Growing rice has been a way of life for four generations at Lundberg Family Farms in Richvale, CA; the HQ is also a cool destination for rice cake obsessives like us
Love this peek behind the scenes of the farm. Appreciate a food company’s commitment to regenerative agriculture and habitat. Cherry Bombe recently did a podcast with Brita Lundberg which provided some interesting insight on rice farming.
It's interesting to hear about rice growing in the U.S. Do you have any idea how they grow and harvest it? Is a lot of hand labor involved or do they mostly use machines?
I am thinking of this because two years ago I spent some time at an Ayurvedic resort in Bali. I remember sitting on the balcony of the luxurious treatment facility--wrapped in a green robe after having received an amazing "four hands" massage--while watching villagers just below me laboriously threshing, winnowing and harvesting rice. The rice paddies were beautiful, but the labor was backbreaking and I felt really guilty for watching their difficult lives unroll--almost like a movie--from my privileged perch above them.
We only spent a short time visiting Lundberg Farms, so most of what I know is what I've gathered from the company's website (https://www.lundberg.com) and other articles I've found online. The rice--or at least some of it--is apparently planted via airplanes dropping the seeds on soaked fields. The seeds themselves are soaked first so as to sink into the flooded earth. Lundberg has pioneered a way of killing weeds by raising and lowering water levels so that the weeds die but the rice survives.
As part of the company's commitment to regenerative organic farming, they're also supposed to treat their workers well, and they claim to be committed to "social fairness, safe working conditions, and supporting small family farms." I read that workers use a combine harvester to harvest the rice in the fall, separating the grain from the straw and blowing the grains into a collector. The straw is mixed back into the soil instead of being burned, as was the practice in years gone by. Hopefully the backbreaking labor you describe seeing at the Bali resort doesn't happen at Lundberg. It's awful that it's happening anywhere! I hope this is helpful. Thanks for a really good question, Clarice!
What a fascinating and uplifting story, Ruth! I love that the Lundbergs make healthy, tasty products and that their farming practices benefit the planet.
Lundberg rice cakes from Trader Joe's also a staple for me. For lunch with melted cheddar or peanut butter and one of your delishious jams, or right out of the bag as a snavk...lightly toasted makes them even tastier. Who knew they made so many other products? Now I do. Thanks for another fascinating post.
Thanks, Judy! I never knew there were so many products either. You’re right about light toasting being an improvement, though I’ve set a few on fire through carelessness! 🔥
I lived in northern California years agp, Butte County, and believe me, it was a surprise to see that Richvale sign in your post! Iactually knew a rice farmer, second generation. A friend of a friend. It always amazed me that CA is such a large producer, world wide, of rice. The fields are so beautiful, that sparkling lime green.
I was shocked also to find out that California was such a big rice producer and also to see the beauty of the fields, even post harvest. I would have loved to meet the farmers—perhaps next time. Thanks so much for your comment, Jeanine.
Excellent reportage, as always, Ruth. For your next excursion, may I suggest a trip to Rice, the ghost town near the CA/AZ border? Spoiler alert: there’s nothing and no one there.
Thanks for the comment and the tip, Amie! Never heard of the town of Rice, but it’s now on the list for our next border excursion. Towns with provocative names (especially food-related!) are always intriguing.
You've visited Lundberg? So cool. I need to do that. They're top on my list for rice cakes as well. And knowing their name made it easy for me to remember the name Lundberg Siberians, a breeder of Siberian Forest cats on the West Coast that I didn't get Aubrey and Sophie from but a place that I learned a bunch from. The Lundberg whose name adorns the business was a sciency guy (like me!) and did a lot to illuminate why some cats cause cat allergies in some folks and some don't. Super interesting. They'll sell you a guaranteed no-allergy kitten if you've got the $$$$. Yeah, not terribly inexpensive. But still - if you need one and have he means, he delivers.
Love this peek behind the scenes of the farm. Appreciate a food company’s commitment to regenerative agriculture and habitat. Cherry Bombe recently did a podcast with Brita Lundberg which provided some interesting insight on rice farming.
Thanks so much for your comment and for the mention of this podcast with Brita Lundberg, the fourth generation to work on the family farm and an engaging spokesperson for it. Here’s a link to the podcast you mention: https://open.spotify.com/episode/53kQU13ZUWmQQzEtXjR25z?si=yBQbaC07SRaPJ0XozCpL1A&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A2UX3qyNRiHPq33ktQbJrZl&t=80
What an interesting story. I didn't realise they grew so much rice in California and great to see so many different varieties.
Thanks, Julia!
