Quinoa–you’ve heard it, seen it, tasted it in nearly everything over the past few years. The ancient grain, indigenous to the Andean regions of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, and Chili, has grown wildly in popularity due to its complete-protein profile.
However, the seed itself hasn’t grown as wildly. The pseudocereal is can be difficult to cultivate, and the surge in consumption had recently put a strain on farmers south of the equator. Between the increasing price of quinoa and the increasing exports, consumers began to express concerns for the origin of their new favorite super food.
Meanwhile, in small, hot, below-sea-level area of the Imperial Valley in California, the Lundberg family has been able to grow the seed with great success. In 2014, the family farm started with just 40 acres in Northern California. Now, Lundberg has 800 acres planted and is looking at expanding this dry, forsaken patch in Brawley to 500 acres of what might be the next brown rice.
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