ARLINGTON, VA – One of the highlights of the USA Rice Outlook Conference is the annual awards luncheon where friends and colleagues network and visit and the industry comes together to celebrate excellence and dedication. With the cancellation of the 2020 conference as a result of COVID-19, many wondered if the Rice Awards, presented by Rice Farming Magazine, Horizon Ag, and USA Rice, would go forward.
In a year that’s been difficult for everyone, it was decided early on that the awards would go forward and we’d at least end the year with some great and inspiring stories of people who give so much to the rice industry.
“With no luncheon at which to honor the award recipients this year, we were thrilled that they all accepted our invitation to appear on the podcast,” said Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of communications and domestic promotion, and one of the podcast’s hosts. “And it was nice that we had more time to spend with these folks, all of whom have led really interesting lives and have had great careers in rice.”
Rice Farming Magazine Editor Vicky Boyd, who traditionally serves as emcee of the Awards Luncheon, joined the podcast as well to introduce the winners and share some insights into their careers.
The special episode kicked off with Dr. Tim Walker, general manager of Horizon Ag, talking about why the awards are so important to the industry and to him personally, and sharing what it’s like to be the one who actually lets the winners know they’re being honored – it doesn’t always go smoothly!
The 2020 Rice Farmer of the Year is California’s Gordon Wylie; the 2020 Industry Award went to Kyle McCann with the Louisiana Farm Bureau; and the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon entomologist Dr. Mo Way from Texas.
All spend quality time with Boyd, Klein, and co-host Lesley Dixon on Episode 11 of
The Rice Stuff podcast, available now.
New episodes of
The Rice Stuff are published twice each month on Tuesdays and can be found on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Stitcher. All episodes and additional information can be found on the podcast’s dedicated website at
thericestuffpodcast.com. The site includes a “Podcast 101” section on the “About” page for people new to the medium and a means to reach out to the show hosts and guests via the “Talk to Us” button.