In this episode we’ll meet Molly Ellis, a high school senior from McKinney, Texas who beat out 106 other students to win the Grand Prize in the 2020 National Rice Month Scholarship contest with her video about how rice impacted the town of Katy, Texas; spend time with contest sponsor Chris Crutchfield of ACC Rice; and sit down with the 2020 USA Rice Sustainability Award Winner Dr. Michele Reba of USDA-ARS to hear about her ground-breaking research into water use efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon and Lydia Holmes

In a special episode, Rice Farming Magazine Editor Vicky Boyd joins the podcast to help recognize the 2020 Rice Award winners. Meet the Rice Farmer of the Year from California where he’s brought in more than 50 crops; the Rice Industry Award winner joins us from Louisiana where he is advocating for rice on the local and national level, and the Lifetime Achievement Award honoree joins us from Texas to reflect on a life spent working in rice. Dr. Tim Walker of award cosponsor Horizon Ag joins us as well.

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Every year, farmers put their net worth in the ground, believing they will have a crop to harvest at the end of the season. They can improve their odds with good crop protection practices. Host Steve Linscombe is joined by Arkansas rice farmer Sidney Robnett, LSU weed scientist Dr. Eric Webster, and Texas A&M etymologist Dr. Mo Way to unpack the complex and vital crop protection game. Michael and Lesley also talked with California rice farmer Matthew Sligar about his new children’s book, Daddy’s Got Dirt.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Rice is the most widely manipulated commodity around the world and U.S. rice is export dependent. It’s the job of Peter Bachmann of USA Rice to secure access to markets for the U.S. industry and take trade cheats to task. Peter talks China, Mexico, Vietnam, India, Nigeria, Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, WTO, and more in this deep dive into Rice Trade Policy. Michael and Lesley also talk about biased sport referees, set the record straight on Ramadan and English food, and get their first fan call! Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

USA Rice’s Eszter Somogyi joins the show today all the way from Hamburg, Germany to talk about the U.S. rice promotions she oversees from Accra to Zarqa and spots in between. She’ll cover the varied customs of her customers, their rice preferences, and the one thing that unites them all whether they are in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, or someplace else. Michael and Lesley also talk about past travels and the names for U.S. products in other countries that might have Americans scratching their heads.

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Achieving sustainability goals is a group effort. The U.S. rice industry is fortunate to have a lot of great partners helping make their collective vision a reality. Representatives from Riceland Foods, Anheuser-Busch, and Indigo Ag join the podcast today to talk with Lydia about how they are working with rice industry leaders to make the world a better place. Join Adam Shea, Bill Jones, and Cody Corbell as they explain their companies’ contributions to these important efforts.

Hosted by:

Lydia Holmes

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live, shop, and eat. It’s also changed the way USA Rice promotes the rice industry. Director of Domestic Promotion Cameron Jacobs joins the podcast to talk about the great pandemic promotion pivot and the role U.S.-grown rice can play as the battered restaurant industry stages a comeback. Michael and Lesley also ask listeners to let them know about local restaurants that are serving U.S. rice so they can give them a shout out and maybe send some business their way.

Rice fields are unique amongst row crops in that they sustain so much wildlife. From birds to invertebrates and now even fish – hundreds of species of critters call these working fields home. U.S. rice farmers know this and actually count on it, so they do everything they can to support it. Hosts Lydia Holmes and Dr. Steve Linscombe are joined by California rice farmer Leo LaGrande and Ducks Unlimited’s Dr. Scott Manley as they explore the unique biodiversity opportunities and challenges of rice fields.

Hosted by:

Lydia Holmes and Steve Linscombe

At any given time upward of 50 countries are receiving vital food aid from the United States, and with experts describing today’s global humanitarian crises as “biblical,” now is the time to learn about food aid programs and how rice can help. USA Rice food aid consultant Rebecca Bratter joins the podcast to talk about global hotspots, COVID-19, the different types of aid, and how rice makes a big difference. Somehow Michael and Lesley get corncob pipes into the discussion. Please subscribe & rate the show!

Roughly half of U.S.-grown rice is exported to 130 countries with most of it destined for a Western Hemisphere location – Mexico, Canada, Central America, or Haiti. USA Rice’s international promotion gurus, Sarah Moran & Asiha Grigsby join the podcast to talk about their work, goals, & outcomes, as well as to explore opportunities & threats on the horizon. Michael and Lesley also look at rice dishes from Europe and scratch the surface of iconic food scenes in movies and TV shows. Please subscribe & rate us!