Montna Farms, a multi-generational rice farm in Sutter County, California, stands as a leader in sustainability, wildlife conservation and innovation. In a recent video produced by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the California Rice Commission, Nicole Montna Van Vleck shares her family’s legacy and commitment to creating a positive impact on the land, the water and the wildlife that depend on them.
Nicole traces her family history back to the late 1800s, when her great-grandfather arrived in Sutter County from France. She also highlights the farm’s longstanding focus on water conservation, which has resulted in a 30% reduction in water use over the past few decades.
Montna Farms does more than produce rice – it also provides habitat for birds and salmon. Located in the middle of the Pacific Flyway, Montna Farms was the first in California to place its rice fields under a permanent agricultural easement, ensuring a source of water for migrating birds in winter. Today, 96% of Montna’s farmland (or 5,600 acres) is protected forever – for crops, cranes, ducks, geese, salmon and hundreds of other species that depend on this valley.
“Two hundred and thirty different species utilize these rice fields as their home,” says Nicole, explaining that the fields serve as vital resting and feeding grounds for ducks and geese on the Pacific Flyway.
The fields also support salmon rearing. By strategically releasing zooplankton-rich water from post-harvest fields, Montna Farms helps restore food sources lost to levees, boosting salmon growth. Studies show that juvenile salmon feeding downstream from these fields grow three times larger than those without access.
For further insights into how Montna Farms produces food while actively enhancing ecosystems, watch the video