KAPLAN, LA – Last summer, Julie and Christian Richard hosted a video production team from Wild Hive, a strategy and communications firm from Austin, Texas, to take part in a project highlighting U.S. rice and seafood for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS). The video, “Sustainability and High-Quality U.S. Ingredients - The Key to a Great Gumbo,” is part of a larger project called DelicioUS!, a Global Based Initiative (GBI) intended to curate a library of video content that tells positive stories about U.S. agriculture.
“These videos are being used in the UK and EU markets initially, and are intended to share compelling stories that depict the care and commitment of American producers across all regions of the U.S,” explained Allison Beadle, Wild Hive CEO. “The stories focus thematically on family heritage, sustainability, innovation, and the connection between agriculture and regional culture in the United States.”
Beadle and her team started filming before sunrise to capture the full experience of how sustainability plays a key role in U.S. rice production from sunup to sundown. Every aspect of the Richard operation was included in the documentary process including rice production, crawfish production, and the family’s involvement on the farm. Christian provided narration to explain his farming practices and the role sustainability and conservation play in the success of rice farming in today’s world.
“We have an open-door policy here at our farm,” Christian told the production team. “Julie and I decided when we started this farm, we would welcome anyone to come and experience what we do. If we don’t tell our story, someone else will, and we work hard to protect our resources so the next generation can continue to farm this land long after we’re gone.”
Throughout the day, the production team shot drone footage of waterfowl using the rice fields as habitat and underwater clips of crawfish making their way around the shallow waters of their feeding grounds. The full spectrum of the important ecosystem the Richards provide through their sustainability and conservation efforts is in view. Like many of their fellow rice producers, the Richards are committed to these practices year in and year out while continuing to produce a high-quality rice crop.
Go
here to view the video, and when you share it on social media, don’t forget to include the hashtag #DeliciousFoodUSA.