In2010

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.