September is National Rice Month!
Here in Arkansas rice is a very important crop contributing over $6 billion annually to my state’s economy. The industry also employs over 25,000 people in my state. Arkansas is the #1 rice producing state in the USA and is home to 2300 rice farms. 96% of these farms are family owned and operated just like mine. The industry works hard to remain a viable and sustainable crop for farmers. Over the past 36 years we have reduced water use by 52% and greenhouse gas emissions by 41% among other impressive statistics that can be found hereon the USA Rice Think Rice website. You can also find the complete sustainability report for the US rice industry and learn about our 2030 sustainability goals.
I have had the incredible honor to be the Chair of USA Rice Sustainability Committee since its inception in 2010, or was it 2011? I am not sure now, but it has been an awesome experience. Before this opportunity I did not think much about what happened to my rice once it was dry and delivered to the rice mill. The production side was all that seemed to garner my attention and I feel this is true for many farmers. As the chair, I have had the opportunity to work with end users of rice from many large companies in the US and abroad. Ironically, many of these folks did not truly understand what the rice farmer did either. There was, and still is, so much potential to educate up and down the supply chain! It has been a great opportunity for me to learn but also share and teach others about rice production and all the fantastic conservation and sustainability efforts that have been going on in our rice fields for decades. This is the reason why I always encourage other farmers to tell their rice story.
Another awesome statistic is that over half of North America’s ducks and waterfowl winter in US rice fields. Yep, that’s right! The waterfowl use rice fields for food and resting places as they fatten up for their long flight home. The partnership between USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited that was established in 2013 has helped highlight these efforts. This partnership has also been able to utilize matching money from the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) to help farmers implement even more conservation practices on rice farms. The best part of the partnership for farmers is the use of technical service providers to guide farmers in the best conservation practices to implement for their own individual farm. No two farms are exactly alike, and this program has been phenomenal at identifying what needed to be done while also using the funds most efficiently and effectively. RCPP has been very successful in the rice industry. In my opinion, it is a model for others to follow. Although some of the administrative “red tape” with this program needs to be addressed to make it easier to navigate the RCPP program.
Be sure to celebrate national rice month by buying and eating US grown rice a few times this month. Buying US grown rice help support your local farmers and the US rice industry. It will also give you confidence that your rice is sustainably grown by a farmer just like me! To make sure you are purchasing US grown rice simply turn the bag or box of rice over and be sure that the Grown in the USA logo is on the package. I will be sharing some great rice recipes soon so be sure to subscribe and follow!
-Jennifer