PRAIRIE RONDE, LA. — James Rice Farms has opened a new rice mill in Prairie Ronde. The mill will turn out a new brand of non-bioengineered single variety rice, Prairie Ronde Rice, that will be distributed as part of a partnership between Beth James and Rolando Sanchez. The brand was named after the area in which the rice is grown and milled.
The new mill has a testing lab to ensure the highest quality standard is maintained.
“We have been farming in this area for over 30 years,” Ms. James said. “We raise crawfish and rice and have always paid careful attention to the stewardship of our land for the next generation. As part of the constant desire to evolve, we wanted to develop our products to take them from our farm to the kitchen table. I believe that many consumers want to know where their food comes from. We plant a single variety of rice that cooks more evenly, and we can control the great quality from the field to the consumer through our process.”
Mr. Sanchez, a partner in the venture, was awarded “Farmer of the Year” on March 17 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, N.R.C.S., for water and soil conservation for the United States and its territories.
Prairie Ronde Rice is available in select stores throughout Louisiana.