Santa Monica Farmers' Market Farmers: Robin Koda
Robin Koda is the most stylish farmer at the market. She’s only there once a month, but you can’t miss her chic overalls, messy ponytail, and electric-blue eyeliner. She’s part of the third generation of Koda Farms, the oldest family-owned rice farm and mill in California. Her grandfather, Keisaburo Koda, emigrated from Japan in the early 1900s, and after starting a tuna cannery south of Los Angeles, he decided to grow rice in the San Joaquin Valley. He developed his own varietal called Kokuho Rose, garnered the nickname “Rice King,” and almost lost it all when the family was interned in Colorado during World War II. If you’ve ever had Brooks Headley’s Superiority Wrap or the Sorrel Pesto Rice Bowl at Sqirl, both of which use Kokuho Rose, then you know this isn’t your average bag of brown rice.
From “How to Do the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market (@smfms)” by Gillian Ferguson for Lucky Peach, 2016; Photo courtesy of the Seed documentary
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