Family-owned Koda Farms closes after nearly a century in rice business
By Carl Samson
Koda Farms, a family-owned rice farm in Dos Palos, California, renowned for its heirloom rice varieties, is closing its doors after nearly 100 years. Facing escalating costs in farming — ranging from water and insurance to labor and organic fertilizer — the Koda family has decided to cease operations by the end of the year.
- How Koda Farms came to be: Koda Farms was founded by Japanese immigrant Keisaburo Koda in the 1920s after he immigrated to the U.S. in 1908. The former school principal purchased land in South Dos Palos, which eventually became Koda Farms, and was later passed down to his sons. The farm became famous for its heirloom rice varieties like Kokuho Rose and Sho-Chiku-Bai, which are used in top restaurants and grocery stores across the country. Despite facing significant challenges — including the family’s incarceration in World War II and the loss of much of their land — they managed to rebuild the business. “For what our parents and grandparents went through, we feel a huge sense of obligation, but in another sense, I feel like it’s time to move on,” Robin Koda, Keisaburo’s grandchild and current co-owner, told the New York Times.
- What’s next: The Kodas have decided to license their trademarks to Western Foods, a grain manufacturer that will continue farming Kokuho Rose rice in the Sacramento Delta region and processing other rice products in Northern California and Arkansas. “Our goal is to maintain the legacy and the heritage … hopefully bring some new product development for their existing brands and continue the legacy for the next 50 to 100 years,” Western Foods President Miguel Reyna told the Sacramento Bee.
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