The Rice Stuff

U.S. Senator John Boozman, Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee and major U.S. rice supporter, joins the podcast to talk about challenges facing rice farmers, the looming Farm Bill, bipartisanship, educating people with no farm experience, and what percentage of Americans have never seen a cow. But first, Michael and Lesley sit down with three USDA NASS officials to talk about the st...

Feral hogs are an invasive species that cause millions of dollars in damage to agriculture every year. Wildlife experts William Futch of USDA/APHIS and Glen Gentry of the LSU AgCenter join our own Steve Linscombe and Arkansas rice farmer Jim Whitaker to talk about this growing problem and how it is being dealt with, from traps and poison, to hunting and electrified barriers. With special guests: W...

September is National Rice Month and Whole Grains Month, and this episode is jam packed. Louisiana's Robbie Trahan, Mississippi's Laura Jane Giaccaglia, and Arkansas' Becky Barnes Campbell and Kelly Robbins share how our mighty grain is celebrated in their states. The Whole Grains Council's Kelly LeBlanc joins to talk nutrition messaging, and our own Cameron Jacobs and Deborah Willenborg stop by t...

Michael went on location to interview PJ Haynie (@PJHaynieIII), farmer and owner of the new Arkansas River Rice Mill in Pine Bluff, AR, and talked about representation, equity, and community in agriculture. Meanwhile, Dr. Steve Linscombe and Lesley discuss the ins and outs of the Rice Foundation Leadership Development Program and its role in creating future rice leaders and advocates. Applications...

Today's supermarkets have come a long way from their humble beginnings as General Stores. The grocery choices facing U.S. consumers are unparalleled and the system that delivers fresh and clean food to every corner of the country is nothing short of a modern miracle. Benjamin Lorr, author of "The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket," joins the podcast for an enli...

Deep in the dog days of summer, Michael and Lesley have done some rice travel, taking along their trusty field recorders. First, Lesley attended the Eagle Lake, TX field day where she caught up with Kirby Brown and other Ducks Unlimited experts to talk drought, water management, and wildlife. And in windy CA, Michael sat down with former Google exec Steve Lerch to talk about trends and how influen...

Lesley went on location for this episode to talk about koji, the official mold of Japan, with chef Jeremy Umansky (@TMGastronaut) who co-wrote " Koji Alchemy " and uses koji in his Jewish-style delicatessen in Ohio. She also went to Texas Sake Company (@txsakeco) in Austin to talk about their Lone Star State take on the popular Japanese drink. Lesley sat down with co-owner Tim Klatt, brewer Curt C...

Cuba was at one time the largest export market for U.S.-grown rice, but the Kennedy Administration's embargo of The Island brought an end to that. And 60 years later, we're still feeling the effects: a food crisis in Cuba and a reliable, close export market gone. This episode looks at the current situation with U.S.-Cuban trade. Special guests Paul Johnson, chair of the U.S. Agriculture Coalition...

Agriculture is at the intersection of science, determination, and good fortune – and innovation keeps everything moving forward. Two renowned rice scientists, Dr. Eric Webster and Dr. Steve Linscombe, join this episode to talk about important rice innovations. From the way rice is planted to the environmental impact of raising a crop, and even to how new varieties are developed, the Clearfield and...

The 2018 Farm Bill is expiring and work has begun on the 2023 Farm Bill that could well spend $1 trillion. Mississippi rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Farm Policy Task Force Kirk Satterfield joins the podcast to talk about how today's Farm Bill worked when it was written, but that it has not kept up with the times. The work has just begun, but the phrase on everyone's lips should be "input c...

Rice pretenders invaded supermarket shelves, establishing a beachhead with minced cauliflower. Now chickpeas, lentils, peas, and other assorted not rice things have joined in. If they didn't call themselves "rice" we would be cool. But they do, so we aren't. We taste test some rice pretenders and are joined by Chris Galen from the National Milk Producers Federation who shares his wisdom, gained fr...

Combined, the countries of Latin America are the second largest export market for U.S. rice. Changes in consumer preference and U.S. quality (real and perceived) has put U.S. rice behind. But many are working hard to respond to customer demands. Enter rice breeders Dr. Adam Famoso and Raul Guerra from the LSU AgCenter and Sarah Moran, vice president of international for USA Rice. Michael and Lesle...

Part 3 of our Climate Change series looks at climate policy. In this episode we're joined by Steve Dyokas, Senior Advisor in the State Department's Office of Global Change, to talk about the global AIM for Climate initiative. We talk about climate-smart commodities with Robert Bonnie, USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. And Arkansas rice farmer Mark Isbell offers a grower pe...

