Cultivated Wild Rice - Oregon

16 OZ Wild Rice is a type of grass that grows in water, wild rice did well in the shallow lakes and streams of the region. In the 1700 and 1800's, the Indians introduced wild rice to the fur traders, who subsisted mainly on the fish they caught, and the wild rice they bought from the Indians. The Indians taught them to eat it boiled, plain, or with maple sugar as a pudding and to use it in soups and stews made with venison, bear, fish or fowl. Richard Bylund and his partner Dave Rogers saw a need for a new and better way to make a living off the land in the Willamette Valley. The thick clay soil grows little besides grass seed, but turned out to be ideal for wild rice. Richard Bylund in Coburg and his partner, Dave Rogers in Brownsville are the only two people growing wild rice in Oregon. Dave has the only wild rice mill in the state. What has been the most important thing for Oregon Jewel is to sell a quality Oregon grown wild rice. The wetlands created for wild rice increases the biodiversity of the area, attracting all kinds of birds and other animals. The Lane County Audubon Society has placed Dave's rice paddies on their list of birding sites. Testing has shown the water leaving wild rice paddies is cleaner and colder than when it entered. Oregon Jewel Wild Rice is hand packed by Riverside Training Center in St. Helens where handicapped workers take pride and care to ensure a quality product.