Dispatch: Let the Minnesota wild rice harvest begin

The window for harvesting wild rice from Minnesota's lakes and rivers opens Saturday.

"Rice growth appears to be a little ahead of last year. Peak harvesting dates are estimated to be in late August to early September as long as weather remains mild," said Ann Geisen, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wildlife lakes specialist, in a news release.

The harvest season runs until Sept. 30. The dry spring contributed to positive projections. More than 1,200 lakes and rivers in 54 counties contain wild rice. The highest concentrations are in Aitkin, Cass, Crow Wing, Itasca and St. Louis counties. Rice beds have been growing well in most areas, the DNR reported.

Harvest licenses are $25 per season, or $15 per day for Minnesota residents. There is no limit to the amount harvested with a permit. The last harvest survey estimated that 700,000 pounds of wild rice were gathered in 2006, or 430 pounds per harvester.