The Northern Rivers Family Growing Rice Without Irrigation

Slater Farms is less than two hours from Byron Bay, Demeter biodynamic certified, and doing something genuinely different with Australian rice.

Most Australian rice is grown in the Riverina, in the southwest of NSW, using extensive irrigation infrastructure to flood vast paddy fields. It is a highly productive system, but it depends on diverting large volumes of water from the Murray-Darling basin.

About 1,200 kilometres north of all that, in the subtropical hills near Casino, Brett and Karen Slater have been growing rice an entirely different way.

They call it Rainfed Rice. It grows on natural Northern Rivers rainfall. No irrigation, no water diversion, no flooded paddies. The paddocks look nothing like a conventional rice farm. The system looks nothing like conventional Australian rice farming.

And it has quietly become one of the most interesting small-farm stories in Australian agriculture.

Who are the Slaters?

Brett and Karen Slater run a family-owned farm at Fairy Hill, just outside Casino in the Northern Rivers of NSW. Brett moved to organic growing in 1998, converted the farm to biodynamic practice in 2004, and grew his first dryland rice crop in 2009. In 2010 he installed a mill on the property, which means every grain of Slater Farms rice is grown, harvested, and milled on the same patch of land.

That kind of vertical integration is rare at any scale. For a single family farm, it is almost unheard of. It also means complete control over the final product, from paddock to bag.

The farm is Demeter biodynamic certified (Certificate No: 717), which is the highest and most rigorous organic certification standard available in Australia. Demeter certification requires everything a conventional organic certification requires, plus additional biodynamic farm practices and whole-farm ecosystem management. Fewer than a hundred Australian farms hold it.

What makes rainfed rice different?

Conventional Australian rice is grown in flooded paddies, with large volumes of water diverted from rivers through irrigation channels and held in the fields for most of the growing season. It is a well-established system that produces high yields per hectare.

The environmental cost of that system has been a point of national conversation for years. Rice is one of the thirstiest crops in Australian agriculture.

Dryland or "rainfed" rice is a completely different model. The rice is sown into prepared ground and relies entirely on rainfall through the growing season. It works in the Northern Rivers because the subtropical climate delivers reliable summer rainfall patterns that align with the rice growing cycle. It would not work in the Riverina, which is why nobody is doing it there.

The practical result: Slater Farms produces rice without diverting a single litre of water from the local river system.

What the rice itself is like

The 25kg bag that Santos stocks is Slater Farms' primary farm-gate format. It is medium grain brown rice, with the bran layer intact, giving it:

• A slightly nuttier, fuller flavour than white rice
• A chewier texture that holds up well in grain bowls, stir-fries, and reheated meals
• A longer cooking time (around 35 to 40 minutes with soaking)
• Higher fibre, more B vitamins, and more minerals than white rice

Because the bran layer is intact, brown rice contains more natural oils than white rice and can go rancid faster if stored poorly. The 25kg bag is best decanted into airtight containers of 1 to 2kg for daily use, with the bulk supply kept sealed in a cool dark place.

For most households this bag lasts six months to a year. For food service operations, large households, or community buyers it moves faster.

Why we stock it

Santos has been the Northern Rivers' organic food shop since 1978. Over those decades we have watched a real local food economy form around this region. Small producers, family farms, people who do things properly because that is who they are, not because the market demands it.

Slater Farms is one of those stories. Twenty-five years in, Brett is still farming the same patch of land, still refining the biodynamic practice, still growing rice without irrigation. The Santos SO range exists precisely to spotlight producers like this: farmers whose work deserves a bigger audience, grown within driving distance of our stores.

Every bag of Slater Farms rice that sells supports a Northern Rivers family running one of the most interesting small-scale organic grain operations in the country. It also keeps the money inside the regional food system, which is central to what Santos exists to do.

How to cook brown rice properly

Brown rice is often overlooked because people cook it like white rice and get a disappointing result. Done properly, it is just as satisfying as white rice, with far more flavour and texture.

Soak first. Rinse and soak in cold water for 30 to 60 minutes before cooking. Discard the soaking water. This shortens the cook time and improves digestibility.

Stovetop method. Combine 1 cup of brown rice with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce to the lowest heat, cover tightly, and cook for 35 to 40 minutes without lifting the lid. Rest for 10 minutes off the heat, still covered, before serving.

Rice cooker. Use a 1:1.5 ratio of rice to water. Use the brown rice setting if your cooker has one.

Medium grain brown rice is particularly good in grain bowls, fried rice, rice salads, congee, and alongside curries and stir-fries where the slightly chewier texture holds its own against bold flavours.

Shop Slater Farms Biodynamic Rainfed Rice

Available at Santos Organics in the 25kg bulk bag, Slater Farms' primary farm-gate format. Ideal for large households, food service operations, commercial kitchens, and community buyers.

Shop SO Biodynamic Medium Grain Brown Rice 25kg →

Available online for delivery Australia-wide and in our Byron Bay, Mullumbimby, and Banksia stores.