Parish Rice - 337 Magazine

PARISHRICE HIGHER PROTEIN

PARISH RICE The Innovators Issue is proud to have the Parish Rice brand on board as they have set the bar at a level above in an industry that is a necessity, but has now evolved to a higher standard in the health arena - Rice. Where other countries excel in their development of food sources and produce, here in southern Louisiana, things have stayed the same. That was until Michael Frugé, a second generation farmer– decided to “reinvent the rice-wheel” with his remarkable new rice.

Imagine a world where those who are unable to have certain dishes because of the high glycemic index of white rice can enjoy their favorite meals again! It took our very own local farmer to follow his drive for the future of rice. Michael believes advancing agriculture is the solution, here is that story.

With a strong passion for farming, Michael had an opportunity to travel around the world and embrace other countries’ farming cultures. He was especially impressed with the variety of farming techniques he observed in Japan and South America. With knowledge gained about higher quality of rice being grown in Japan, South America, and Costa Rica, Michael was inspired to grow and package a high quality variety of rice here in Louisiana. "There's so much emphasis on quantity over quality in the rice industry in America, I want to help change that."

In 2010

The United States lost its spot as one of the world's top 3 exporters of rice. Michael shares that he believes the reason for this was that the overall quality of rice had deteriorated. .

Eventually, there was a downturn in the local industry. Michael started to collaborate with like minded colleagues in the rice industry on how they could create a quality product that would put the US back on the map in rice export.

He says.

“The plan was in motion and a committee was formed to put together a Louisiana brand that would not only service our part of the world, but be a source for other countries as well.”

A break in the development of this plan finally came when he discovered a variety of rice developed at the LSU AgCenter that maintained a higher protein content.

“Through breeding and genetics, a new variety of rice called Frontier was created,” he says.

In addition to the higher protein content in this variety of rice, he discovered it also offers a low glycemic index value. Simply put, it is a measure of how quickly a food causes our blood sugar levels to rise.

Michael decided to dive down the rabbit hole of the glycemic index world and prided himself on the education he gained, quickly realizing that he was on to something truly special..

After he returned from his travels, Fruge was determined to bring the parctices he learned back home. "I came home and wanted to not only work in the rice fields, but to also be part of bigger conversations that involved moving our industry forward."

“It is so important to understand the index, because it is the number one reason people do not eat rice.”- he says. Next stop was getting the product scored.

Unfortunately, like most businesses hitting any stride or development in 2020, they were impacted by the “covid-era.” or, as he says, “ The Covid- Hangover. ” He and his team continued to strive forward despite any obstacles thrown their way.

In the fall they established a relationship with Inquis Clinical Research Lab in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that had agreed to score their new variation of rice. The results were fantastic. “What we found was way more than we ever dreamed of.”- he shares.

He informs me how this works- white rice scores around 73 on the glycemic index– brown on average will come in around 10 points less – and their hope was to have a score close to brown rice. The test results of Parish Rice scored a 41 on the glycemic index. They knew they had a game changing product. Here's the breakdown of the science; Parish Rice contains 53% more protein than the average consumer brand of white rice. The higher protein slows down the rate at which the carbs are turned to glucose which results in a low glycemic index value of 41.

With these test results in hand, Michael knew he had to make sure his brand was showcased and marketed effectively. He brought in a marketing agency, brandRUSSO and they officially created the Parish Rice label and brand. Michael explains, "Food is our culture here in south Louisiana, it only made sense to tie the brand to where we are from."

He shares with us that like any start-up company he has a lean team of employees helping to increase brand awareness and move the product. He goes on to explain, "We are growing quickly but we still have to be resourceful and thoughtful about our efforts. I'm fortunate to have dedicated team members."

His world changed around Christmas 2021 when the LSU AgCenter posted a video about Michael's story on their social media. "Suddenly our online sales skyrockted, I didn't know what was going on! That video changed everything for us."

Shortly after, Parish Rice welcomed Rouses Markets as a retail partner and went on to add stores like Albertson's, Super 1 Foods, Nu-Nu's Markets and several others. The company is also popular online, "We have shipped to all 50 states, people are always sending messages telling us how they are so happy they can enjoy rice again."

Since then, the Parish Rice team has been working to expand their footprint. Michael is proud to tell us, "We have some exciting things in the works for our customers. Y'all stay tuned."

“ I wanted to put my own rice in a package to help change the industry- the mindset of the industry- and maybe I can play a small part in that.” “ I am a rice farmer, and my ultimate goal is to get people to eat more rice.” Michael…

It is quite true that we as Americans do not eat as much rice as those around the world.

Increasing domestic consumption is the goal and if we bring people back to rice, with Parish Rice, our culture will be impacted for decades to come.

This isn't just our land It's our heritage. And I want to thank you for helping to sustain our culture. parishrice.com