Working Landscapes:
Fish in the Fields

Launched in 2012, our J.M.K. Innovation Prize-winning Fish in the Fields program adapts the age-old practice of rice/fish co-cultivation to modern agricultural practices, raising small freshwater fish in winter-flooded rice fields.

Yvon Chouinard, CEO of Patagonia, sitting on a rock by a river, holding a fishing rod in one hand and a caught fish in the other. He is wearing a cap, plaid shirt, and fishing vest, surrounded by rocks and trees.

“A game changer for people and the planet.”

YVON CHOUINARD
FOUNDER OF PATAGONIA AND RRI BOARD MEMBER

Two workers sitting on a narrow dirt path between flooded fields during the daytime, with hills and a cloudy sky in the background. They are collecting data for Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.

Launched in 2012, our award-winning Fish in the Fields program adapts the age-old practice of rice/fish co-cultivation to modern agricultural practices, raising freshwater fish in winter-flooded rice fields. This innovative approach also creates an additional revenue stream for rural farmers—the sale of fish for feed—while reducing the demand on fish from our oceans.

A large quantity of small fish inside a fishing net on the ground. Fish in the Fields, Arkansas

Our riceland management practice harnesses natural systems to:

• Foster resilience for two essential foods, rice and fish
• Sustain wildlife habitat and build biodiversity
• Improve nutrient/carbon cycling and reduce methane emissions
• Support economic and ecological sustainability of rural communities

The J.M.K. Innovation Prize is awarded biennially to 10 innovators with potentially game-changing ideas to address pressing needs within The J.M. Kaplan Fund’s program areas: supporting vulnerable communities, mitigating climate impacts, and preserving the places communities care about most. The Prize supports pilot projects or nascent efforts, which involve a certain amount of measured risk but may ultimately lead to large-scale transformative results. Learn more about the J.M.K. Innovation Prize and prize winners here. >

Fish in the Fields is honored to be a 2023 J.M.K. Innovation Prize Awardee.

Featured in KUAF’s Ozarks at Large segment on Short Talks from the Hill, where Dr. Ben Runkle discusses our innovative project. The episode explores how integrating fish into winter rice fields can support farmers with an additional crop while enhancing sustainability and ecosystem health.

On air with Short Talks from the Hill

Fish in the Fields has been featured in:

Stylized text spelling 'Wired' with each letter in a black or gray square background.
The word 'Foods' in black bold letters on a white background.
GreenBiz logo with black background and white and blue text
Logo of Nonprofit Quarterly with the initials NPO in blue.
Yale Environment 360 logo
The Fish Site logo with stylized blue text
The Weather Network logo with a yellow square background and a blue scribbled sphere, next to the text 'The Weather Network' in blue.
Click the image to see a story about Resource Renewal Institute | RRI's Fish in the Fields project reported on in enorm magazin for readers in Germany and Austria
US Rice logo with stylized rice stalks and blue, red, green colors.
Logo for Change Now, an international summit for change, featuring the words 'change NOW' with 'NOW' in large letters and a geometric icon, along with the subtitle 'International Summit for Change'.
Logo for 'The Appeal' newspaper featuring the names Yuba, Sutter, and Colusa at the top and Democrat at the bottom.
The logo of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper in black text with a shield emblem in the middle.
  • Chance Cutrano with buckets of fish for Fish in the Fields, Arkansas. He's wearing a neon orange jacket, waders, and is in front of a flooded rice field.
  • A scenic view of a grassy wetland with water bodies, a lone tree, and mountains in the distance under a partly cloudy sky.
  • Group of people observing a water sampling or inspection at a flooded rice field on a sunny day for Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • A person wearing blue gloves holding a white plastic cup with dirt and a screw inside, outdoors with background of climbing gear and ropes. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • Two scientists working in a rice field with water, examining samples, with agricultural machinery in the background. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • A man in outdoor clothing pouring water into a compost or soil test container near a farm pond with tilled land and trees in the background. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • A landscape of flooded agricultural rice fields with muddy pathways and a cloudy sky overhead. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • Two people in waterproof clothing and waders are collecting or examining fishing equipment with floats and nets in a muddy, shallow rice field. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • A serene flooded rice field with partially submerged grass and mud in the foreground, under a clear blue sky. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • A close-up view of a black mesh fishing basket filled with numerous small fish, resting on grass. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.
  • Close-up of ripe wheat stalks in a wheat field with a clear blue sky in the background. Fish in the Fields in Arkansas.

Help us revitalize our working landscapes.

Sign up for our Fish in the Fields mailing list to learn more about how we’re working with our partners and applying principles of agroecology to shape the future of how food is grown.