Easel sign at the 2024 Delta Rice Festival shares a universal sentiment
Sep 30, 2024
RICE COUNTRY, USA – Harvest reports from across the U.S. are mixed due to recent storms throughout the Mid-South and excessive heat in California. As always, however, American rice farmers are giving it their all getting the crop in and on its way to buyers via truck, rail, or barge while promotional activities packed the National Rice Month (NRM) calendar.
“National Rice Month is our favorite time of year,” said USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann. “The countless events, promotions, and campaigns put U.S.-grown rice in the spotlight making it a great month celebrating a great grain!”
Dancing in the Streets at the Delta Rice Festival
MERIGOLD, MS – For more than 30 years, Delta Rice Promotions, the organization dedicated to promoting U.S.-, and specifically, Mississippi-grown rice, has been celebrating the mighty grain and educating consumers during National Rice Month (NRM). And this year was no exception as the group hosted the 2024 Annual Delta Rice Festival on the streets of downtown Merigold to show appreciation for the versatility of U.S.-grown rice and for those who work in the domestic rice industry with a variety of activities for all ages.
The festivities began with a warm and spirited welcome from Merigold mayor Ken McGarrh who then turned the program over to Laura Jane Giaccaglia, Bolivar County extension coordinator for Mississippi State University, for the crowning of Delta Rice Queen Sloan Walker and pinning of Rice Ambassador Ridge Richard.
Ag and community organizations in attendance included USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited, Land Bank, Horizon Ag, Mississippi Farm Bureau, USDA Farm Service Agency, and more. Delta Rice Promotions had the largest booth and handed out free one-pound bags of rice donated by Producers Rice Mill and sold cookbooks and t-shirts promoting the Delta’s primary crops of rice and cotton.
Youngsters could participate in rice-themed art projects, play in a kiddie pool filled with rough rice, get their faces painted, or bounce to their hearts’ content. Local steak and seafood destination Crawdad’s opened their doors to pass out free rice dish samples, and there was live music well into the night.
“We had a steady stream of people stopping by our booth to learn about rice’s sustainability programs, and many were even surprised to learn they lived right in the heart of Delta rice country,” said Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of communications & strategic development who was also recording segments for the USA Rice podcast on site. “The value in talking with people one-on-one, in their own community, pays dividends that are difficult to measure. We appreciate Delta Rice Promotions including us again and we look forward to working together for another year of U.S. rice promotion!”
Louisiana Loves National Rice Month
CROWLEY, LA – September National Rice Month is always a whirlwind of activity in Louisiana! There are so many celebrations, cooking contests, and charitable food donations during NRM that they don't all fit. Stay tuned for the 87th International Rice Festival in Crowley, Louisiana, October 17-20.
The Cal Cam Rice Growers Association and the Port of Lake Charles partnered again this year for their annual cooking contest where students from several southwest Louisiana parishes compete with their rice dishes for prizes and tour the Port of Lake Charles during the judging session. This marked the 26th year Cal Cam RGA and the Port hosted the NRM event. Students in neighboring Jeff Davis Parish also held their own cooking contest where a crowd gathered to sample tasty rice dishes prepared by local 4-H’ers in a variety of categories, who received prizes made possible by the Jeff Davis Rice Growers Association.
Revelry and food, two of Louisiana’s trademarks, came together for the 2nd Annual Louisiana Food & Wine Festival in Lake Charles September 18-21, where U.S. rice was served, sampled, and distributed. Baker Farms of Gueydan supplied the rice featured at the Celebrity Chef Dinner that kicked off the festival, and generous donations from local USA Rice members – Falcon Rice Mill, Farmers Rice Mill, Kennedy Rice, Parish Rice, and Supreme Rice – helped stock the USA Rice booth. Chef favorites were chosen by both professional judges and crowd voting, and one winner, Kristen Preau of New Orlean’s “Jambalaya Girl,” walked away with a medal, bragging rights, and a commemorative USA Rice chef jacket.
In northeast Louisiana, Kennedy Rice and 4Sisters, along with members of the NELA Rice Growers Association made their annual rice donation to the NELA Food Bank while the annual rice donation from Falcon, Farmers, and Supreme Rice Mills to Second Harvest Food Bank of South Louisiana took place over the weekend at the International Rice Festival’s Rice and Gravy Cooking Contest in Crowley.
Buying Local at the USDA Farmers Market
WASHINGTON, DC – The USA Rice promotion team returned to the famous U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farmers Market as part of the promotional programming for National Rice Month.
U.S.-grown rice was the spotlighted ingredient at VegU, a USDA education program to teach marketgoers how to properly pick, prepare, and store produce and grains. U.S.-grown jasmine rice was featured in the four VegU cooking demonstrations that day, and USA Rice Vice President of Domestic Promotion Cameron Jacobs was interviewed by USDA staff on the U.S rice industry, cooking and storage techniques, and the sustainability of U.S.-grown rice.
In addition to the VegU programming, USA Rice conducted a varietal sampling for market guests to taste and understand the differences between a medium grain, a jasmine rice, and parboiled rice.
“Folks who are already committed to shopping local are a prime demographic to learn about locally grown rice and change their purchasing behavior,” said Jacobs. “It’s always a win to get directly in front of consumers and show them step-by-step how to prepare rice and help remove any worries around cooking rice.”
The market, held on Fridays from May through October, is organized by the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and features 30 farmers, ranchers, and local businesses promoting U.S. agriculture.
“I want to thank the USDA for having us and commend them for their commitment to educating their shoppers every week on locally grown products,” said Jacobs.