in this episode
Dr. Niki Clark runs Nikian Farm in Nova Scotia with her partner, Ian Curry. In this episode, Niki shares about their work cultivating paddy rice -- from soaking and seed starting through to harvest, and de-husking or "polishing" the rice. After a decade of experimentation with this crop, Niki shares her learnings and her passion for this work which transforms humble rice paddies info thriving, biodiverse ecosystems, and launching pads for on-farm plant breeding, and community food security.
GUEST BIO
Dr. Niki Clark (anthropology/archaeology) and Ian Curry have operated a small organic farm, nursery, and landscaping business in the Annapolis Royal area of Nova Scotia since 2003. Their pre-farming work took them to South America, Africa, the Mediterranean and the Middle East where they developed interests in diverse crops and sustainable land use. They continuously experiment with edible, medicinal and ornamental plants to learn what can be grown successfully in the Maritime region with our changing climate conditions. Since 2013, they have been growing short-season, cold-tolerant paddy rice and developing temperate rice varieties suitable for small organic farms and backyard gardens. Their goal is to enhance food security in Nova Scotia and beyond with this nutritious grain, a staple in much of the world.
