There are real people behind every bag of Riceland rice. Our farmer-members grow the rice, own the cooperative, and help connect what happens in their fields to tables across the country.

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This October, in celebration of National Co-op Month, we’re introducing you to one of those farmers: Jennifer McMeans.

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You’ll get to know Jennifer, hear what being part of Riceland means to her, and even bring one of her favorite recipes from her kitchen to yours.  

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Growing Together

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Every story about rice starts in the field.

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Each spring, our farmer-members plant a new crop and spend the months that follow caring for it. By late summer and early fall, green fields begin turning golden and combines start rolling across Riceland country.

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For our farmer-members, harvest is the culmination of months of work, preparation, and decisions made throughout the growing season. But as members of a cooperative, bringing in the crop is only a fraction of the story.

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The farmers harvesting Riceland rice are also owners that help move that crop forward. Once rice leaves the field, farmer-members and Riceland employees work together to bring the crop from harvest to market. It's a connection that carries each grain beyond the farm and ultimately into grocery stores, restaurants, and kitchens across the world.

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Riceland was founded on the idea that farmers are stronger together, and more than a century later, that cooperative spirit is still at the heart of every harvest.

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Meet One of the Farmers Behind Riceland

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Behind the cooperative are the people who make it possible.

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Meet Jennifer McMeans, a second-generation farmer and Riceland member from Stoddard County, Missouri. Agriculture has been part of Jennifer’s story since childhood. Today, being a Riceland member connects the work she does on her farm to a much bigger picture.

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"Riceland brings great value to our operation. We love that we can participate in the marketing pool; that takes a lot of stress off of me. Plus, we have the flexibility if we do want to forward price our grain. The marketing pool is doing the work for us, and that’s helpful."

- Jennifer McMeans, Stoddard County, MO

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Jennifer is one of the many farmers who brings the idea of a farmer-owned cooperative to life. And Jennifer's connection to food doesn't stop in the field.

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From Jennifer's Kitchen to Yours

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Once upon a time, Jennifer owned a café where her Stuffed Pepper Soup was a customer favorite and often sold out.

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Warm, hearty, and full of comforting flavor, it’s the perfect meal for the cooler days ahead.

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Make Jennifer's Stuffed Pepper Soup

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