ResidentialBusiness Posted February 25 Report Posted February 25 Twelve years ago, rice breeders with Lundberg Family Farms crossed two rice plant “parents” in hopes of cultivating a better black pearl rice plant. After growing generations and generations of offspring—early yields produce all sorts of different traits in one harvest, and subsequent growing seasons help refine that into a consistent crop—the result is just now ready for consumers. The new black pearl rice can thrive under regenerative organic practices (a way of farming that focuses on soil health and less environmental impact) and has a higher crop yield than previous Lundberg iterations, with 25% more rice produced per acre. With that higher yield, the farm can use fewer resources like water; this is especially important when it comes to growing rice, as fields are flooded to drown out weeds. [Photo: Lundberg Family Farms] It’s the latest cultivation to come out of the Lundberg Family Farms rice breeding nursery, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It’s also a sign that the farm’s investment in rice breeding, and in finding varieties that are compatible with regenerative organic farming, is paying off. Varieties that it began cultivating over a decade ago are now starting to be ready for consumers; along with the black pearl rice, the brand will soon have new red jasmine and arborio varieties. “What we’ve done over 50 years now is really gaining momentum,” says Bryce Lundberg, vice president of agriculture at Lundberg Family Farms. “And our commitment to accelerating this work reflects the urgency we feel around this [mission] . . . to grow the highest-quality rice using organic and regenerative farming practices, because we believe the health of our bodies and our planet depend on that.” [Photo: Lundberg Family Farms] The importance of regenerative organic farming Lundberg Family Farms was founded in 1937 in California’s Sacramento Valley. Before moving out West, Bryce’s grandparents were farmers in Nebraska and experienced the Dust Bowl, an ecological disaster in which poor practices caused the soil to erode, so that it “just blew away,” he says. “They saw how negative farming practices cause such problems to soil.” They responded by changing up their farming methods, like keeping the straw in the fields after harvest instead of burning it. The common practice of burning is a way to get rid of all the old agricultural material in a field and get it ready for a new harvest, but it has serious environmental impacts, worsening air quality and degrading soil. (Just this year, a California bill went into effect banning nearly all agricultural burning as a way to limit air pollution.) Instead, the Lundbergs let the soil reabsorb that organic matter. “A lot of people said it couldn’t be done, that the soil wouldn’t take this straw in,” Bryce says. “And I would say, if you have healthy soil, it’s going to take it in. If you have soil that’s alive, it’s going to take it in.” [Photo: Lundberg Family Farms] That became the crux of Lundberg farming: to leave the land better than they found it. Soil health is a crucial aspect of both organic and regenerative farming; regenerative organic farming includes practices like cover crop rotation, low or no tilling, and avoiding chemical pesticides and fertilizers. Though Lundberg Family Farms had that ethos since its founding, it officially began farming organically in the 1960s, and launched its first Regenerative Organic Certified products in 2023—though the Lundbergs didn’t have to change their practices to become certified. (That certification program was created by the Rodale Institute, which recently received funding from Patagonia’s nonprofit Holdfast Collective). Lundberg Family Farms focuses on rice (though it also sells quinoa, and products like rice cakes and syrup), setting a goal of having its organic rice certified as regenerative organic by 2027. Already more than 99% meets that goal. [Photo: Lundberg Family Farms] Rice without herbicides Still, the farm continues to innovate with its nursery to cultivate rice that can withstand the changing climate and contribute less environmental harm. Instead of using herbicides, the farm floods its fields with water to drown weeds, then dries them for 30 days to kill aquatic weeds. It’s this twofold approach that is unique, because most conventional rice farms continuously flood their fields. But this method also poses some challenges: It necessitates using rice varieties that can grow fast in water to outcompete the weeds, but that can also withstand the dry, hot phase, plus have a high enough yield to meet consumer demand. [Photo: Lundberg Family Farms] This twofold approach has multiple benefits. Flooded fields become a habitat for waterbirds and fish, while the dry period conserves water and produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a continuous flood. Suzanne Sengelmann, Lundberg’s chief growth officer, says its farms are home to more than 200 species. “We flood the fields in the winter for the Pacific Flyway, and billions of birds come [there to] rest.” It’s a symbiotic relationship, too, she adds, because the birds help fertilize the ground. “If you let nature do what it’s supposed to do, you wind up with healthier soil.” Researchers at the University of California, Davis, studied the Lundberg Family Farms practices and found that its method of weed control reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 49%, compared to continuously flooding rice fields. Regenerative organic advocates say implementing these practices—and transitioning away from the harms of conventional farming—is crucial for the health of our planet. [Photo: Lundberg Family Farms] Cultivating better rice Regenerative organic farming has another benefit too: Food grown with these soil-friendly practices is also healthier for humans, research says. And nutrient density is something the farm’s nursery pursues as well. Black rice in particular is full of antioxidants, and the company’s new variety “has some of the darkest bran we’ve seen,” Bryce Lundberg says, meaning it’s especially high in antioxidants. If customers aren’t enticed by the environmental benefits of this rice, the company hopes the nutritional benefit will be worth paying a slight premium for. (The regenerative organic black pearl rice is $5.99 a pound). “We’re constantly upgrading . . . because at the end of the day, from a consumer standpoint, we all care about the planet, but it’s personal what you’re putting in your body,” Sengelmann says. “In terms of the nutrient density and the lack of herbicides, that tends to be the thing that really makes consumers want to pay the extra dollar or two.” Even with this new release, and more rice varieties forthcoming, Lundberg still plans to innovate to breed better rice; it invests half a million dollars into its nursery every year. In 2024, it was awarded a $3 million matching grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to build out its regenerative organic products. Though those grants are now on hold—and the fate of government grants at large is unclear under the Trump administration (especially ones that mention climate terms)—Sengelmann says the farm is still moving forward to invest its own $3 million into that goal. “We’re going to keep doing it,” she says, “because it’s what we’ve always done.” View the full article Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.