Planting Something Special
The sleeping buds are bursting into bloom. The cheerful chirping of the mother robin can be heard as she gathers food for her newly welcomed young. As the earth slowly wakes from its winter sleep, we begin our planting season. We believe that when you put care and deliberate thought into the way you work, what you get out is a better product. This better product starts even before planting, it starts with the seed. Maybe you have read about or even seen videos of our no-till planting practices, but have you ever wondered about the varieties of rice we plant? We are eager to share with you the varieties we have chosen and just what makes them so exquisite.
We are a vertically integrated operation. This means that we control our product from the seed that is placed in the ground, all the way to the package that is placed on the shelf. One of the many benefits of this integration is that we get to decide exactly which varieties of rice we will grow. Our rice is chosen using factors such as consistency, taste, and health factors.
Of all of the rice varieties that we grow, perhaps our most distinct rice is our Nature’s Blend. Now, as you walk down the aisle at a grocery store, you will likely see a great many blends on the shelf…what is so special about ours? Our Nature’s Blend is unique because it is grown as a blend IN THE FIELD. We don’t mix our varieties mechanically into a blend like most other rice companies…We plant it and harvest this way!
Nature’s Blend came about through a series of unplanned circumstances. When we planted these three varieties way back when, we had no idea how it would turn out in the field. We had intended to get a crop of each individual variety, but that was not what happened…We were crushed. It was a year wasted…or was it? After much contemplation, we decided to give a sample to a very well known and respected chef. He cooked some up and absolutely loved it! He informed us that we had something special. With this encouragement, we decided to take the risk and plant it as a blend. This “wasted” crop was now our foundation for every package of Nature’s Blend that we have sold since then! For this reason, our in-house name for this blend is God’s Blend, because we see His hand in it and we couldn’t be more grateful.
There are three varieties of rice that you will find in our Nature’s Blend: Aromatic Purple, Aromatic Red and Traditional Brown Long Grain Rice. Nature’s Blend is superbly healthy for you. This is due to the antioxidants found in the bran of the Aromatic Purple and Red. Our Purple rice is filled with a natural plant compound called anthocyanin, which is also found in blueberries! Our Red rice contains an antioxidant called proanthocyanidin, also found in dark chocolate. Finally, the Traditional Brown Rice beautifully complements the flavor of the Red and Purple with a truly traditional nutty flavor.
Perhaps you have heard of these powerful antioxidants, but perhaps not…So, what is so amazing about these little things? For starters, having many phytonutrients can reduce inflammation in the body. While inflammation is the body's natural response to damage, chronic inflammation has been linked with many medical conditions ranging from connective tissue diseases to cancer. In addition, some phytonutrients support immune system function and can have specific effects. For example, some phytochemicals act as anti-microbial agents, reducing the chance that pathologic bacteria or viruses will divide and grow in the body. They may also help to regulate the immune system, helping to maintain the very delicate balance between an overactive immune system (that can lead to autoimmune diseases) and an underactive immune system (that can predispose to infections or cancer). That is a lot of power packed into delicious Red and Purple packages!
There are so many reasons to love this variety and though this one isn't necessarily one that we picked out…it has certainly chosen us!
Find us at your local grocery store!