This last week in August the wild rice harvesting season is in full swing in north-central Minnesota. Rice harvesting rigs, easily spotted hauling canoes and push poles, have been seen around the region as ricers scout area lakes. Harvesters have been finding ripe rice on several lakes, but the gusty winds the Aug. 23-24 weekend blew off a lot of ripe kernels and flattened stalks in several basins. Many folks said they are waiting a couple of days before going back out to allow some time for more kernels to get ripe.

Please wait to harvest until rice is ripe

Unfortunately, there have been several reports of ricers going out on lakes too early, or trying to harvest green rice and damaging the plants in the process.

It is critical to understand that each rice water has its own ripening schedule. Just because one lake is ripe does not mean that all the nearby rice lakes are also ripe. Just because parts of the lake have ripe rice does not mean the entire lake is ready. And just because there are several vehicles in the parking lot does not mean the rice is ripe.

There are many basins that are very close to being ready but not quite there yet. Some waters are still a week or two out. Ricers need to be patient and not get out there too early. It is the responsibility of each harvester to check the grains for ripeness and pay attention for ripe kernels as they work through the bed, especially because kernels on one plant do not get ripe all at the same time. And rice plants in the same lake do not get ripe all at the same time.

How do you know if rice is ripe? 

To know if rice is ripe, there are several signs to look for.

• First, make sure you don’t see any male flowers (located on the bottom half of the plant head). If plants are still flowering, the seeds are not ripe.
• When rice is ripe, the lower parts of the stems and leaves will start to turn brown, because the plant is starting to die back.
• The seed heads start to hang over a little bit, and the seed heads might look “heavy.”
• The ripe seed heads are usually a little darker in color than unripe heads because kernels are filling the hulls.
• If you break off a kernel from the stalk, and peel off the hull, you will see that a grain has completely filled the space.
• If the kernel is still “growing” inside the hull, the rice is not ripe.
• If you try to break the kernel in half, the outside will be firm and might make a snapping sound. The inside of the grain will also be firm — not soft or milky, and no liquid present.
• The most important sign of ripe rice is that when you gently shake or tap the plant, kernels fall easily. If you have to hit the stalk to get grains to fall off, the rice is not ripe. Do not damage the plants! Move to another section of the bed or leave the site and come back in a couple of days.

Reminders and more information When is wild rice season? Wild rice harvesters are allowed to take ripe wild rice each year between Aug. 15 and Sept. 30, but Minnesota’s green rice law makes it illegal to harvest unripe or “green” rice, even within the dates of the harvest season. So although rice beds may look like they are ready, ricers must make sure the grain is ripe and falling easily from the stalk before attempting to harvest it. Check the DNR website for wild rice harvesting regulations. Harvesters are required to be licensed unless they are residents under 18 years of age and accompanied by a licensed harvester. Tribal band members who possess a valid Tribal identification card from a federally recognized Tribe located in Minnesota are deemed to have a license to harvest wild rice, and do not need the additional state wild rice harvesting license. How rice usually ripens Generally, rice first gets ripe in northern Minnesota then progress south. However, each rice water has its own schedule, which sometimes does not follow the general pattern. Knowing how rice development is progressing on different waters each season takes time and effort — that’s why scouting is so critical. So please make the time to check the rice bed before you go harvesting. Wild rice harvest outlook available Each year we round up wild rice condition reports from DNR area wildlife staff and shallow lakes specialists across the state. The reports are available on the DNR wild rice page. Learn to harvest wild rice Do you want to learn how to harvest wild rice and get lots of other important information about wild rice harvesting? We have a couple webinars for you! You can watch the webinars online. To find them, click on the “past webinars” tab and search “wild rice.”

Know the boundaries of Tribal lands before harvesting Wild rice (manoomin/psiŋ) is spiritually, culturally, nutritionally and economically significant to Tribal communities. Wild rice plays a key spiritual and cultural role in Ojibwe, Dakota and other Tribal traditions. Additionally, a significant portion of the wild rice in Minnesota is located within Ojibwe reservations or treaty ceded territory. It is unlawful for any person to take wild rice grain from any of the waters within the original boundaries at the White Earth, Leech Lake, Nett Lake, Vermilion Lake, Grand Portage, Fond du Lac and Mille Lacs reservations except for Native Americans or residents of the reservation upon which said wild rice grain is taken. In addition, all nontribal members wishing to harvest or buy wild rice within the boundaries of the Leech Lake Reservation must have a Leech Lake Reservation permit. Find these and other wild rice harvesting regulations on the DNR website.