isn’t an issue on a rice farm.

[@db-cd8hx]

@@boomerang379 yeah we trash our soil structure on a schedule down here lol

[@grantgill9979]

Can he bring that on the road

[@hp2084]

Why would the farmers dont do it themselves? Its just about getting those steel wheels and the trailer.

[@oceandrew]

I'll bet the bottom line is what decides that. It costs less to hire Joel to do it and to purchase/maintain his own equipment than assume those costs themselves.

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Some do Hiren. But I suppose other don't want to invest in the steel wheels or the old tractor to dedicate to the job. Or many, I suppose, want to take time off to travel and hunt so they're happy to hire out the year end work. -Matthew

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Hey Drew, good point. Especially if you’re a grower with a smaller amount of acres. You’d really need to make it a side-business, as Joel has, to have it make sense as an investment. -M.

[@joelgiusti9317]

Hiren, after the Initial investment of the rig with the maintenance and operating cost piled on each year. For most size growers it’s cheaper to hire me than to have one/operate one. Thanks!

[@trentbadon5581]

I hear rumors of the rice mills getting into the harvesting side of things in the future. Lots of sugarcane down south is harvested by equipment owned and maintained by the sugar mill. Equipment is too expensive these days.

[@randalfranck1938]

ship thr Trailer - world wide - Delhi big help

[@Ricefarmingtv]

Fill a bulk shipping container with trailers, Randal? -M.