Wild Rice

Traditional wild rice harvesting and finishing includes knocking, drying, parching, hulling, and winnowing.

Wild rice harvesting usually begins in late August in northeastern Minnesota. Two people in a canoe typically cooperate to harvest wild rice. One person guides the canoe using a push pole, while the other uses knockers (or flails) to harvest the rice. With a knocker in each hand, the ricer reaches to one side and pulls the stalks over the canoe. Care is taken not to break or damage the plants. The other knocker is then used to gently knock or brush the stalks to remove the rice kernels into the canoe. Ripe wild rice will easily fall from the stalks by using a light brushing stroke.

After harvesting, wild rice is soon dried by spreading it out in a layer on a tarp, canvas, or blanket. The rice is frequently stirred to dry it evenly. The rice is also cleaned during this time by removing leaves, weeds, dirt, etc.

Dried wild rice is then parched or roasted by placing it in an iron kettle or washtub over a slow burning wood fire. The rice must be stirred constantly with a paddle to prevent it from burning.

After parching has been completed, the wild rice is hulled to remove the chaff from the kernel. A small pit is dug into the ground and lined with wood or other material. The rice is placed in the pit and is danced or treaded upon in a circular motion. Dancers use poles for balance and to control how much pressure is put on the rice.

Finally, the chaff is removed by winnowing (or called fanning). The rice is placed in a winnowing tray and tossed into the air or allowed to fall to the ground. The chaff is blown away by the wind. Wild rice is ready for storage or cooking once the chaff is removed.

"WILD" RICE VS "PADDY" RICE

Paddy grown wild rice is commonly found for sale in stores and roadside stands. Paddy rice is cultivated in artificially created fields and is mechanically harvested. It can be hybridized and grown with fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides.

How can you tell the difference between paddy grown and naturally grown wild rice?

The cooking time, color, smell, taste, and packaging are all signs. Paddy rice is darker in color (usually black) and requires a longer cooking time (1-2 hours). Natural wild rice, on the other hand, is typically light brown in color and is ready to eat after 15-30 minutes of cooking. Paddy rice requires labeling under Minnesota and Wisconsin law stating that it was commercially produced. Although paddy rice is sold at a lower price, natural wild rice is thought to be a superior product that contains a rich nutty flavor.

floating-leaf wild rice Several varieties of wild rice have been identified. Although some confusion exists with taxonomic classification, the wild rice found in northeastern Minnesota can be classified as Zizania palustris (however it is often classified as Zizania aquatica).

Wild rice is an annual plant that grows from seed each year. It begins to grow in lakes and streams after ice out in the spring. The plant typically grows best in shallow water depths (1-3 feet) in areas containing soft, organic bottoms.

Wild rice grows to the water surface usually by mid-June. During this time, wild rice plants lay flat on the water surface and can form vast leafy mats. During this floating-leaf stage (please see photo), wild rice is extremely susceptible to water level fluctuations. Plants can be uprooted and washed away due to increased water levels.

During July, wild rice will grow vertically (please see photo) and can eventually stand up to 6-8 feet out of the water. Each rice plant is unisexual, containing male spikelets below the female spikelets which are located at the end of the stalk. Cross pollination occurs naturally in rice beds usually in late July. Rice kernels begin to fill with a milky substance in late July to early August. These kernels harden to become the seed (or grain) of the plant.

standing wild rice

Ripe wild rice seed will eventually fall into the water if not harvested. Seeds sink and settle into the sediment at the bottom of the lake or river. With favorable conditions, seeds will grow into wild rice plants beginning the next spring. However, wild rice seed also has the ability to remain dormant until favorable conditions are encountered. This dormancy can last for years if the seed remains in the water.

Wild rice is also susceptible to competing vegetation such as pickerel weed, water shield, and water lilies. Some floating-leaf species and emergent species begin their growth cycle in the spring before wild rice. These species can impede the growth of wild rice and eventually take over a water body.

Wild rice is ripe when the seeds are formed and ready to fall off. It is during this time that harvest can occur. Different lakes/rivers, different areas of the same lake/river, and even different seeds on the same plant ripen at different times. Due to this varied ripening, the same wild rice bed can be harvested several times in the same year. Depending on conditions, wild rice is typically not ripe and ready for harvest until late August or early September in northeastern Minnesota.

The 1854 Treaty Authority initiated a wild rice monitoring program in 1998. When compared to the historic record, a decline in wild rice abundance seems apparent. However, no formal record exists and present trends are even less apparent. The wild rice monitoring program attempts to document wild rice abundance. Monitoring has been conducted on seven lakes in the 1854 Ceded Territory each year from 1998-2023. The monitoring program in 2002-2023 has included the same ten lakes and rivers.

Water depth and water temperature are tracked on each lake soon after ice out until late fall. Field measurements and water sampling for laboratory analysis are also conducted to obtain water quality information.

Surveys to estimate wild rice density are completed on each lake when the rice is standing and reaching maturity. Wild rice biomass is then calculated for each lake to compare success across years. A report entitled "Wild Rice Monitoring and Abundance in the 1854 Ceded Territory (1998-2023)" is available on the reports page.

Aerial photographs were taken of each lake in 1999 through 2023. These photographs are used to further document wild rice coverage. In addition, a cooperative effort with other partners including the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Fond du Lac Band, and U.S. Forest Service began in 2007 to take aerial photographs each year on a group of 70-80 lakes and rivers in the region.

The 1854 Treaty Authority has conducted wild rice surveys since 1996. The purpose of these ongoing surveys is to determine the presence of wild rice on lakes and rivers in the 1854 Ceded Territory. The 1854 Treaty Authority has compiled a list of wild rice waters within the 1854 Ceded Territory. This list of 527 lakes and river stretches serves as an inventory of rice waters, and as the foundation for the wild rice survey. During the survey, general information about each lake or river is also recorded to determine areas where habitat may be suitable for wild rice.

The survey has been coordinated with numerous partners including the Bois Forte, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac reservations. A total of 397 different lakes and river stretches within the 1854 Ceded Territory was surveyed between 1996 and 2023. Collected information has been incorporated into the 1854 Treaty Authority's geographic information system. The survey will continue in future years.