Tomorrow's leaders visiting a historic site

LITTLE ROCK, AR - After leaving the great mid-west area of the country, the 2014/16 Rice Leadership Development Class traveled to Arkansas to study the state's rice farming practices and processing industries.  The itinerary included meetings at transport company Bruce Oakley, Inc, Isbell Farms, and with executives at Producers Rice Mill and Riceland Foods.

The group also discussed conservation practices with Ducks Unlimited President and rice farmer George Dunklin, and toured the
Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center to learn about the latest developments in rice research.  From Arkansas, the class traveled to Mississippi to tour Farmers Grain Terminal, Inc. in Greenville, a regional grain marketing company serving over 2,900 producers/owners in the Mississippi delta, southeast Arkansas, and northeast Louisiana.

"As a California producer, and for my first time visiting Arkansas, the session was quite the learning experience," said class member Jon Munger. "I was excited to be able to visit Zero Grade Farms in Humnoke and view firsthand the differences in farming practices compared to California. Visiting with Producers Rice Mill and Riceland Foods also gave me a great perspective of the size and importance of the rice production in Arkansas. The personal development we completed has provided great tips that will be useful now and in the future."