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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced that the state’s wild rice production is below average this year.
According to the DNR, a mild winter and excessive rains in mid-June have set back Wisconsin’s wild rice harvest.
Wild rice harvesting is open to all Wisconsinites and provides the opportunity to forage for the crop in rice beds located in lakes, rivers, and streams.
The DNR stresses the importance of waiting for the right time to harvest wild rice.
If rice is not falling with gentle strokes while using a ricing stick, one should wait a few more days.
The current decline in wild rice production has been a trend over the last few decades.
They attribute this to the impacts of climate change which are compounded by additional human-induced stressors.
Jason Fleener, a DNR wetland habitat specialist, says, “The DNR takes these issues seriously and, in cooperation with tribal nations and other partners, is working on research initiatives to better understand threats to wild rice.”
More information on the wild rice harvest can be found online on the DNR’s wild rice harvesting page.
