We have begun harvesting the first rice at our farm! It’s 100% organic and non GMO. We are harvesting using the traditional method of cutting by hand with a sharp sickle. We have about 5 hectares under cultivation so completing the harvest will take about 400 to 800 person-hours to complete. After the rice is cut, We lay it out for 2-3 days to fully dry, and after that it is ready for threshing.
Traditionally, rice is threshed using a large wooden mortar and pestle. The stalks of rice are put into the bowl and pounded until the seed is separated from the stalk (or sheaf). Once this is done, the stalks are removed and only the grains and some tiny pieces of sheaf are left. Since the grain is heavier that everything else, a light breeze blows all of the unwanted material away and only the rice grains are left.
Once the threshing is complete, the rice must be dried again: When harvested, rice has around 25 percent moisture content, but after it is threshed, it needs to dry to about 14 percent water content in order to be safe for storing and milling. Once all of the rice we have grown this season is threshed, dried and stored, we should have between 10 and 15 tons of rice to store. Keep an eye out for Organic non-GMO Brown Rice in our online store this Fall and Winter season!