STANARDSVILLE, VA – Earth Day is Every Day for the ag industry but for the past fifty years one day in mid to late April has been designated as a time for the rest of the world to check in on the environment. This year’s Earth Day activities and events planned to celebrate the planet have an added twist due to the COVID-19 global shutdown. The world-wide pandemic has focused everyone’s attention like never before on the health of the planet, and specifically on agriculture and the food supply whether nationally, locally, or even in your own home, and the new issue of Whole Grain, out now, addresses these topics.
“What we see happening now is what always happens in times of crisis, people look to rice for comfort and sustenance,” said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward. “The Whole Grain cover story, “Rice To The Rescue,” is about the historic role rice has played during times of war, and how our industry always rises to meet the challenge of feeding people under duress.”
This issue also has a report on a study comparing commercial and laboratory rice milling results, a travelogue by Arkansas producer Jennifer James on her recent pre-COVID trip through Italy’s rice-growing region, a photo gallery showcasing the annual Government Affairs Conference, a story about Farmers for a Sustainable Future, a new coalition committed to environmental and economic sustainability for America’s farmers and ranchers, and more.
“Each story in the Whole Grain points up the many ways your industry contributes to the health and well-being of our planet and the people living on it,” said Ward. “So Happy Earth Day, today and every day!”
If you do not receive the Whole Grain in your mailbox, or you’d like additional copies to distribute to friends, neighbors, and colleagues, or you would like to advertise in future issues, contact
Deborah Willenborg.