The Rice Stuff

Michael and Lesley explore brand creation, marketing, and loyalty with two USA Rice members who are blazing a path for their rice. Pam West of Texas Rice Milling, whose new Honestly Texas Rice brand is winning hearts and minds in Texas joins Sam Schneider whose Inland Cape Rice is celebrating two years in markets all over the midwest and elsewhere. From how to name brands to reaching consumers and telling your story, Sam and Pam don't hold back, sharing their experiences. Plus, Michael and Lesley talk nutrition supplements, video equipment, and the age old question, "Is Pepsi okay?" With special guests: Pam West, Business Manager, Honestly Texas Rice, Texas Rice Milling, Brookshire Drying Company and Sam Schneider, Owner, Inland Cape Rice Company Hosted by: Lesley Dixon and Michael Klein

In this episode of The Rice Stuff, hosts Michael and Lesley revisit a 2022 discussion on the importance of university extension programs to the rice industry. Dr. Steve Linscombe sits down with his colleagues Dr. Jarrod Hardke, Dr. Ronnie Levy, and Dr. Bruce Linquist to talk about the contributions of researchers in improving various aspects of rice farming. With special guests: Dr. Jarrod Hardke, University of Arkansas, Dr. Ronny Levy, LSU AgCenter, and Dr. Bruce Linquist Hosted by: Dr. Steve Linscombe, Lesley Dixon, and Michael Klein, USA Rice

In this landmark 100th episode of the podcast, hosts Lesley and Michael reflect on their podcasting journey, the many guests they've talked with, and gloat a little over all the world class TV shows that never made it to 100 episodes. Arkansas rice farmer and The Rice Stuff Instigator Jennifer James stops by to share her thoughts, and then the talk turns to the USA Rice Outlook Conference with a preview of some of the exciting programming that will fill the four stages for more than 20 hours! Registration prices go up on October 18, so sign up today at www.usarice.com/outlook. With special guest: Jennifer James, Arkansas Rice Farmer Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Time to talk trade. Michael and Lesley are joined by USA Rice's new(ish) Director of Trade Policy Karah Janevicius to talk global markets and trade policy. From India and the ITC to the tariffs and the WTO, Karah breaks down the complex issues that are so important to the rice industry. Plus, she shares her origin story and the gang talks about Nutella, Fluff, Mexican water, and for some reason, Australian grubs. With special guest: Karah Janevicius, Director of Trade Policy, USA Rice Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Lesley shares details of her recent trip to the 2024 California Rice Field Day at the Rice Experiment Station in Biggs, including exploring different rice varieties and her surprise at the current research being done into Alternate Wetting and Drying - a practice associated mostly with the mid-South. She and Michael discuss her interviews with researcher Telha Rehman and farmer Matt Dedmond, and then talk about their colleague Karah Janevicius who also attended field day and met with representatives from the International Trade Commission while there. All that, plus barnyard grass and In-N-Out Burger. With special guests: Dr. Telha Rehman, University of California - Davis and Matt Dedmond, California Rice Farmer Hosted by: Lesley Dixon and Michael Klein

Cooking classes, popular for many years, have seen a renaissance of late, likely a result of the pandemic lockdowns making people realize a) how much they enjoy cooking, and b) how much they don’t know about cooking. USA Rice’s celebrated celebrity chef and consultant Hari Cameron, fresh off his appearance on “Beat Bobby Flay,” hosted a Rice Cooking Class at his demonstration kitchen in Rehoboth Beach, DE. He sat down with Michael after the class to talk about it all. That plus Michael and Lesley on gourmet hot dogs, rice wine vinegar, and nachos. @Hari_Cameron on X @HariCam on Instagram www.thechefstablede.com With special guest: Hari Cameron, Chef, The Chef's Table Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

USA Rice's Asiha Grigsby is just back from three weeks on the road for the industry, home for a few days, and then off again to talk U.S.-grown rice. We were able to snag a few minutes between trips with Rice's Western Hemisphere Road Warrior to hear about her work promoting U.S. rice and how she fosters vital relationships with importers. With special guest: Ashia "Rice Lord" Grigsby, Senior Director of International Promotion, USA Rice Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

