For combine harvest, fields are drained 2 to 3 weeks prior to harvest to allow the soil to dry. Most fields have been harvested using rice combines brought from California, but conventional combines can be used if fields are dry enough. Grain is harvested near 40 percent moisture, and the decision to send the seed for processing or keep it for planting seed must be made at the combine. Timely processing is critical. Processed seed is put in tote bins, covered with water, and allowed to ferment for several days prior to processing.
Fermentation allows color and flavor development as well as degradation of hulls.
Growers are paid on a green rice basis with price ranging from 45 to 70 cents per pound in recent years. A sample production budget is shown in figure 1. The types of expenses shown are typical, but prices can vary significantly depending on individual circumstances. In 1994 a wild rice processing plant was constructed near Brownsville, OR to provide local processing and cleaning. This processing plant has the capacity to handle about one thousand acres of wild rice production and plant management is interested in helping to expand Oregon production.