Rice Reps Plant Seeds for the Next Generation

High School Seniors Dig into Arkansas Agriculture While Earning Scholarship Dollars

The Arkansas Rice Federation has completed its inaugural year of a new program, “Rice Reps,” geared toward educating the state’s youth about the number one rice-producing state, and incentivizing them to earn college scholarships. Forty-five students chosen from more than 200 applicants living in 22 Arkansas counties spent their summer learning about rice farming and the importance of this commodity through education, volunteerism, and unique handson experiences. “The goal of Rice Reps is to make agriculture, specifically rice, more of a conversation topic in today’s digital age,” said Rice Reps coordinator Cade Bethea. this first group of Rice Reps, which she credits with opening her eyes to a valuable industry and helping to grow her blog and social media platforms to connect with the farm community. “This program has been perfect for me. It’s given me a taste of what my future can look like and has made me more passionate

about pursuing that career,” Brooke said. “My followers say to me, ‘I didn’t know you were into this,’ and I say, ‘Oh, well let me tell you about rice!’ It’s been a great opportunity to have that conversation and meet new people. This is one of the easiest, most fun ways to make friends and connections for your career while earning scholarship dollars.” “The goal of Rice Reps is to make agriculture, specifically rice, more of a conversation topic in today’s digital age.”

Arkansas is home to over 1,800 rice farms, nearly all of which are family-owned. The industry contributes $6 billion to the state’s economy annually and accounts for approximately 25,000 jobs in rural communities. The Rice Rep program targets the next generation of Arkansas’s agriculture industry and business leaders to educate them on our state’s rice industry. The program emphasizes the benefits, importance, and economic impact of the rice industry around the world, all while cultivating a genuine interest in agriculture, community service, and leadership.

Brooke Bradford, a senior at Clinton High School, discovered her passion for agriculture when she joined FFA in the eighth grade. She now has goals to major in agricultural communications in college. Brooke was part of Eligible students must be Arkansas juniors upon the application deadline of April 1. No agriculture background is necessary to apply. Reps are hand-selected and invited to participate in the program during the summer into September, which is National Rice Month.

Reps must attend a minimum of two on-site experiences organized by Arkansas Rice that may include: a farm tour, volunteering at the Arkansas Foodbank, rice-cooking classes and more. Reps are also incentivized to engage with the agriculture community and share what they are learning throughout the summer with social media and news media.

After completing the program and submitting a scholarship application, the Reps are introduced and celebrated for their achievements at the Rice Reception in

As the inaugural year of Rice Reps ends, Bethea and the team at Arkansas Rice are looking to the future of the program and anticipating the next round of Rice Reps applicants. “I truly see Rice Reps becoming something that its participants one day look back on and accredit with sparking their curiosity and passion for agriculture. I hope it’s a program that gives future leaders and innovators in agriculture their start. We hope to grow our participant numbers and increase the amount of scholarship money we can offer to help students reach their dreams and continue learning,” Bethea said.

To learn more about Arkansas Rice and Rice Reps visit arkansasrice.org. The next application process for Rice Reps opened in January of 2020.

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