The Rice Stuff

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?" Michael and Lesley ask them to unpack their findings and discuss the nature of optimism and pessimism.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

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 American Commodity Company and newly appointed member of the National Shipper's Advisory Committee, break it all down.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

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 Shao; and Rice Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Dr. Kent McKenzie.

See Josefine's video

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

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 talk recipes, nutrition, and supply chain challenges facing the people responsible for feeding our kids.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

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 Linscombe also weighs in on the very real threats climate change poses to growers. See www.climatehubs.usda.gov for more.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Dr. Steve Linscombe

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, interviews two Queen contest judges, three queens, & the 2021 Rice Farmer of the Year, Phillip Lamartiniere.

Additional guests:

Jimi Madison Joubert, 83rd International Rice Festival Queen Kathryn Shea Duncan, 81st International Rice Festival Queen Caroline Elizabeth Hardy, 84th International Rice Festival Queen

Hosted by:

Lesley Dixon and Michael Klein

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 portrayed in movies and on TV, and the kitchen appliances nobody should be without.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

We're doing a multi-episode deep dive into climate change. For this episode we're joined by meteorologist, journalist, and author Bob Henson who will explain the science of climate change. We'll talk about climate versus weather, how weather patterns are changing, the Texas cold wave, hurricanes, strategies of mitigation and adaptation, how climate change is impacting supply chains, and more. Bob's book is "The Thinking Person's Guide to Climate Change" and you can follow him on Twitter @bhensonweather.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon and Dr. Steve Linscombe

Research is vitally important to the rice industry – so much so farmers, millers, & merchants pay for it themselves. Dr. Steve Linscombe, who knows rice research better than anyone, sits down with some of the most respected names in rice research: Drs. Dustin Harrell, Kent McKenzie, and Bob Scott, to talk about the impact research has had on the U.S. rice industry. California rice farmer Kim Gallagher also joins the podcast to share what research has done for her farm, her family, and her state.

Hosted by:

Steve Linscombe, Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

USA Rice's Deborah Willenborg launches the 2021 National Rice Month scholarship contest that distributes more than $10,000 to high school seniors; Kelly Toups, head of nutrition for Oldways, shares new findings about consumers, whole grains, diets, and what it all means for rice; and we check in with Jay Vroom, Senior Advisor to the Farm Journal Foundation about the Voice of the Farmer Garden in Washington, DC and the rice he's growing there. More info: Reel Rice Contest, Oldways, and Farm Journal Foundation Garden.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon