Oryza sativa
Origin: Hokkaido, Japan
Improvement status: Cultivar
Seeds per packet: ~70
Germination tested 11/2023: 93%
Life cycle: Annual
Hayayuki is a cold-tolerant, short-grained brown rice from Hokkaido Island, in the northern part of Japan. It is considered a lowland (paddy) rice, but it is adaptable to upland (dry) cultivation as well, so long as it is adequately watered into July. It is a nutty, flavorful variety. The rice ripens in 100-105 days, making it a relatively short-season rice. EFN co-founder Dusty Hinz grew this variety an hour north of Minneapolis in 2020, so it can certainly handle northern climates. We're excited to be offering seeds for this and a few other rice varieties. As one of the world's most important crops, rice has great potential for American farmers, even in places where paddy production is impractical. Because rice can be dehulled using primitive technology (like a flail), and it can produce a lot of food in a small area, we believe more and more homesteaders will be growing rice eventually, so we're excited to be offering a half-dozen varieties this year.
These seeds were grown by EFN collaborator Cody Egan, of Mabel, Minnesota.
GROWING TIPS: In northern climates start seeds indoors in trays around April 15-20, transplant to the garden early to mid May as the weather permits.
