ARLINGTON, VA – Loyal Whole Grain readers know that last year, in an effort to cut costs, USA Rice only printed one edition of this newspaper – the Winter Issue that accompanies the USA Rice Outlook Conference.
“We were able to reduce expenses by not printing and mailing the paper, but I do think we lost something in the process,” said Michael Klein, the tabloid’s editor. “When we launched this publication in 2014, the idea was to put rice news into the hands – literally – of the men and woman who make it all possible. We expected copies of the paper to accompany growers into the cab of their combines, or stacked in breakrooms in mills, or adorn the dashboard of big rigs shuttling rice from farm to mill or mill to store or port.”
After publishing several issues online only, the USA Rice Communications Committee, with the support of the USA Rice Council and the USA Rice Board of Directors, worked with vendors and found a way to put the Whole Grain back in print with a lower page count and smaller distribution list.
“If you were fortunate enough to receive a hard copy of the latest issue featuring the National Rice Month Scholarship Video Contest, plus stories on trade, farm bill policy, and cyberattacks on ag business, to name a few, please pass it along to your colleagues or neighbors who may not have seen the print version,” said Klein. “But, like always, we have posted the online version to the
USA Rice website where it’s available for all to read.”