#50 Ducks in Texas and Trends on the Internet

#50 Ducks in Texas and Trends on the Internet

Author: USA Rice July 26, 2022 Duration: 45:59

Deep in the dog days of summer, Michael and Lesley have done some rice travel, taking along their trusty field recorders. First, Lesley attended the Eagle Lake, TX field day where she caught up with Kirby Brown and other Ducks Unlimited experts to talk drought, water management, and wildlife. And in windy CA, Michael sat down with former Google exec Steve Lerch to talk about trends and how influencer culture is unseating ad culture.

With special guests:

Kirby Brown, Dennis Neuman, Raul Villarreal, and Stephen Rockwood from Ducks Unlimited, and Steve Lerch, StoryArc Consulting


Digging into the complex and surprisingly fascinating world of a single grain, The Rice Stuff is a conversation about more than just agriculture. Hosts Michael and Lesley serve as guides, pulling back the curtain on the entire journey of U.S.-grown rice, from the soil in the fields to its place on global tables. They achieve this by stepping aside to let the real experts speak: the farmers making daily decisions under the sun, the scientists in labs developing resilient varieties, the millers ensuring quality, and the marketers navigating international trade. Each episode of this podcast feels like a field visit or a behind-the-scenes meeting, uncovering narratives that intersect science, business, and environmental stewardship. You’ll hear about tangible conservation efforts that protect water and land, the economic strategies that connect American farms to overseas markets, and the technological innovations quietly transforming a traditional industry. It’s a detailed portrait of a staple food, revealing the dedication and ingenuity embedded in every bag. While those within the agriculture sector will find deep, relevant insights, the stories are told with a clarity that welcomes anyone curious about where their food comes from and the intricate systems that produce it. Tune in for genuine conversations that go beyond the surface, offering a new appreciation for the people and processes behind U.S. rice.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Rice Stuff
Podcast Episodes
#71 The Ins and Outs of Organic Rice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:07
We're talking organic rice again. This time, Lesley shares interviews she conducted at a Texas rice event a few months ago. Bob Whitney with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Dr. Alvaro Durand-Murat at the Uni…
#70 Is the WTO Relevant to the U.S. Rice Industry? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:09
Rice is the most manipulated commodity in the world and U.S. rice exporters and farmers are at the mercy of governments that make no secret of their WTO violations. The industry would like the U.S. government to take a c…
#69 DNA Markers and Rice Variety Development [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:31
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 w…
#68 2023 Farm Bill Update - Hearings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 20:20
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…
#67 Embedded With the Rice Leadership Development Class [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:48
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…
#66 School Nutrition, Rice, and Healthy Eating Habits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:50
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…
#65 Free Trade in Central America [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:09
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…
#64 Rice & the 2023 Farm Bill [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:32
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-di…
#63 Sitting Down With Sara Moulton [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:21
Celebrity Chef Sara Moulton's path to TV stardom is fascinating. In this wide-ranging conversation she talks with Michael and Lesley about the journey, where home chefs go wrong, her favorite cooking utensils, meal kits,…
#62 Catching Up With Texas and Arkansas [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:53
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 abo…