Missouri Entrepreneur Builds Rice Business Reaching U.S. and Global Markets

• March 13, 2026

Missouri has long been known as one of the nation’s most diverse and productive agricultural states. For Sam Schneider, that ecosystem helped turn a small idea into an international business. A 2014 agribusiness graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, Schneider founded Inland Cape Rice Company in Scott City, Missouri. The company grows, mills, and packages organic and non-GMO rice.

Schneider began milling small batches of rice on his family farm, and when demand for staple foods surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, he scaled up production and opened a rice processing and packaging facility in Scott City. The mill officially began operating in 2022.

According to the company website: “Inland Cape Rice Company is the only American grown rice farm, family owned and operated by actual health and nutrition experts. Our passion is providing Midwest residents who love healthy whole grains with farm-direct, sustainable, nutritious rice.”

What began as a farm experiment has since grown into a regional and global operation. Inland Cape Rice now collaborates with 20 to 30 rice producers across Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois, creating new market opportunities for local farmers. From its base in Scott City, the company distributes rice products across the United States and exports to markets in South America and Asia.

Missouri’s Rice Industry: 

•    Missouri ranks 4th in rice production
•  >187,000 acres of rice planted on 327 farms in 2019
•   Rice production contributes ~$152 million to the state economy

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Schneider’s story reflects a broader trend across Missouri: agricultural innovation is no longer limited to production alone. Increasingly, value-added processing, food entrepreneurship, and global market access are helping Missouri agriculture evolve into a modern agribusiness powerhouse.

Entrepreneurs, innovators, and service providers are helping create a dynamic agribusiness ecosystem that supports farmers, strengthens rural communities, and connects Missouri agriculture to global food supply chains.

Learn more about Missouri’s Food & Beverage Industry.