Field day for rice research center planned

A field day will be held at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center on July 31 in Harrisburg.

Two field tours will be held covering rice, soybeans and corn. Several indoor seminars will be held indoors and will include topics such as rice in beer, the Endangered Species Act and updates on economic and agriculture policy and economics.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Jennifer Hare James a fourth-generation rice farmer from Jackson County. She manages the family farm and Delta Soya, a specialty soybean business, alongside her father, husband, and son. A graduate of the University of Arkansas, James was recognized as the outstanding alumni of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences in 2024.

The lunch program also includes updates from Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Peter Bachmann, president and CEO of USA Rice Federation.

“This marks our second annual field day event at the newly opened Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center and I am thrilled about the diverse educational opportunities it will present,” said Tim Burcham, center director. “We have curated an outstanding program that offers attendees the latest research updates on rice, soybean, and corn row crops.”

In addition to the traditional field tours, “we are excited to introduce the NERREC Seminar Series in the Arkansas Farm Bureau Boardroom,” he said. “The series will include presentations from Hunter Biram on farm economics and policy, Brigit Rollins and Emily Stone on Make America Healthy Again and the Endangered Species Act and Scott Lafontaine on new markets for Arkansas rice in the brewing industry.”

The center is located at 15327 AR-1 in Harrisburg, part of the Rice Research Mile.