Heritage: Canoe Wild Rice
Canoe Wild Rice has been a family passion from the very beginning, and today it continues to flourish in its fourth generation of heritage. In fact, the family force behind Canoe Wild Rice is so strong that we’ve traveled the world to deliver wholesome wild rice from North America to every household, grocer, and restaurant who appreciates the same quality of all-natural, whole-grain deliciousness that we do. Our vision is to keep doing just that.
Chris Ratuski
The Early 1900s
For over 80 years, the Ratuski Family has been selling wild rice. It began in the early 1900’s with the late Peter Ratuski. He owned a small grocery store in Red Lake, Ontario where he started purchasing wild rice at six cents a pound, or traded groceries for it, from the local Indigenous People of Ontario. With a growing inventory of wild rice, Peter saw an opportunity to sell this nutritious, flavorful grain and created Shoal Lake Wild Rice Ltd.
1968: Expansion
Shoal Lake Wild Rice was eventually passed on to Peter’s sons, Ben and Bill. In 1968, the Ratuski brothers realized the demand for wild rice wasn’t just seasonal, so Shoal Lake Wild Rice bought its first milling equipment, and went into production year-round. They also looked for new areas to sell, and traveled the United States and different parts of the world such as Spain and Japan. Due to the growing popularity of wild rice recipes, the brothers were able to start supplying world-class wild rice to a broader audience throughout the United States as well as different parts of the world, including Spain and Japan.
Mille Lacs & Innovation
With their business steadily growing, the Ratuski’s decided to purchase the Mille Lacs Wild Rice Corporation in Aitkin, Minnesota. The brothers began processing wild rice cultivated within the state of Minnesota, as well as from northern California, while progressively increasing their market reach from Aitkin. Ben’s son Chris began operating Mille Lacs Wild Rice Corporation in the early 1980s, and purchased it fully from his father and uncle.
Today
Chris set out to pioneer a new era of wild rice distribution by building a new state-of-the-art mill that fresh-roasts newly harvested wild rice in a way that preserves all nutrients and flavor while reducing preparation and cooking time. This unique daily process remains unrivaled in the market today. Chris began running Canoe Wild Rice and the ever-growing Mille Lacs Wild Rice Corp operation with his own two sons, Joe and Sam. And they still do today.
Ben (Bohdan) Ratuski
September 8th, 1935 – October 11th, 2020
Ben’s strong work ethic and entrepreneurial nature were the cornerstone of the businesses he built in Kenora including Shoal Lake Fisheries, Shoal Lake Wild Rice, and the Canoe brand. He was a respected leader in the wild rice industry both in Canada and the United States. Entrepreneur, Sportsman, Father, and the image of what “Canoe Wild Rice” has become.