LITTLE ROCK, AR – Elementary students here are learning lessons about their state’s strong connection to rice production through the new Rice In Schools Program, a hands-on approach sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, designed to expand the effort to serve Arkansas-grown rice in cafeterias across the state.
USA Rice donated 10 commercial rice cookers to help schools fully integrate rice into their meal programs, improving student access to nutritious, locally sourced foods while strengthening connections between students and Arkansas agriculture.
Twenty schools serving more than 11,400 students daily are participating in the Rice In Schools Program during the 2025–2026 school year.
“It’s an innovative program that USA Rice is proud to support,” said USA Rice President & CEO Peter Bachmann. “This first of its kind rice initiative will propel Arkansas from not only the top rice producing state, but to the state with the highest utilization rate in its schools. Additionally, the initiative will foster a better connection for students to where their food comes from and increase their understanding around nutrition.”
In addition to the equipment donation, USA Rice has played a key role in supporting the program’s implementation by providing recipes, educational materials, and technical assistance to help introduce students to rice production and the broader agriculture industry. Participating schools feature locally grown rice in meals, host hands-on cooking demonstrations known as “demo days,” and receive classroom resources focused on agriculture and nutrition education.
Ward Central Elementary School, in the Cabot Public School District, was the first school to host a Rice In Schools demo day, serving a fried rice recipe featuring Arkansas-grown rice, along with cabbage and carrots from the school garden, Arkansas-raised chicken and eggs, and soy sauce made with Arkansas soybeans.
“We’re told 300 kindergarten through fourth-grade food critics sampled the menu and 74 percent admitted that they loved the rice recipe,” Bachmann reported. “Surely that’s enough to win a Michelin star for ‘exceptional cuisine’ in the school lunch category!”