‘Jubilee Justice’ rice mill is changing the way Cenla farms rice

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - Jubilee Justice is the first rice mill of its kind in the Southeast, and it is completely changing the rice farming process.

The mill is a collaborative effort between Inglewood Farms and Black farmers from all over the nation. Two years ago, owner Konda Mason embarked on an experiment to grow rice using the system of rice intensification method (SRI).

The method is more sustainable and much more environmentally friendly than the way rice is traditionally grown.

“Every step of the way is a learning process,” said Bernard Winn, the operations manager. “We take classes, we have farm visits and we have farm lessons, where people come in and give us lessons on growing this rice. So it has been a learning curve for everybody involved.”

When you think of rice it usually brings the thought of lots of water, however the SRI method of farming does not require farmers to flood their fields, all while greatly reducing methane gas emissions.

“Everybody wants to see locally sourced, locally grown and processed rice,” said Winn.

That is just what Jubilee Justice is doing, keeping it local, restoring the environment and attempting to restore some social justice. You see Inglewood Farms was once a slave plantation, and now owners say the rice mill and its products offer a certain amount of healing for the soil and our society.

“This rice produces so many by products,” said Winn. “We have other ways to keep the mill going through the processing of these husks, and the rice grits and the flour that we are able to produce.”

You can catch Jubilee Justice every Tuesday at the Alexandria Farmers Market.

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