I have raced after the harvester and full to the brim trucks and traced their marks on the fields. I have stood on the checks as the slapping of thousands of birds filled the air with their noise and covered the water with feathers. I braved the mosquitoes and watched the airplanes seeding the fields as hundreds of swallows flew toward me. I have lain on the ground and flown in the air, ridden on farm equipment and stood in mud. This great opportunity has afforded me the study of a specific place over time, the opportunity to track changes, process and begin to appreciate the complexities and subtleties of a place that is typically unnoticed and yet a site of extraordinary history and ecology.

View slideshows of changing rice fields by the month.

WINTER | SPRING | SUMMER | AUTUMN

For more information:

California Rice Commission

Stephan Lansing has researched the relationship of agricultural practices in Bali and the complex structure of balinese culture putting the culture in agriculture. His books and films are highly recommended!