Growing Rice

[Redneck]

Basically there is a line between what you should spend your time on buying or stocking up and what you should spend your time growing or building. A big enough root cellar will help with that line.

You really don't see root cellars in the deep south, but I have a big, air conditioned, special built room for my storage. Storage is finite. Self sufficiency is infinite. I shoot for both.

[bigwheel]

I really don't know why, but I've never grown rice before. It is usually an integral component of most prepper's long term food stores... it sure is for me. I like to grow items that could help me become self sufficient during a SHTF crisis, and I don't see why rice shouldn't be near the top of the list. I especially like items that store easily and rice surely does that. So I've ordered some seed and will try it next year.

I think the main reason I never grew it was because of images in my mind of rice grown in Asia and actually over in Arkansas, with these large perfectly flat fields that need to be flooded. I was considering doing that but as I researched rice, I found out there are two main types. Lowland rice is what I was thinking of, where the rice grows in flooded fields. But I found out there is a type called upland rice, which grows like any normal crop. It does not need flooding but does need an inch of water a week... similar to corn.

This rice can be grown all over the US, including the far north, such as Maine. There are a bunch of varieties available. I've ordered Loto, which is a risotto type of rice. Has anyone here grown rice?

In the oil patch of Texas we only had to eat that crap with sugar and butter for breakfast if if rained too much to afford bacon and eggs for breakfast. I still heave on rice pudding. Thanks.

[Weldman]

You really don't see root cellars in the deep south, but I have a big, air conditioned, special built room for my storage. Storage is finite. Self sufficiency is infinite. I shoot for both.

Yeah you are right since the ground temperature is hotter there than in northern states unless you plan on digging 30 ft down to get ground well water temperatures of about 50 something degrees. Or you could store seeds it in the tornado shelter with an AC I know you got those down there

[rice paddy daddy]

You were doing great with the memories until that last paragraph . . . it ought to be illegal to posess that stuff anywhere off the antarctic continent.

May God bless,
Dwight

For those who have never been In-Country, there is a fish sauce that the Vietnamese use to flavor their food. Nuoc mam.
I suppose the commercial fish sauce sold in bottles at the grocery is made a little differently, but here's how the rural peasants made it: take the carcass of the fish that was eaten for yesterday's meal. Place it with others on a board for several days in the tropical sun. To get good and ripe.
Now, take this rotten flesh and boil it for a while, skimming off the goo that rises to the top. This process can be smelled FOR MILES. The "aroma" is garanteed to gag a maggot.
Continue boiling until everything is dissolved - meat, bones, everything.
Keep this concoction for use in cooking. And remember - the villagers had no electricity for refrigeration.

As any Nam vet about how the smell of Vietnam hit them when he, or she, first go off the plane.

The #1 trouble with most Americans is they have never been to a Third World country. They have no idea how well off even the poorest in our country are.

[JustAnotherNut]

For those who have never been In-Country, there is a fish sauce that the Vietnamese use to flavor their food. Nuoc mam.
I suppose the commercial fish sauce sold in bottles at the grocery is made a little differently, but here's how the rural peasants made it: take the carcass of the fish that was eaten for yesterday's meal. Place it with others on a board for several days in the tropical sun. To get good and ripe.
Now, take this rotten flesh and boil it for a while, skimming off the goo that rises to the top. This process can be smelled FOR MILES. The "aroma" is garanteed to gag a maggot.
Continue boiling until everything is dissolved - meat, bones, everything.
Keep this concoction for use in cooking. And remember - the villagers had no electricity for refrigeration.

As any Nam vet about how the smell of Vietnam hit them when he, or she, first go off the plane.

The #1 trouble with most Americans is they have never been to a Third World country. They have no idea how well off even the poorest in our country are.

If it's anything like KimChee, I can understand the repulsiveness.........my Dad had been in Korea and loved the stuff, bought in jars from the store and kept trying to get me to try it. Stuff stinks too bad & I never did eat any. Then as an adult stopped at a small Asian market looking for sausages & what nots. As I entered that smell hit me like a brick & found they had several barrels at different stages of fermentation going. I could NOT get out of there fast enough. But atleast it wasn't rotten fish (I think)

[JustAnotherNut]

I really don't know why, but I've never grown rice before. It is usually an integral component of most prepper's long term food stores... it sure is for me. I like to grow items that could help me become self sufficient during a SHTF crisis, and I don't see why rice shouldn't be near the top of the list. I especially like items that store easily and rice surely does that. So I've ordered some seed and will try it next year.

I think the main reason I never grew it was because of images in my mind of rice grown in Asia and actually over in Arkansas, with these large perfectly flat fields that need to be flooded. I was considering doing that but as I researched rice, I found out there are two main types. Lowland rice is what I was thinking of, where the rice grows in flooded fields. But I found out there is a type called upland rice, which grows like any normal crop. It does not need flooding but does need an inch of water a week... similar to corn.

This rice can be grown all over the US, including the far north, such as Maine. There are a bunch of varieties available. I've ordered Loto, which is a risotto type of rice. Has anyone here grown rice?

I had found some of that upland rice and tried to grow it one year without success. Maybe I need to revisit that option again.

[Michael_Js]

I'm thinking of buying and trying this one: https://www.fruitionseeds.com/Organi...Rice-p/gr1.htm

Too bad it won't grow through fall, winter, and early spring - the regular kind. We have super wet property those months here in the rainy, wet, gloomy PNW!!! I could Easily keep it flooded! In fact, as we do a perimeter walk every single day (rain or shine), we usually say we should grow rice in most of the pasture. However, late spring and summer, well, not enough water. Maybe we should tap our neighbor's spring too! They won't mind...

Peace,
Michael J.

[Joe]

@Redneck Your project sounds interesting. How would you thresh the rice? Is there a mill nearby where they could clean it for you? You are fortunate to have the ambition and desire to try new ventures. Godspeed and keep us posted on your experiment.

[Chiefster23]

The #1 trouble with most Americans is they have never been to a Third World country. They have no idea how well off even the poorest in our country are.[/QUOTE]

AMEN BROTHER! Well said!
Add to that , most Americans have never been to ANY foreign country. So our arrogant fellow citizens think they “know” all about the benefits of socialism when in fact they don’t understand shit. But these ignorant fools are about to get a very rude lesson in reality.

Sorry for the rant. I’m pretty far off the original topic!

[Redneck]

I'm thinking of buying and trying this one: https://www.fruitionseeds.com/Organi...Rice-p/gr1.htm

Too bad it won't grow through fall, winter, and early spring - the regular kind. We have super wet property those months here in the rainy, wet, gloomy PNW!!! I could Easily keep it flooded! In fact, as we do a perimeter walk every single day (rain or shine), we usually say we should grow rice in most of the pasture. However, late spring and summer, well, not enough water. Maybe we should tap our neighbor's spring too! They won't mind...

Peace,
Michael J.

That seems to be the most common variety grown. Have you tried growing winter wheat, as it grows during the periods you mention? They grow it around me... actually right next to me.