Chico Rice
Family Farming a Staple Grain for Four Generations
by Holly Madrigal
One has to appreciate the age-old practice of the barter. I was recently more than happy to deliver a box of locally grown grains for Rachel Britton of the Mendocino Grain Project to Corners of the Mouth on the coast. She “compensated” me with a bag of Chico Rice, remarking that it is “the freshest rice you will ever taste.” Most store-bought rice has been sitting in silos and storage for more than a year. “These guys,” she explained, “a father and son team, get us this rice months after processing.”
Chico Rice, run by Tom Knowles and his son Carter, is a family business. Tom’s grandfather started the farm in the early 1950s. His primary job was as a banker, and he began a side project of buying up land. Much of what he could afford was considered lower quality land, meaning more clay soils. The farm he purchased and added outside of Willows had clay soils, which turned out to be perfect for growing rice. Tom’s dad was the youngest of five sons. He took on the farming of the rice and later passed it on to Tom.
A fresh-from-the-field ethos was part of how Chico Rice made their mark. For a time they would take some of their harvest, load a mill and a generator on a flatbed truck, and set up at the Chico farmers market, processing the rice right there at the booth for purchase. It was very cool to see the raw rice grains come out the other side as brown rice or more polished ‘blonde’ rice. “It drew a crowd, but our neighbors at the market could do without the machinery noise, so now we just sell the rice more quietly,” laughs Tom. Rice has quickly become one of the major exports of California agriculture. Eaten by most cultures around the world, rice can be largely divided into the tropically grown indica type, which produces basmati and jasmine varieties, and Japonica rice. In the U.S., much of the indica rice is grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, and eastern Texas where it is super-hot and humid. Chico Rice cultivates Japonica rice, originally from China, which thrives in the more temperate climate of Northern California. Its clay soils make the perfect base for growing it.
The ancestral plant of rice is a water grass. Rice seeds are spread via small airplane, and after sprouting, the fields are flooded with a few inches of water. The clay soils retain the pools of water, which also suppress the competitive weeds. The rice is harvested in September, and the hard grains are processed to remove the hulls, which are used for non-edible purposes like horse bedding and soil amendments.
Once the hull is removed, the rice begins to oxygenate and change flavor. Tom says, “When my friends tasted our rice, they were blown away. It has incredible flavors and nuance because the germ is still on there. For the first few months, the taste is completely different than the rice you would normally eat. It is filled with natural oils and is so nutritious.” The grains are then polished—this is what they tried at the farmers market. Minimal processing retains the germ, considered ‘brown rice,’ and it has a delicious flavor and toothsome texture.
The ’blonde’ rice—rice with the hull and germ removed, also known as Haiga-Mai rice (half-milled)—still has some color to it. It is closer to a white rice but with much more flavor. The bartered bag I received was this type. It did indeed taste fresh and so delicious with a delicate, slightly nutty flavor. I was surprised by how quickly it cooked. More germ makes it so the rice is slower to absorb water, so brown rice takes longer to cook than white. This blonde rice was tender and fluffy in thirty minutes. Tom recommends a rice cooker because you can set it and forget it. “I usually set up my rice before I go to work,” he says. “It is perfectly cooked when I get home. The kids are always sneaking bites of the finished rice, so I need to make a lot.”
Chico Rice is now largely run by Tom’s son, Carter, the eldest of four siblings who has now begun a family of his own. “I was careful not to pressure him,” says Tom. “I felt like I had some family responsibility to take over, and of course I love it, but I was pleasantly surprised when—after graduating from San Diego State and some other jobs—Carter decided to move home and take on the business. Now that I know the legacy is covered, it gives me peace of mind. Now Carter has two young boys of his own.”
Of course, farming in the modern age has its challenges. California has many regulations, but they have led to a global reputation for “clean rice” grown with sustainable practices. Drought can be tough for rice production, and in 2022, the farm had to curtail their planting for the first time as an especially arid year reduced their water rights. But the rain came the following year, and Chico Rice has adapted. The water used by rice cultivation has many benefits for wildlife. As a wetland crop, rice fields make up critical habitat in the central valley bird migration corridor. “We have lots of birds in the rice fields all year round,” adds Tom. “In the winter, rains help fill the ponds and huge flocks come to rest. They help decompose leftover straw residue, and put some fertilizer on the fields.”
If you want to get your hands on this delicious rice, purchasing bulk through the website is easiest. “We had a beautiful new package designed by an artist friend of ours,“ says Tom. “Most of the rice sells direct to wholesale through a large rice processor. We hold back two truckloads, or about two percent, of the best quality rice to mill and package for our sales.” You can buy it through the Mendocino Grain Project and smaller retailers like Corners of the Mouth in Mendocino. “I love farming but I also love being a farmer,” Tom adds. “Well, I’m not doing it as a favor. It is our family livelihood, but we’re feeding people. It’s important. People need to eat and be nourished. We are part of that.” Small family farms like the Knowles’ can, despite their size, have a significant impact on a local food system, adding resilience and diversifying options while providing exceptionally fresh and nutritious food. And when their crop is grown with the skill and attention Carter provides, informed by the generations before him, it’s reflected in outstanding quality and flavor. Though be warned: once you try it, there is the risk you’ll settle for nothing but super-fresh, locally grown rice ever again.
Order rice online at chicorice.com.
Photos courtesy of Chico Rice