Gail Lennon
Fall River Wild Rice
April, 2001
Gail Lennon did not expect that at age 60 she would be running a 700-acre farm. She bought her first
plot of farmland in 1968, simply because it came with a big house. At the time, she was living in Los
Angeles, where her husband worked as a teacher, when she discovered, "We could buy this nice
house with 440 acres in rural California for the same price as a house in Los Angeles." She
learned how to cook on a wood stove and used eggs from the 100 chickens that came with the house
to barter for her necessities. "The first thing I did was buy a milk cow, because I was already
paying $30 a month on milk," Gail explains. Though her move required many adjustments, she quickly
grew to love her life on the farm, which she describes as "experiencing the 1920's."
Despite Gail's love for farming, she has constantly struggled to keep her land. The 1980's
in particular brought difficult agricultural times: "The 1980's farm crisis touched me... in fact,
it kicked me," recalls Gail. A hopeful sign came in 1984, when an entrepreneurial company
approached Gail about leasing 40 acres to try to raise wild rice in the ideal climate of Fall
River. When the 40 acres were successful, the company offered Gail and several other farmers in
the area $1/lb of wild rice, if they would agree to grow for the company. "It seemed like a
good deal since each acre could produce about 1500 lbs. of wild rice," says Gail.
The first year went well, but the following year, after the farmers had invested money in growing the wild rice crop, the company informed them that they would now only pay $.15/ lb. When the farmers realized they were at the mercy of big business due to the fragile nature of processing this perishable crop, they made a courageous and bold decision: Using their own resources, and any others they could find, fourteen farmers built a local processing plant so they could be guaranteed a fair price and fair treatment. It was the birth of the Fall Rivers Wild Rice Co-op. Now, the wild rice is grown, harvested, and processed locally, providing a source of income, employment, and pride for the rural community.
"It wasn't easy. We had to learn from scratch how to process wild rice. There's a
lot more to it than meets the eye," Gail admits. The misinformation the farmers received from
large processing plants made the process even more difficult: "We had a couple of very bad years,
but now, any rice that is processed through our plant is the finest in the world." Evidently the
American Tasting Institute agrees, because they recently honored Fall River Wild Rice with the distinction
of the best tasting wild rice.
Though Gail's induction into wild rice growing began as a bit of a fluke, she now espouses the wonders of this little known grain. Unlike its name suggests, wild rice is not a form of rice, but is actually the seed of Zizania palustris, a tall, blooming water grass that prospers in shallow lakes, marshes and streams. Originally known as "manoomin," meaning "precious grain," wild rice is the only cereal grain native to the North American continent. Gail loves the flavorful taste, nutritional value, and versatility of this unique grain, as well the sustainability of the crop and the wildlife the grain attracts to her fields.
Despite these advantages of wild rice, major manufacturers only offer the grain to consumers through a blend with brown and white rice. The result is a great aesthetic effect that severely diminishes the true taste and benefits of wild rice. Gail believes that if people started eating their own wild rice, instead of blends, the popularity of this grain would skyrocket. That is why she is eager to be part of the virtual CSA: "I hope customers are excited about what they receive and spread the word about wild rice." Your involvement with the virtual CSA helps support Gail and the Fall River Wild Rice, who in turn are providing healthy, delicious food while sustaining their land, community, and wildlife.
Fall River Wild Rice also produces wild rice products. In your box, you will be able to
sample their unique Wild Rice Chips and their newest product - Precooked Wild Rice. If you enjoy the
flavor of wild rice, but don't have time to prepare it, this product is for you. Also, be sure to check
out recipes for all the nutritious and creative ways you can use wild rice. Fall River's wild rice
products are available on the SuperMarket website at
www.SuperMarketCoop.com.