The U.S. rice industry keeps leadership fresh with regular rotations. At the 2024 USA Rice summer business meetings, Chair and Mississippi rice farmer Kirk Satterfield passed the gavel to Arkansas miller Keith Glover. And on the milling side of the house, Louisiana's Meryl Kennedy passed the Rice Millers' Association leadership to California's Rick Rhody. We did exit interviews with Meryl and Kirk as they put their two-year terms behind them. With special guests: Meryl Kennedy Farr, Kennedy Rice Mill and Kirk Satterfield, Mississippi rice farmer Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Summer means field days and food shows. Lesley talks briefly about the Eagle Lake, TX Field Day, while Michael brought back interviews and samples from the Specialty Food Association’s 68th Annual Fancy Food Show that featured lots of U.S.-grown rice. He talked rice with people from Fancypants Baking Company, Olivia’s Croutons, Hillside Lane Farms, the Dutch Waffle Company, and some innovators whose products only fault is that they weren’t using U.S.-grown rice. Michael also shares information from education sessions he attended. All this, plus Bloody Marys, a new game, and ASMR! You’re going to get hungry. https://fancypantsbakery.com https://dutchwafflecompany.us https://oliviascroutons.com https://hillsidelanefarm.com www.captaindanny.com/en With special guests: Maura Duggan, Founder & CEO, FancyPants Baking Company, Francie Caccovo, Founder & Owner, Olivia's Croutons, Bianca Letens, Dutch Waffle Company, Cathy Bacon, Hillside Lane Farms, Christine Chang, Captain Danny Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Dr. Steve Linscombe reports on the 2024 International Temperate Rice Conference he organized that brought researchers from around the world to New Orleans. Then Michael and Lesley talk with Jamison Cruce about the status of the 2024 Farm Bill, and round out the show with an exit interview of USA Rice intern Caroline Hardy, heading back to LSU to finish law school. Plus Michael unveils the new pod studio complete with a sound board that is going to be trouble and Lesley invites the ire of Louisianans with a possible southernism or a word her father made up. With special guests: Dr. Steve Linscombe, Director, The Rice Foundation, Jamison Cruce, VP of Government Affairs, USA Rice, and Caroline Hardy, USA Rice Intern Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

Michael and Lesley explore some non-table uses of rice from pet food to panko and from snacks to sake. They are joined by Rick Rhody and Rodrigo Batista from Farmers' Rice Cooperative and Exceedient Foods; farmer and marketing expert Ali Cox of Noble West; and Dallas Anthony and Robert Smith from Stabil Nutrition. They talk about the bright future for rice, the dark secret of what's in the trunk of Michael's car, Lesley's upcycling, robotic dogs, and Olympic rowing. That's right. www.stabilnutrition.com www.exceedientfoods.com www.farmersrice.com www.planetricefoods.com www.wearenoblewest.com With special guests: Dallas Anthony, CEO, Stabil Nutrition, Robert Smith, VP R&D, Stabil Nutrition, Rick Rhody, President & CEO, Farmers' Rice Cooperative, Rodrigo Batista, Director of R&D, Farmers' Rice Cooperative, and Ali Cox, Founder, Noble West Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

USDA's MyPlate program is a vital public health program designed to help Americans eat healthy, balanced diets. Strategic Partners, like USA Rice, amplify important nutrition messages. USDA's Dr. Caree Cartwright and Yetunde Akingbemi join Michael, Lesley, and Cameron to talk new nutrition education. Also, does anyone remember Time for Timer? With special guests: Dr. Caree Cotwright, Director of Nutrition Security & Health Equity, USDA-Food & Nutrition Service and Yetunde Akingbemi, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, USDA-Food & Nutrition Service, Center for Nutrition Policy & Promotion Hosted by: Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice

In this episode, hosts Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Dr. Steve Linscombe delve into rice farming in South Carolina, from the 1700s to today. They cover rice's role in shaping the character of the American South, the unique requirements of farming rice in an east coast tidal region, and the recent resurgence of Carolina Gold. Guests from White House Farms, Clemson University, and the University of South Carolina provide insights into both historical and modern-day farming techniques in the Low Country. With special guests: Brian Ward, President, Carolina Gold Rice Foundation; Assistant Professor, Clemson University, David Shields, Chairman, Carolina Gold Rice Foundation; Professor, University of South Carolina; Author, and Don Quattlebaum, South Carolina rice farmer and owner of White House Farms Hosted by: Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Dr. Steve Linscombe