The United States and Mexico have a very special trade relationship – especially when it comes to U.S.-grown rice. In this episode, USA Rice Director of International Promotion Asiha Grigsby comes in to talk about the top export market for our rice, including consumer perceptions and what her team is doing to influence them, obstacles and opportunities, and more. And somehow Michael and Lesley bri...

War in Europe, continuing supply chain and logistics challenges, climate change, economic pressures, an absentee trade agenda from the Biden Administration, and more are making it difficult to be optimistic about anything—let alone rice—an export-dependent crop. USA Rice's Sarah Moran and Peter Bachmann, who tag-team international issues for the industry, join Michael and Lesley to share their out...

People who need to control their blood sugar often give up rice. But thanks to a new variety with a low glycemic index, that may no longer be necessary. It's also high in protein & delicious. Developed at the LSU AgCenter and grown in southern Illinois and southwestern Louisiana, the rice is marketed under the names Cahokia and Parish. The rice growers, Blake Gerard & Michael Fruge, join u...

India has become the largest exporter of rice in the world and by their own admission, they are not playing by the rules of fair trade. In this episode, USA Rice Chair and CEO of Supreme Rice Mill Bobby Hanks, USA Rice VP of International Trade Peter Bachmann, and ag trade expert Ben Conner of DTB AgriTrade explain India's market-distorting schemes, what it means for the U.S. industry and other in...

Ag extension offices and the specialists housed in them are among the most valuable assets any farmer can have. Tracing their roots back to clubs formed shortly after the American Revolution, today they use cutting-edge technology to help farmers with crops, sustainability, and profitability. Dr. Steve Linscombe welcomes three current extension specialists, Dr. Jarrod Hardke from Arkansas, Dr. Ron...

Rice imports into the U.S. have been rising for years, driven primarily by jasmine from Thailand and basmati from India. Both premium varieties are grown in the U.S., but have the imports captured consumers' imaginations? CoBank Lead Economist Tanner Ehmke and First Grain's Milo Hamilton stop by to discuss their recent report, "Fragrant Rice: Opportunity or Threat for the U.S. Rice Industry?" Mich...

As if rice doesn't have enough problems, this export-dependent crop is dealing with unprecedented shipping and logistical woes. From ocean freighters gaming a system they created, to truck weights and limited working hours in port, it's a wonder the industry is surviving. Peter Friedmann, Executive Director of the Agriculture Transportation Coalition and Chris Crutchfield, President & CEO of A...

We celebrate excellence with Josefine Sedler, the Grand Prize Winner of the National Rice Month Video Scholarship Contest, sponsored by American Commodity Company. We talk with the winners of the Rice Awards presented at the 2021 USA Rice Outlook Conference by Rice Farming Magazine, Horizon Ag, and USA Rice: Rice Farmer of the Year, Nicole Montna Van Vleck; Rice Industry Award winner Dr. Qiming Sh...

School nutrition programs rely on U.S.-grown rice for a lot of reasons – versatility, shelf stability, wholesomeness, and perhaps most important, student acceptance! Chef Brenda Wattles, RDN, programs as much rice as she can for the largest school district in Idaho where she consults and helps develop 25,000 nutritious meals every day. Chef Brenda joins Michael and Lesley and Cameron Jacobs to tal...

Part 2 of our Climate Change series looks at agronomy and climate. In this episode we're joined by Arkansas rice farmer Jim Whitaker and USDA Research Agronomist Dr. Arlene Adviento-Borbe to share their vast knowledge on the subject. From experiencing severe weather to the importance of cover crops and the USDA Climate Hubs, Jim and Arlene have great insight and advice for growers. Dr. Steve Linsc...

Every October, tens of thousands of people converge on Crowley, Louisiana to celebrate rice at the International Rice Festival. Michael traveled to the 84th festival to take it all in – parades, music, the crowning of the Chef de Riz, frog jumping, the crowning of the 84th International Rice Festival Queen, and more. In this episode he reports on his experiences judging one of the cooking contests...

James Beard nominated chef and restaurateur Hari Cameron, a great friend to U.S.-grown rice, joins the podcast to talk about restaurants, how he got into cooking, what he considers when he's developing a recipe, what the USA Rice Foodservice Farm & Mill Tour meant to him and other chefs, food trends, and a new exciting project he's working on. He also shares his thoughts on how foodservice is...