CROWLEY, LA -- We know two things in this world – that rice is a great grain and that the people of Louisiana know how to throw a party. Both points were proven last week during festivities here surrounding the 84th International Rice Festival (IRF) – the largest and oldest (and free) agricultural festival in the state.
After skipping a year because of the pandemic – the only other time IRF missed a year was during World War II – people were ready to celebrate rice! And celebrate they did, converting downtown Crowley into festival central.
A rice and gravy cookoff, two formal balls, a rice grading contest, blood drive, and more were the lead in to three days of partying that included more than 20 musical acts on two enormous stages, two parades, a rice eating contest, a rice cooking contest, a frog derby, an accordion and fiddle contest, a classic car show, carnival rides, and the crowning of the 84th International Rice Festival Queen.
“It was a non-stop celebration of this industry that is so important to the region, the state, and the country,” said USA Rice President & CEO Betsy Ward who attended the event for the first time this year. “I’ve always heard what a great event this is, but it really needs to be seen to be believed – bravo to the festival organizers!”
USA Rice staff also lent a hand throughout the event, with Asiha Grigsby, director of international promotion serving as one of three judges for the International Rice Festival Queen competition, and yours truly doing what he does best – eat rice – as a judge in the Creole Cookery Contest where I helped crown the Chef de Riz.
Joining Grigsby was Arkansas Rice Federation Executive Director Kelly Robbins and Victoria Sagrera Bourque.
The competition was extremely competitive, but in the end, there can be only one IRF Queen, and Miss Caroline Hardy of Lacassine was crowned on the Supreme Rice Soundstage on Saturday.
“All of these young ladies were very impressive,” said Robbins. “While I know Queen Caroline will do a wonderful job as an ambassador for our industry, we couldn’t have made a poor choice – they were all wonderful, smart, poised, and very knowledgeable about rice!
The title of Chef de Riz went to a young man who is quite comfortable with rice. Joshua Dietz was crowned champion, beating out dozens of other aspiring chefs, including his mother, who was Chef de Riz in 2019!
Junior Chef de Riz and a tri-color ribbon went to Katherine Richard, the 10-year old daughter of rice farmers Christian and Julie Richard of Kaplan, representing St. Michael’s School.
Ward also took the opportunity of being in the area to meet with a group of growers to discuss priorities for the upcoming Farm Bill, rising input costs, and a lackluster trade agenda from the Biden Administration.
“We were also able to visit with officials at Supreme Rice Mill, see their new facility, and talk about some trade and quality issues,” said Ward.
Episode 32 of The Rice Stuff podcast, going live on Tuesday, October 26, features interviews with Grigsby and Robbins, the new and two past IRF Queens, and the 2021 Rice Farmer of the Year, Phillip Lamartiniere of Avoyelles Parish.
The 85th International Rice Festival will be held October 20-23, 2022.
Scenes from the 2021 IRF