#95 Leadership Lessons

#95 Leadership Lessons

Author: USA Rice July 23, 2024 Duration: 38:23

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


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: 130

The Rice Stuff
Podcast Episodes
#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…
#61 Inside the Minds of Rice Consumers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:21
Brands and industries around the world spend millions of dollars to understand what makes consumers tick. On this episode, Michael and Lesley talk to USA Rice's Cameron Jacobs about the latest consumer research he has th…
#60 Farming Organic Rice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:31
At the 2022 USA Rice Outlook Conference, Dr. Steve Linscombe moderated a panel on organic rice farming with three experienced growers from different parts of the country. They then sat down and recorded a conversation ab…