ARLINGTON, VA -- On
Episode 52 of
The Rice Stuff podcast, hosts Michael Klein and Lesley Dixon get a lesson on the importance of leadership. Dr. Steve Linscombe, director of The Rice Foundation and recurring cohost of the podcast, gives listeners a refresher on the Rice Leadership Development Program, which is currently accepting applications for the 2022-2023 session until September 9.
The two-year program offers comprehensive training, guidance, and hands-on experience in the rice industry, taking participants on a cross-country journey to observe farms, mills, and facilities in rice-growing states. But the most important takeaway from the program is the sense of community it fosters among classmates.
“You have seven people that spend four weeks together over a two-year period, and what you always see is that these seven people not only learn a lot about the industry and get educated in leadership, but also become lifelong friends,” said Linscombe. “It’s really rewarding to see that network continue after the program ends, beyond the classes and the events. The network that grows out of the Leadership Program is just very impressive.”
Linscombe emphasized that the program is small and competitive, and encouraged folks to reapply even if they haven’t been accepted in the past. The interview process itself is valuable practice, and the program rewards perseverance; many successful alumni applied to the program more than once.
In Pine Bluff, Arkansas, leadership is a priority to farmer and owner of Arkansas River Rice Mill, PJ Haynie. A fifth-generation farmer whose great-great-grandfather was the first African American to purchase land in Northumberland County, Virginia, Haynie and his family have expanded their operation south to Arkansas and the Delta, and now grow rice after many years of growing corn, wheat, and soybeans.
Klein and Haynie discuss the differences between farming in Virginia versus the mid-south, growing rice versus other row crops destined for animal feed, and the unique story that rice has to tell.
“We can grow rice, we can process that rice, and we can feed that rice to our kids,” said Haynie. “It’s a commodity we can connect from the field to the fork. It’s a way of growing something that we can really appreciate when we consume it.”
As chair of the National Black Growers Council, a non-profit whose mission is to improve the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of black row crop farmers, Haynie understands that part of being a good leader is helping to create and empower new leaders.
“It takes a combined effort,” said Haynie. “It takes men and women that walk the gravel roads to understand there needs to be diversity, equity, and understanding in agriculture if we’re going to be a fair, equal place for all.”
Representation in the industry is crucial for young people of color entering agriculture, says Haynie, whether that be ownership of facilities and stores or leadership in organizations. Investing in the future is key.
As Haynie sometimes likes to say, your windshield is bigger than your rearview mirror so you can spend more time looking forward than looking back – a good lesson for leaders in all walks of life.
New episodes of
The Rice Stuff are published on the second and fourth Tuesday of every month and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and online at
www.thericestuffpodcast.com.
Go
here for more information on the Rice Foundation Leadership Development Program and how you can apply.