Arkansas Food, Farms and Forests Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

Scott Lafontaine, flavor chemist and assistant professor in the food science department, explains the science behind malted rice and how it could become another tool for the beer brewing industry. As climate change and rising costs threaten barley, this novel research shows how malted rice could provide a viable alternative. For consumers, malted rice beer offers a gluten-free option and a variety of unique flavor profiles. And since Arkansas produces about half of the rice in the U.S., local brewers can leverage a domestic agricultural product and present local farmers with another economic opportunity.

Read more about this research here:   
https://aaes.uada.edu/news/malted-rice-study-lafontaine/ 

Find Scott Lafontaine on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-lafontaine/ and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottLafontain 

In our first episode of 2022, Nick Kordsmeier, director of Arkansas Ag Experiment Station Communications, spoke with Scott Osborn, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering, about his improved method for carbonating beer and how it’s helping a local brewery speed up production. Then, Science Writer John Lovett tells the story of nocturnal pollinating moths and some recent research that indicates they may be more beneficial for pollinating food than previously recognized. And last, Science Editor Fred Miller, has a conversation with Nilda Burgos, Professor of Weed Physiology and Molecular Biology, about the state of weedy rice research.

Visit https://aaes.uada.edu/news for more of our stories.

In this episode, Science Writer John Lovett shares the story of how ARoma 17, an aromatic rice variety developed by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, came to be used as the base for an award-winning gin. And Nick Kordsmeier, director of AAES communications, sat down with John Clark, distinguished professor of horticulture and fruit breeding for the experiment station, to talk about the Arkansas  Fruit Breeding Program and how fruit breeding works.

In the inaugural episode of the Arkansas Food, Farms and Forests podcast, Science Writer John Lovett spoke with the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food about their apprenticeship program; AAES Director of Communications Nick Kordsmeier invited food safety expert Jennifer Acuff to share some food safety tips ahead of Thanksgiving; and Science Editor Fred Miller sat down with the Novus International Professor of Poultry Science, Casey Owens, to discuss her research program and the progress she's made towards fighting chicken meat quality defects.