HUMNOKE, AR – Last week, thousands of fish were corralled and removed from a rice field on Isbell Farms at the 3rd Annual Fish in the Fields Harvest hosted by the Resource Renewal Institute. Attendees experienced firsthand how this pilot project of integrating fish into rice fields during the winter months is striving to enhance both farm profitability and environmental sustainability.
Co-cultivation on U.S. rice fields is not a new concept, and what was on display last week is very similar to strategies in other rice regions that incorporate crawfish and salmon, leveraging different species interactions for soil health, improved yields, and further increasing land use efficiencies.
Fish in the Fields™ is a modern adaptation of a centuries-old fish-rice farming practice, recognized by the United Nations as a Globally Important Agricultural Heritage System. It is not by accident that the native fish introduced into the post-harvested rice fields were sourced just a few miles away by the largest supplier of bait fish in the world.
Native species are stocked in early November and grow naturally on the abundant plankton and insects that develop during rice straw decomposition. The objective is to maintain adequate water depth throughout winter months to support fish growth while using the natural microbial productivity that develops during rice straw decomposition, a process already familiar to rice farmers who flood for waterfowl. The fields are drained and fish are harvested in early March, before spring field preparation begins.
"At Isbell Farms, we are always looking for ways to enhance sustainability while maintaining productivity," said Mark Isbell of his family’s operation. Isbell, who is chair of the USA Rice Sustainability Committee, explained, "Fish in the Fields is compatible with our rice cultivation practices, winter field management, and existing conservation programs, and we are exploring new revenue opportunities in the pet food space with the rice fish.”
The next steps will be processing, packaging, and marketing the freeze-dried fish as a single-ingredient source of protein for pet treats.