On Saturday, April 6 NYJL volunteers joined the farmers at the Randall’s Island Park Alliance Urban Farm to overhaul their rice paddies. In existence for the past ten years, the rice paddies at the Urban Farm are some of the only known rice paddies in New York City, and offer visitors a rare chance to see how a foundational part of the human diet is grown.

The paddies serve as a fascinating example of how artificial wetlands ecology is used in food production. Each paddy holds 1,000 gallons of water in its soil and 1,600 grains of rice every season. At least four different varieties of rice are grown each season, representing regions and cultures from around the world. Volunteers worked to remove the old soil and damaged pond liners from the rice paddies.

Once that work was completed a new pond liner was inserted and fresh soil was added to the rice paddies. Volunteers also worked in teams to remove overgrown lotus root from one of the rice paddies and replanted them in their new beds. The new rice paddy beds look fabulous and are ready for planting. It was a wonderful day that displayed NYJL volunteers engaged in team work, collaboration and good-will!