High performing people & organizations often don’t celebrate their victories before tackling the next project. We take a breath for this episode to focus on important successes in the industry that benefit us all. First, Adam Shea of Riceland Foods is back, and he’s brought Austin Brown to talk about their Carbon Ready Program that is saving water, reducing GHGs, and putting money in farmers’ pockets. Then Louisiana farmer Fred Zaunbrecher stops by to talk about his shift from diesel power to electricity for water pumping on his family farm. Yay us! With special guests: Adam Shea, Riceland Foods, Austin Brown, Riceland Foods, and Fred Zaunbrecher Hosted by: Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Steve Linscombe

Latin America is an important destination for U.S.-grown rice, but consumers there have different expectations for their rice than U.S. consumers. In this episode, Michael & Lesley talk about this with Sarah Moran, Chief Operating Officer at USA Rice. Meanwhile, Asiha Grigsby sat down with Kamal Dieck, President of FECARROZ, the Central American Rice Federation. Then LSU rice breeder Dr. Adam Famoso stops by to talk about the successes he has had establishing new varieties for this market. With special guests: Sarah Moran, Chief Operating Officer, USA Rice, Kamal Dieck, President, FECARROZ, and Dr. Adam Famoso, LSU AgCenter Hosted by: Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Aisha Grigsby

The Rice Stuff's most prolific recurring guest, Cameron Jacobs, tells Michael and Lesley all about his adventures at the American Craft Sake Fest in Hot Springs, AR. Turns out, sake brewed with U.S.-grown rice pairs well with almost everything. Plus: sumo wrestlers! With special guests: Weston Konishi, President, Sake Brewers Association of North America and Ben Bell, VP, Origami Sake Hosted by: Michael Klein, Lesley Dixon, and Cameron Jacobs, USA Rice

Humans aren't the only creatures who love to eat rice, which is why the work of entomologists like Dr. Blake Wilson of the LSU Ag Center and Dr. Lina Bernaola of Texas A&M Agrilife Research is so important. In this episode, USA Rice's Dr. Steve Linscombe sits down with these two experts to discuss unwelcome guests in rice fields, from stink bugs to snails, and what can be done about them. With special guests: Lina Bernaola, Assistant Professor & Rice Entomologist, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Blake Wilson, Associate Professor & Entomologist, LSU Agricultural Center Hosted by: Dr. Steve Linscombe and Lesley Dixon

Members of the Specialty Food Association (SFA) create high-end foods and drinks. Rice is often found as an ingredient, but why not take the spotlight? Michael went to SFA’s Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas last month to ask this question and sample fancy food. He's back to talk about his observations with Lesley and share an interview with California rice farmers (and show exhibitors) Tom and Carter Knowles of Chico Rice. He also visited with Laurie Demeritt, CEO of The Hartman Group about food trends and consumer desires. And SFA's Leana Salamah stops by to talk about the market and her organization. With special guests: Leana Salamah​​​​ SVP, Marketing & Communications, Specialty Food Association, Laurie Demeritt, CEO, The Hartman Group, Carter Knowles, Chico Rice, and Tom Knowles, Chico Rice Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

In 2022, USDA announced Climate Smart Commodity grants, with the USA Rice - Ducks Unlimited - National Black Growers Council application receiving the highest score and $80 million. Throughout 2023, the details of the program were negotiated and sign ups are about to open. USA Rice's Director of Grower Relations and the Rice Stewardship Partnership Josh Hankins comes by to explain how the program will work and what rice growers can expect. With special guest: Josh Hankins, Director of Grower Relations and the Rice Stewardship Partnership, USA Rice Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

U.S. agriculture is facing a major labor shortage and increasingly relies on foreign workers to keep food on our tables. The government program designed to help is complex, confusing, and confounding in many aspects. Ag labor expert Kristi Boswell with Alston & Bird law firm conducted a session on the topic at the 2023 USA Rice Outlook Conference. On this episode of TRS, Arkansas rice farmers Jennifer James and Joe Mencer talk about their experiences with the program and how they think it can be improved. With special guests: Jennifer James, Arkansas rice farmer, Joe Mencer, Arkansas rice farmer, and Kristi Boswell, Attorney, Alston & Bird Hosted by: Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon