The Rice Stuff USA Rice

All U.S. rice is GMO free. However the use of non-GMO DNA marker technologies has greatly improved the rice breeding process in recent years. Are these scientific breakthroughs making things easier for researchers? Are we on the path to The. Perfect. Variety? Leaders in the field from RiceTec and LSU join the podcast to talk about the technology and how they utilize it to look for specific traits in both pureline and hybrid varieties and what the future holds.
With special guests:
Brijesh Angira, Assistant Professor, College of Agriculture, Louisiana State University, Roberto Fritsche-Neto, Assistant Professor of Quantitative Genetics, Louisiana State University, Dr. Adam Famoso, Associate Professor, Louisiana State University, and Joshua Cobb, Director of Global Breeding Transformation, RiceTec Inc.
Hosted by:
Michael Klein, Steve Linscombe, and Lesley Dixon

Congress is deep into hearings for the 2023 Farm Bill and USA Rice has been providing witnesses to both the House and the Senate. Our own Jamison Cruce, who helps our witnesses prepare, stops by to talk about two recent hearings - one of conservation and one on the commodity title - and explain what the rice industry is hoping to achieve in the new Farm Bill.
With special guest:
Jamison Cruce, Senior Director of Government Affairs, USA Rice
Hosted by:
Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

The Rice Leadership Development Program is extremely exclusive, and each year 5 farmers and 2 rice industry reps start their 2-year journey. Neither Michael nor Lesley would come close to qualifying – but Lesley was able to play the “media card” and join the new class on the first leg of their trip through Texas. She reports on the experience, including media training, a visit to a high-tech breeding lab, and getting to know members of the class.
The program is sponsored by John Deere, American Commodity Company, and RiceTec. You can learn more about the program by visiting www.usarice.com/foundation/leadership-program.
With special guests:
P.J. Haynie, Christi Bland-Miller, and Charles Payne, Rice Leadership Development class members
Hosted by:
Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

School nutrition has come a long way in recent decades and U.S.-grown rice plays an important part because it's affordable, nutritious, and widely accepted. Two members of USA Rice's K-12 Chef Advisory Board, Chef Jason Hull and RDN Bettina Applewhite, join the podcast to talk about feeding kids and instilling positive dietary habits with rice. Michael and Lesley reminisce about their school days, compare notes, and discuss the merits of ketchup as a vegetable. On Wednesdays, they wear pink.
With special guests:
Bettina Applewhite, MS, RDN, LDN, Baltimore County Public Schools and Chef Jason Hull, Director of Culinary Services, Marin Country Day School
Hosted by:
Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

The CAFTA-DR is the free trade agreement between the United States and Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. As with agreements of this type, tariffs have been heading lower and in 2023 we entered into a period of actual free trade for rice with the countries. USA Rice’s Peter Bachmann and Sarah Moran join our newest co-host, Asiha Grigsby, to unpack the agreement and comment on how U.S. rice is faring in these markets.
With special guests:
Sarah Moran, Vice President, International, USA Rice and Peter Bachmann, Vice President, Policy & Government Affairs, USA Rice
Hosted by:
Asiha Grigsby, Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon

The 2023 Farm Bill is expected to be a $1.7 trillion piece of legislation (that's "trillion" with a T). Less than 20 percent actually finds its way to U.S. farms so making the case why you need attention can be "do-or-die." Fresh off a Farmer Fly-in, USA Rice Senior Director Jamison Cruce joins us to talk about rice's legislative priorities for this massive bill. Also, Michael sat down with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to talk rice farmer assistance and communicating about agriculture in general.
With special guests:
Jamison Cruce, Senior Director of Government Affairs, USA Rice, LG Raun, Texas Rice Farmer, and Tom Vilsack, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture


Hosted by:
Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon