BIGGS, CA - Yesterday, USA Rice Chairman Dow Brantley continued his California rice industry visit at the California Rice Experiment Station's annual field day held here. Brantley and USA Rice President and CEO Betsy Ward provided educational resources for attendees on behalf of USA Rice and visited the wide range of rice test plots throughout the station.
Following the field day, Brantley met with Grant Lundberg, CEO of Lundberg Family Foods in Richvale, California to discuss relevant industry issues and to tour the processing facilities and company headquarters.
The California visit wrapped up with a trip to the rice farming operations of USA Rice Council Chair Sean Doherty in Dunnigan, and USA Rice Farmers Conservation Committee Chair Leo LaGrande in Williams.
"I'm pleased we were able to participate in a California field day again and that our chairman was able to take time away from his operations in Arkansas to visit with California leaders," said Ward. "It's that grower-to-grower contact across a wide geography that strengthens our industry and is, I believe, one of the primary functions of USA Rice."
Brantley thought the time away from his farm was well spent. "I was able to meet with members from every sector of the industry out here - farmers, millers, merchants, and spend time with the chairman of the USA Rice Council. It was eye-opening to see the California operations - to see what they are doing differently than us in the south and hear first hand about the sometimes unique challenges they are facing here. I was happy to share insights into what we are doing and dealing with in the south, and Betsy and I will take back what we learned here. It's a win-win for us all."