If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love sharing stories about North Carolina farmers who are doing things the right way. No doubt, my friends, the team at Tidewater Grain Company fit that bill to a tee. You can read the first article I wrote about Tidewater, shortly after my first visit to the farm in 2020, here. Based in Oriental, NC, this family-run farm has brought heirloom Carolina Gold Rice back to the forefront and doing it with the kind of care and sustainability that makes my heart, and my pantry, happy.
In a very short time,Tidewater Grain Company has grown to be the largest grower of Carolina Gold Rice in the world; and we are so happy that they call North Carolina home. Tidewater Carolina Gold Rice is GMO-free, gluten-free, and packed with flavor. But today, in honor of Earth Day, I want to shine a little light on something you might not know about Tidewater’s Carolina Gold Rice – the rice hulls.
After you learn all about rice hulls, keep reading. Just for fun, this Earth Day, I’ll teach you how to make your own locally-sourced rice hull stuffed bean bag chair, cushion or pillow.
What are rice hulls? Glad you asked. They’re the outer shell of each grain, usually tossed out after milling as an unwanted, inedible byproduct. But not at Tidewater Grain Co. These folks are turning what could be waste into a real win for the environment. As a no-waste farm practicing sustainable agriculture they put every part of the grains they grow to good use.
Great Carolina Gold Rice, Starts with Good Roots
You already know Tidewater Grain Company’s heirloom Carolina Gold and Santee Gold Long Grain rice is GMO-free, gluten-free, and full of flavor. But in honor of Earth Day, I’m dedicated this article to the rest of the grain. Because, when it comes to sustainable farming, Tidewater doesn’t waste a thing.
As I mentioned earlier, the rice hulls, the papery outer shell of each grain of rice, are typically discarded after milling. At Tidewater, the rice hulls are repurposed, reused, and given new life in all kinds of creative, sustainable ways. Because when you grow your own rice and do your own milling, you get to decide that “byproduct” doesn’t mean “trash.”
For Gardeners: A Soil-Smart Secret
Everyone who finds solace in digging in the dirt and growing in home gardens and greenhouses, can make great use of these local rice hulls. You can, too.
Rice hulls are a brilliant, all-natural soil amendment. Professional, Master and home gardeners love them because they help with drainage, boost aeration, and retain moisture, without compacting the soil like other materials can. You can follow the lead of the pros and mix locally sourced rice hulls into potting soil or use them as mulch to keep weeds down and moisture in. They’re lightweight, neutral in pH, and totally compostable. And because they’re renewable and biodegradable, they’re an eco-friendly alternative to things like peat moss, a non-renewable resource; or perlite which requires mining and a lot more processing.
And here’s a fun FAQ regarding NC rice hulls
In North Carolina where the muscadine grape is king (and the official state fruit), grape growers like Cypress Bend Vineyards use rice hulls in the pressing process to help the pits and muscadine skins break down without getting too sticky. Who’d of thunk it? Gotta love how local producers can work in tandem to to keep agriculture sustainable and delicious.
For Cattle Ranchers Tidewater Rice Hulls Mean Natural Feed and Bedding, too
When harvest season rolls around, it’s not just us humans who benefit. North Carolina’s cattle ranchers love getting in on local rice hull availability. Rice hulls make excellent, natural bedding for livestock. They’re soft, absorbent, and break down over time to enrich the soil. And Rice Bran, the fine “dust” that’s removed during the polishing process of taking grains of brown rice to white, is a tasty treat that local cattle can’t get enough of.
It’s good for the animals, good for the land, and another reason to love this full-circle farming model.
From the Field to the Bath: Tidewater Grain’s New Rice Bran Soaps
And just when you thought Tidewater had thought of everything—they’ve taken rice bran one step further. The oil extracted from the bran is now being blended with Carolina Gold Rice middlins and used in their new line of locally crafted Tidewater rice bran oil soaps. It’s gentle, and moisturizing with lots of hair and skin beauty benefits. Just another beautiful way this farm finds value in every part of the plant.
Sustainability is Farming With Intention
At Tidewater Grain Company, sustainability isn’t a slogan. It’s how things are done. Every grain, every hull, every harvest. It’s farming with intention, legacy, and love for the land. It’s just one more way the team at Tidewater is walking the walk—nurturing the land, minimizing waste, and creating a legacy to last a lifetime.
So this Earth Day, this week, or this month or next, pick up a bag of Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice, or order directly from the farm. Know that when you cook with Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice, you’re supporting sustainability from field to fork.
Where to Shop Local…
You’ll find white and brown rice, middlins (aka rice grits), rice flour and rice bran soap all on the Tidewater Grain Company website. Order a variety today and cook something wonderful in the week’s ahead. You’ll find some of the basic “How to Cook Rice” recipes I’ve penned for Tidewater Grain Company Here. And on the Tidewater recipe pages, you’ll find others from my kitchen and from a variety of chefs across the state as well. On this site, find my favorite recipe for fun rice waffles here; a delicious recipe for vegetarian Hoppin’ John from Chef Andres Prussing, here; and my most popular cheesy rice grits here.
If you want rice hulls, you’ll have to go to the farm and pick them up yourself. Contact them directly to make an appointment.
For Fun at Home: DIY Rice Hull Bean Bag Chair, Anyone?
Feeling crafty? You can even use rice hulls to stuff your own bean bag chair, pillow or floor cushion. They’re comfy, naturally insulating, and 100% biodegradable. Who knew Earth Day could feel this cozy?
What You’ll Need:
- Fabric: Durable cotton canvas, denim or upholstery fabric,
– For a round chair: 2 pieces, 35–45” circles
– For a floor pillow: 2 rectangles or squares (e.g. 30” x 30”) - Zipper or Velcro closure (about 20–24″) — optional, but makes refilling easy
- Rice hulls (available locally in North Carolina from Tidewater Grain Company
- Inner liner Optional but sort of a pro tip here. Use an old bedsheet or laundry bag to hold the hulls inside, making the outer cover washable
How to Make It:
- Cut your fabric
- Choose your shape: round = more “chair” like, square/rectangle = flatter floor cushion vibe.
- Cut two identical pieces for the top and bottom.
- Make the liner
- Cut a cheap cotton sheet or muslin to the same size.
- Sew 3 sides closed, fill with rice hulls, then sew or zip the 4th side shut.
- Sew the outer shell
- With right sides together, sew around the edges, leaving a 12–24” opening for stuffing or your zipper.
- Turn it right-side out.
- Fill it up!
- Carefully insert your liner OR pour rice hulls directly into the outer cover using a funnel or scoop.
- Use about 1.5 to 2 cubic feet of rice hulls for a medium-sized bean bag or floor pillow. (If you are like me and need a translation on how much that is, know that there are about 16 cups on 1 cubic foot of rice hulls.)
- Close it up
- If you’re using a zipper or Velcro, sew it in. Otherwise, hand stitch the opening closed and then sit back, relax and enjoy!