In the fall

they established a relationship with Inquis Clinical Research Lab in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that had agreed to score their new variation of rice The results were fantastic. “What we found was way more than we ever dreamed of.”- he shares.

He informs me how this works- white rice scores around 73 on the glycemic index– brown on average will come in around 10 points less – and their hope was to have a score close to brown rice. The test results of Parish Rice scored a 41 on the glycemic index. They knew they had a game changing product. Here's the breakdown of the science; Parish Rice contains 53% more protein than the average consumer brand of white rice. The higher protein slows down the rate at which the carbs are turned to glucose which results in a low glycemic index value of 41.

With these test results in hand, Michael knew he had to make sure his brand was showcased and marketed effectively. He brought in a marketing agency, brandRUSSO and they officially created the Parish Rice label and brand Michael explains, "Food is our culture here in south Louisiana, it only made sense to tie the brand to where we are from."

He shares with us that like any start-up company he has a lean team of employees helping to increase brand awareness and move the product He goes on to explain, "We are growing quickly but we still have to be resourceful and thoughtful about our efforts. I'm fortunate to have dedicated team members."

His world changed around Christmas 2021 when the LSU AgCenter posted a video about Michael's story on their social media. "Suddenly our online sales skyrockted, I didn't know what was going on! That video changed everything for us."

Shortly after, Parish Rice welcomed Rouses Markets as a retail partner and went on to add stores like Albertson's, Super 1 Foods, Nu-Nu's Markets and several others The company is also popular online, "We have shipped to all 50 states, people are always sending messages telling us how they are so happy they can enjoy rice again."

Since then, the Parish Rice team has been working to expand their footprint Michael is proud to tell us, "We have some exciting things in the works for our customers. Y'all stay tuned."