The Ankeny Lakes and St. Maries Wild Rice Co. Story

The Willamette Valley, in the state of Oregon, has long been noted for versatile farming  opportunities. WILD RICE has now been added to the list of production crops, by Ankeny Lakes Wild Rice Co. of Oregon. In 1991 our company was formed to market wild rice from Oregon and Canada.   

Although new to Oregon farming, wild rice has been grown in the Northwest for many years. At St. Maries in Northern  Idaho, the lakes, rivers and marshes are graced with cool nights and warm days, producing some of the largest, most flavorful wild rice in North America. A successful wildlife enhancement program lead to the formation of St. Maries Wild Rice Co. of Idaho to harvest the abundant stands of wild rice.

In offering this delicious North American cereal grain, it is only fitting to note that one of the founders of St. Maries of Idaho, and two of the founders of Ankeny Lakes of Oregon, have Native American ancestry. All three have helped to establish the growing of wild rice in  the Northwest. This is the same wild rice that has been  a staple food of Native Americans in Northeastern lake areas of Canada and the United States for generations.