In January, Lesley and Michael attended rice events in Texas and Arkansas where the industry gathered to talk about the year ahead and other important issues. They took the opportunity to visit with meeting attendees about water, the Farm Bill, the crop outlook, and on-farm alternative energy.

With special guests:

Debbie Hoffpauir, Texas rice farmer; Fitz Elder, U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee; David Gairhan, Arkansas rice farmer; Roger Pohlner, Arkansas rice farmer; Andrew Grobmyer, Agriculture Council of Arkansas; Collin Holzhauer, Arkansas rice farmer; Jim Whitaker, Arkansas rice farmer; Wayne Wiggins, Arkansas rice farmer; Lauren Waldrip, Arkansas Advanced Energy Association

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Brands and industries around the world spend millions of dollars to understand what makes consumers tick. On this episode, Michael and Lesley talk to USA Rice's Cameron Jacobs about the latest consumer research he has that peels back protective layers to tell us, what consumers who eat rice are thinking about when they do. Plus there's this.

With special guests:

Cameron Jacobs, Senior Director of Domestic Promotion, USA Rice

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

At the 2022 USA Rice Outlook Conference, Dr. Steve Linscombe moderated a panel on organic rice farming with three experienced growers from different parts of the country. They then sat down and recorded a conversation about the unique challenges organic rice farming presents on an already challenging crop. From soil type to yield, and from varieties to prices, listen in as California's Michael Bosworth, Florida's Daniel Cavazos, and Texas' Ken Danklefs give you a peek inside the organic rice business.

With special guests:

Michael Bosworth, California Farmer, Next Generation Foods, Ken Danklefs, Texas Farmer, and Daniel Cavazos, Florida Farmer

Hosted by:

Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Steve Linscombe

The 2022 USA Rice Outlook Conference was held in Austin, Texas from December 6-9. Michael and Lesley took their field recorders along and caught up with presenters, award winners, and others to talk about the exciting event. Be sure to check out the USA Rice YouTube page to see Cole's video and all the winning entries.

With special guests:

Milo Hamilton, Firstgrain, John Anderson, Castor River Farms, Dr. Steve Linscombe, USA Rice, and Cole Skelley, National Rice Month Scholarship Grand Prize Winner

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Our Climate Change series continues with a look at where consumers fit in to the discussion. Michael and Lesley are joined by Jordan Marlatt from intelligence decision company Morning Consult and scientist and writer Steve Savage. Marlatt discusses his company’s recently released Sustainability Survey and how the food and beverage sector scored with consumers. While Savage, who writes for Forbes and other outlets, shares his thoughts on the intersection of corporate actors and consumers on sustainability.

With special guests:

Steve Savage, Journalist, Forbes and Jordan Marlatt, Intelligence Team, Morning Consult

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Each October, tens of thousands of people descend on Crowley, Louisiana to celebrate rice. There's music, a carnival, a cooking contest, multiple parades, rice threshing demonstrations, and of course, the competition for the title of International Rice Festival Queen. Michael was at the festival again and comes back with this report.

With special guests:

Letha Vincent, International Rice Festival, Caroline Hardy, 84th International Rice Festival Queen, Kathryn Shea Duncan, 81st International Rice Festival Queen, and Sadie Zaunbrecher, 85th International Rice Festival Queen

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

About 50 percent of rice grown in the U.S. is exported to 120 countries around the globe. The vast majority goes to consumers in the western hemisphere, so very appropriate that Asiha Grigsby, who oversees rice promotions in the region joined us to talk about her recent trip to Peru and the delegation of Central Americans she hosted in the mid-South. And newly back from U.S. rice day in the UK, Peter Bachmann joins us to talk about trade agreements, the UK, Haiti, and India.

With special guests:

Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice, director international promotion Western Hemisphere and Peter Bachmann, USA Rice, vice president policy and government affairs

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

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 statistical survey work they do and why it is so important for farmers to participate.

With special guests:

U.S. Senator John Boozman, Arkansas, Michael Klamm, Deputy Regional Director of NASS’s Delta Region – Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi, Lance Honig, Chief of NASS’s Crops Branch and Tony Dorn, Chief of NASS’s Environmental, Economics and Demographics Branch

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

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:

William Futch, USDA-APHIS, Glen Gentry, LSU AgCenter, and Jim Whitaker, Arkansas rice farmer

Hosted by:

Steve Linscombe, Lesley Dixon and Michael Klein

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 to help honor the men and women of the U.S. rice industry and kick off the Annual NRM Video Scholarship Contest. More at www.ReelRiceContest.com and www.wholegrainscouncil.org.

With special guests:

Deborah Willenborg, USA Rice, Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice, Laura Jane Giaccaglia, Mississippi State University Extension Office, Becky Barnes Campbell, Arkansas Rice, Kelly Robbins, Arkansas Rice, Robbie Trahan, Falcon Rice Mill, and Kelly LeBlanc, Oldways Whole Grains Council

Hosted by:

Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon