Water-control structures are being installed on this lake and adjacent waters. And the band has purchased a machine from the DNR that chops the dense sedge and cattail mats. Band members strongly support the project, says Fond du Lac biologist Larry Schwartzkopf. A lot of families go out to get rice for their own needs and a little to sell. Though collecting rice is often enjoyable, finishing it for consumption can be a chore.
Many ricers prefer to take their rice to professional finishers.
Norrgard hopes someday the DNR can provide a directory of finishers for potential harvesters. And he hopes that environmental learning centers will begin sponsoring programs on wild rice harvesting and processing. Participants would learn how to harvest a valuable wild grain. They'd also learn to value the wetland where it grows and gain a greater appreciation for the ducks, muskrats, rails, and river otters that live there. And a tradition older than the state of Minnesota would continue.