It's interesting to hear about rice growing in the U.S. Do you have any idea how they grow and harvest it? Is a lot of hand labor involved or do they mostly use machines?
I am thinking of this because two years ago I spent some time at an Ayurvedic resort in Bali. I remember sitting on the balcony of the luxurious treatment facility--wrapped in a green robe after having received an amazing "four hands" massage--while watching villagers just below me laboriously threshing, winnowing and harvesting rice. The rice paddies were beautiful, but the labor was backbreaking and I felt really guilty for watching their difficult lives unroll--almost like a movie--from my privileged perch above them.
We only spent a short time visiting Lundberg Farms, so most of what I know is what I've gathered from the company's website (https://www.lundberg.com) and other articles I've found online. The rice--or at least some of it--is apparently planted via airplanes dropping the seeds on soaked fields. The seeds themselves are soaked first so as to sink into the flooded earth. Lundberg has pioneered a way of killing weeds by raising and lowering water levels so that the weeds die but the rice survives.
Here's a link to videos and descriptions of how the planting is done: https://info.lundberg.com/blog/summer-on-the-farm#:~:text=IT%20ALL%20STARTS%20WITH%20A%20SEED%20(AND%20A%20PLANE)&text=Whether%20we're%20growing%20basmati,be%20fully%20covered%20in%20water.
As part of the company's commitment to regenerative organic farming, they're also supposed to treat their workers well, and they claim to be committed to "social fairness, safe working conditions, and supporting small family farms." I read that workers use a combine harvester to harvest the rice in the fall, separating the grain from the straw and blowing the grains into a collector. The straw is mixed back into the soil instead of being burned, as was the practice in years gone by. Hopefully the backbreaking labor you describe seeing at the Bali resort doesn't happen at Lundberg. It's awful that it's happening anywhere! I hope this is helpful. Thanks for a really good question, Clarice!
Thank you for such a detailed answer, Ruth!
Great article - thank you so much! 😊
You’re so welcome, Jon! Glad you liked it!🤗
Rice Avenue!
What a fascinating and uplifting story, Ruth! I love that the Lundbergs make healthy, tasty products and that their farming practices benefit the planet.
Thanks, Vicki! We need uplifting now, right?
Lundberg rice cakes from Trader Joe's also a staple for me. For lunch with melted cheddar or peanut butter and one of your delishious jams, or right out of the bag as a snavk...lightly toasted makes them even tastier. Who knew they made so many other products? Now I do. Thanks for another fascinating post.
Thanks, Judy! I never knew there were so many products either. You’re right about light toasting being an improvement, though I’ve set a few on fire through carelessness! 🔥
I lived in northern California years agp, Butte County, and believe me, it was a surprise to see that Richvale sign in your post! Iactually knew a rice farmer, second generation. A friend of a friend. It always amazed me that CA is such a large producer, world wide, of rice. The fields are so beautiful, that sparkling lime green.
I was shocked also to find out that California was such a big rice producer and also to see the beauty of the fields, even post harvest. I would have loved to meet the farmers—perhaps next time. Thanks so much for your comment, Jeanine.
How interesting Ruth!
Thanks, Melanie.
Gascinating Ruth! We remember Lundberg well from Santa Monica's Farmers Market. We're both also voracious rice cakers!
Thanks, you guys! I’m not sure if the rice cakes are still sold at the SM Farmers Market. I’m going to check on my next visit.
Great article!
Excellent reportage, as always, Ruth. For your next excursion, may I suggest a trip to Rice, the ghost town near the CA/AZ border? Spoiler alert: there’s nothing and no one there.
Thanks for the comment and the tip, Amie! Never heard of the town of Rice, but it’s now on the list for our next border excursion. Towns with provocative names (especially food-related!) are always intriguing.
You've visited Lundberg? So cool. I need to do that. They're top on my list for rice cakes as well. And knowing their name made it easy for me to remember the name Lundberg Siberians, a breeder of Siberian Forest cats on the West Coast that I didn't get Aubrey and Sophie from but a place that I learned a bunch from. The Lundberg whose name adorns the business was a sciency guy (like me!) and did a lot to illuminate why some cats cause cat allergies in some folks and some don't. Super interesting. They'll sell you a guaranteed no-allergy kitten if you've got the $$$$. Yeah, not terribly inexpensive. But still - if you need one and have he means, he delivers.
Not the same Lundberg that sells rice, right? I could see a nice crossover promotion perhaps: Gluten-free rice cakes and hypoallergenic kittens…
Pretty sure they're totally separate. But maybe a few generations back ...