Author Jason Satterfield (left) and fellow classmates gear up for Session II but first, they have to make it through TSA
Jul 11, 2024
By Jason Satterfield
Jason was raised on his family’s farm near Benoit, Mississippi, where he was first introduced to rice production. After graduating from Mississippi State University where he earned both a B.S. and M.S. in agronomy, he eventually moved to Jonesboro, Arkansas, and into his current position with Horizon Ag where he serves as a district field representative covering northeast Arkansas and Missouri.
MID-SOUTH RICE REGION – It is amazing that no matter how much you know about rice or whom you know in our industry there is always something new to learn and someone new to meet. This was definitely the case during Session II of the Rice Leadership Development Program as we traveled throughout Missouri, Mississippi, and Arkansas, all states with which I am very familiar as my territory with Horizon Ag covers northeast Arkansas and Missouri, and I was raised on a rice farm in the Mississippi Delta.
We started off in Memphis and had a fantastic dinner with Missouri class alumni at Elk Chute Lodge. The next morning, we met up with David Martin at his family’s dirt moving operation before heading to their rice mill. Mike Martin gave us a firsthand look at the mill and the history of how it got to where it is today through hard work and diversification. We also stopped at Tanner Seed Co. and met with Zack Tanner, an excellent seed rice and commercial rice producer. I have had the pleasure of working with Zack for many years now and was glad the rest of our class had the opportunity to meet him.
Two other rice seed companies, Nutrien and Horizon Ag, were on the day’s agenda. Randy Ouzts and Scott Greenwalt of Nutrien filled us in on how they are working to expand Nutrien’s presence in the rice seed industry. Tim Walker of Horizon Ag conversed with us over dinner about what they are doing to focus on the long-term viability of the rice industry.
Other stops that day included meeting with Dr. Justin Chlapecka at the Missouri Rice Research Farm and visiting Rance Daniel’s farm where we got to see his new spray drone in action. We also toured the five large drainage canals a couple of miles down the road from his farm that are vital to the region and keep the southern part of the Bootheel from becoming a swamp.
Tuesday morning, we traveled to Triangle Chemical Company outside Tunica, Mississippi, where we met with rice growers Curtis Berry and Nolen Canon along with Dr. Jason Bond of Mississippi State University. Having grown up in the Delta where a majority of farmland has been precision leveled for drainage, I was intrigued to learn that there are still a number of zero grade rice acres in Tunica County. I also learned a new term, “zero plus,” where they are taking a number of the zero grade fields and adding a few hundredths fall to allow for optimal drainage without giving up the ability to flood the entire block.
Meeting Ike Brunetti at his flying service in Shelby, Mississippi, you can tell he loves what he does as he gave us a flying demonstration using different boom patterns. He is passionate about being an ag pilot and has helped lead the charge for a flying program for the state of Mississippi that uses grant money to train the next generation of ag pilots. Rice farmer Austin Davis then provided us with a wonderful lunch at his family’s beautiful cabin on the Mississippi River. This was like being home for me as I grew up farming, and my family still does, right next to the Davis family. Then it was on to Stoneville, another familiar stomping ground where I did my graduate research work while attending Mississippi State University. Dr. Jason Bond and the entire staff did a great job giving us the history of the Delta Research and Extension Center along with a tour of current research projects. For those of you that keep up with your protein consumption, we closed out the night by doubling our daily requirement with a delicious dinner at Doe’s Eat Place in Greenville, Mississippi.
On Wednesday, we woke up at Five Oaks Lodge outside Stuttgart, Arkansas. It is truly amazing what George Dunklin, Jr., has created here with his long-term investment in conservation. We had breakfast at the home of Jeremy and Whitney Jones, where they discussed all that their family’s operation, Isbell Farms, is involved with, before touring their rice field that has been in continuous rice for 65 years and some of the interesting research being conducted in cooperation with the University of Arkansas. Last but not least, we returned to their home for a saké tasting, my first. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it!
After a great lunch at Open Season with farmer Clint Roth, we joined his wife, Lana Roth, the general counsel at Producers Rice Mill, for an overview of the company and a tour of the mill. From there it was a short drive down the road to Riceland Foods, Inc., where we met with their sustainability office, Adam Shea, who talked about what sustainability means for modern rice production.
On Thursday, we had breakfast with fellow alumni Sidney Robnett, before heading out to his farm and seeing how they grow rice in the Grand Prairie. I am always amazed at how farming practices vary state to state and even an hour up the road in some regions. Then it was a short drive over to the University of Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center for great conversations with rice specialist Dr. Jarrod Hardke and rice breeder Dr. Xueyan Sha. What a valuable asset this facility and those that work there are to the rice growers in Arkansas. We also stopped by the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie, a place I have passed by numerous times, and learned about the history of the immediate area.
On Friday, our last day, we toured the John Deere Harvester Works facility and was it ever impressive! I have always loved watching shows about how things are made and this firsthand experience was unlike any other I have ever had. The number of steps and processes that go into making just one combine is unfathomable and to see it all happening in person was mind boggling. From there we traveled to the beautiful TPC Deere Run for a nice lunch with the Harvester works team, the best way to cap off what had already been a great week.
I am so appreciative of John Deere, RiceTec, and American Commodity Company for their continued support of this special program. Like these three companies, our industry is filled with so many generous people and businesses who are willing to give back to help ensure future success for U.S. rice. Everyone we had the privilege to spend time with all share a few common characteristics: they are proactive, forward-thinking people who are driven and determined to continually make things better not just for today, but for future generations. These are qualities that I hope to emulate as I move forward with my career in the rice industry.