Is organic rice worth the cost?

[puglogic]

puglogic, thank you for the what's on my food website. I'd research these things myself, but I'm never really sure which sites are reliable.

I feel the same way, Perplexa. I sometimes don't even know where to start-- this forum is such a good resource for me. So many sharp minds roaming about!

I should mention that I too think growing rice in an arid climate is a little silly (depending on whether it's in a river delta area, etc.) but food miles are important to me. I really try to avoid any major purchases of foreign-grown food of any type.

[benhyr]

I got a giant bag of organic brown rice at Costco. I don't remember the price, but I remember thinking it was a good deal. It was more than the conventionally grown white rice, to be sure, but per serving it was still pretty cheap.

Our Costco sells Lundberg 12lb bags of short grain organic brown rice for, I think, $12. They sell non-organic white rice in 25lb bags for the same price. We buy the organic stuff because it's brown rice, not because it's organic.

I should mention that I too think growing rice in an arid climate is a little silly (depending on whether it's in a river delta area, etc.) but food miles are important to me. I really try to avoid any major purchases of foreign-grown food of any type.

I think we're going to try our hands with an upland rice next year in our back yard: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upland_rice. I haven't looked into it around here, but you might find a localish supplier of upland rice in your area. That solves the climate/crop mismatch too (although I haven't tried it so I know nothing about taste!).

and, off topic, Michigan State University (their agriculture stuff is < 2 miles from our house) is working on a decently-yielding perennial wheat also that I'd like to try next year.

[treehugger]

and, off topic, Michigan State University (their agriculture stuff is < 2 miles from our house) is working on a decently-yielding perennial wheat also that I'd like to try next year.

I was just reading about perennial grain crops this morning in National Geographic. What a fascinating topic. The article asserted that the first farmers chose to cultivate annual crops instead of perennial crops, probably because of the fact that it's a lot easier to modify/breed annual crops. So, it was a fork in our evolutionary road; perennial grain cultivation is the road not taken.

It will be very interesting to read about MSU's research.

Kara

[benhyr]

I was just reading about perennial grain crops this morning in National Geographic. What a fascinating topic. The article asserted that the first farmers chose to cultivate annual crops instead of perennial crops, probably because of the fact that it's a lot easier to modify/breed annual crops. So, it was a fork in our evolutionary road; perennial grain cultivation is the road not taken.

It will be very interesting to read about MSU's research.

Kara

http://www.kbs.msu.edu/people/facult...erennial-wheat

http://shaunkenney.com/2011/02/the-s...rennial-wheat/

I have to guess annual grains pump out a lot more yield than perennials. At least, I would think they do now as they've been cultivated for that aspect for 10,000 years now. I'd gladly take a lower yield, especially if it maybe didn't grow so high that I could replace my front yard with it (and the neighbors probably already thing we're over the top!)

Now it's just a matter of conning/cajoling/hopping the fence to get some to try in my yard