ARLINGTON, VA - USA Rice Federation and Ducks Unlimited representatives are working hard to raise much needed contributions - both cash and in-kind - to fulfill a matching fund component of the organizations' Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) proposal due in two weeks.

The RCPP, created in the 2014 Farm Bill, is a new conservation program under which qualified organizations may develop proposals that pair private contributions with existing federal conservation dollars and programs to create new conservation opportunities.

"We're seeking commitments totaling $8 million in private and corporate support," said USA Rice president and CEO Betsy Ward. "We're doing very well - about halfway there - but we really need to lock down commitments in the next 12 days."

The USA Rice-DU plan is a unique, two-year proposal that preserves critical wildlife habitat and enhances water quality and irrigation efficiency while maintaining working rice lands on the landscape. If approved by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the project will be offered in all rice producing counties in the six major rice producing states of Arkansas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas.

"This is a unique opportunity for companies and organizations that are part of the rice production supply chain and end users to partner in an effort to support rice production while advancing their own sustainability initiatives," Ward said. "Companies participating with us are able to demonstrate to their constituents their commitment to a sustainable rice industry and the environment. It's a win-win situation."

Ward is confident more will join supporters such as Riceland Foods, Louisiana Rice Mill, RiceTec, Horizon Ag, The Nature Conservancy of Arkansas, the Climate Trust, and others in helping meet the $8 million target. Individuals and companies interested in joining the initiative can contact Reece Langley at USA Rice or Scott Manley at Ducks Unlimited.

Contact:  Michael Klein (703) 236-1458

Around the Country

California Drought Threatens Sushi, Too Politico

California - and the Sacramento Valley in particular - is the nation's primary source for the high-quality short- and medium-grain rice used in sushi and is a major supplier of the rice for other countries, too.

More Women Getting Involved in Agriculture Wisconsin Ag Connection

Over the past 10 years the presence of women in agriculture has increased significantly, with a 21 percent rise in the number of female principal farm operators.

The Jambalaya Calculator Could Only Exist in Louisiana Times-Picayune

The Jambalaya Calculator lets the user sort the recipe according to several criteria: The size of the pot, by number of quarts or gallons to prepare, by serving amounts in various sizes.

Science and Technology

GMO Safety, Weed Control Top Concerns as U.S. Study Kicks Off Yahoo News

A lack of confidence in the safety of consuming the specialty crops is due in part to a U.S. regulatory system that lacks independent review and relies largely on research supplied by the companies that develop GMO crops.

Whole Foods Anti-GMO Swindle Daily Beast

Many of the foods that the Project certifies don't have any genetically modified alternatives on the market. There are only a few food plants in the United States that have their genomes tweaked in a lab, rather than by traditional breeding and hybridization, which is how people have genetically engineered plants for millennia.