Something most people in South Louisiana take for granted is not so common in other areas of the country — rice.
“Believe it or not, we’re finding that some people in the rest of the country have a hard time even cooking rice,” Michael Klein, USA Rice vice president of marketing and domestic promotion, told the crowd assembled for Monday morning’s National Rice Month celebration here.
In an effort to remedy that situation, USA Rice, in cooperation with the Louisiana Rice Council, Louisiana Rice Growers Association and Louisiana Rice Promotion Board, had embarked on a 4,000-mile “Think Rice” road trip.
The journey began following Monday morning’s celebration and the specially wrapped pickup will end its trip at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Diego, California, in December — via Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Along the route, rice will be donated to various food banks and more than 3,000 rice cookers will be distributed.
“This is a great idea,” said U.S. Congressman Clay Higgins. “What could be better than a 4,000-mile road trip across the country promoting rice and rice cooking — and where better to start that trip than right here in Crowley, the Rice Capital of America.” Higgins presented a proclamation signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards designating September as Rice Month in Louisiana in conjunction with the national observance.
National Rice Month also is being held in conjunction with Hunger Action Month and John Owen, chairman of the Louisiana Rice Promotion Board, noted that more than 60,000 pounds of rice will be donated to food banks along the route.
John Dziurgot, chief operations officer for Second Harvest Food Bank, said, “The best thing we can have on our shelves is white rice. It’s substantial, its nutritions and it lasts a while.” He thanked the area rice mills who were donating rice for the promotion. The celebration continued Tuesday (today) in Monroe with a similar ceremony and rice donation at the Food Bank of Northeast Louisiana.
During the Monday event, Mayor Pro Tem Steven Premeaux, on behalf of Mayor Greg Jones and members of the Crowley City Council welcomed the many elected officials, rice growers and producers present for the ceremony. Kane Webb, director of field services, USA Rice Federation, served as master of ceremonies for the program.
