Story and photos by Cynthia LeJeune Nobles

Sometimes a rice field is more than just a place to grow a crop. 

I had been living in the hectic cities of Baton Rouge and New Orleans over 40 years, when my husband passed away suddenly. In the upturned months following, one of the first decisions this city gal made was to move back to my family’s rice farm in the rural town of Iota. 

It was a year ago in late spring that, with a moving van chugging behind, I nervously turned my overstuffed car off I-10 and drove north onto the McCain Highway. Immediately, I found my eye drawn to the swaying green fields lining the road. For the first time in weeks, I felt myself relax.   

For years I had been a food history writer, first for the Newcomb College Culinary Writers Group, and then for The Baton Rouge/New Orleans Advocate newspaper. Eventually I authored several cookbooks, and I am now the cookbook editor at LSU Press. As fulfilling as my career has been, right then I needed consolation and serenity. And I was finding it in those rippling, open fields.
            
If you grew up in Iberia or Pointe Coupee I suppose you have fond memories of tall sugarcane. Plaquemines Parish has its expansive citrus orchards. Tensas is known for its snow-like fields of cotton, and Nachitoches for herds of cattle. And if your mama and daddy raised you in Colfax, you might get nostalgic about pecan trees. 

But here in Acadia Parish, rice is king. This region, of course, produces other important commercial commodities, such as soybeans and crawfish. But I’m old enough to remember when few farmers knew what a soybean was, and when crawfishing was something rice farmers did to make pocket money.

And that takes me to the point of this column. Louisiana has a rich history of agriculture, aquaculture, and ranching, with close to 28,000 farms that produce commodities on more than 8 million acres of land. 

I’m going to explore how our state’s crop, livestock, and seafood industries were established, how what we produce impacts our culture, and how it shapes our future. Aside from learning a little history and trivia, I’ll also write stories about farmers, ranchers, purveyors, and cooks. Each article will end with a recipe or two.

After a while you might start looking at our farm crops beyond the surface. I know that every time my mind gets lost in the solitude of a rice field, I remind myself that what lies before me is more than a modern farmer’s livelihood. 

I’m also witnessing a result of the first rice domesticated thousands of years ago in China. Rice reached Louisiana in the early 1700s, when barrels of seed came with the slave trade to New Orleans. Surprisingly, until the 1840s, Louisiana only grew rice for home consumption, the so-called “providence rice” that depended on whatever rain fell for irrigation. New Orleans’s highly profitable “Rice Row” was our state’s first hub for milling, and by the early 1900s southwest Louisiana was robustly constructing their own mills.    

Depending on who you ask, there are as many as 40,000 different cultivated varieties of this grass. (That’s what rice is technically, an annual grass.) Academicians and food writers have published volumes on the history of its commercial growth. And outstanding discoveries have been made by local breeders, such as the researchers at LSU’s H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station. But we’ll save those conversations for another day.

Right now, I think I’ll walk to my back yard and see how the fields are doing. Directly behind me sits several long-drained acres that my brother-in-law Jimmy uses for a crawfish pond. Jimmy plans to plant Cheniere seed for “green rice,” or “crawfish rice” that will feed the invertebrate next season’s crawfish will eat. 

Beyond this pond lies a patchwork of rice crops belonging to my brother Michael. These expansive fields are in various stages of maturity. While most remind me of emerald-colored carpets, to the east, one parcel is already turning into a sea of calming gold.
I’m truly home.
 
Do you have a Louisiana agriculture story or recipe you’d like to share? If so, contact me at noblescynthia@gmail.com
 
Cynthia Nobles is the cookbook editor for LSU Press and the author/co-author of several historical cookbooks, including A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook, The Delta Queen Cookbook, and The Fonville Winans Cookbook.
 
Jalapeno Rice with Chicken
Makes 8 servings
 
Before tossing in the jalapenos, test them for heat. Many grocery store peppers are mild, so you might need to add more than ¼ cup, or maybe even a dash of cayenne pepper. 
 
1½ cups diced cooked chicken (rotisserie chicken or leftovers are fine)
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
1½ cups sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup minced fresh jalapeno pepper (leave seeds and veins in if you want more heat)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups raw long-grain rice
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup chopped green onion
 
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss chicken with chili powder and set aside.
2. Over medium-high heat, add olive oil to a large, oven-proof pot and sauté mushrooms and onion until mushrooms stop releasing their liquid, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, jalapenos, and garlic and stir 30 seconds. Stir in broth, rice, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then remove pot from heat.
3. Cover pot tightly and bake until liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. Gently stir in green onion. Serve warm.
 
 
Calas (Fried Rice Fritters)
Makes 2 dozen
 
Until the early 1900s, these fried balls of dough were commonly sold from street carts in New Orleans. They were popular for breakfast until World War II, when there was an explosion of easily prepared processed foods and cereals. Once you take a bite of these sweet, pillowy treats you’ll wonder why they ever went out of style. 
 
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cooked medium-grain rice, cooled
Vegetable oil for frying
For serving: Confectioners’ sugar and Louisiana Cane Syrup or your favorite local honey
 
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk in the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in the rice and refrigerate the batter while the oil heats.
2. In a deep fryer or large, heavy pot, heat 1½ inches oil to 365°F. When oil is ready, use a rounded tablespoon to drop in the batter. Fry fritters on both sides until golden, about 2-3 minutes total.
3. Drain cooked calas on paper towels. While still hot, dust liberally with confectioners’ sugar and serve with syrup or honey for dipping.

Opportunities to connect and network with other farmers and ranchers are something I don’t take for granted. I’m writing this as we’re concluding the seventh beef tour through Louisiana Farm Bureau’s Livestock Advisory Committee.  As I reflect on these trips spanning Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri and now Florida, I am amazed at how priceless these experiences are.  We’ve seen small farms and large ranches, incredibly rich seedstock operations, dairies which process milk on site, and make cheese and ice cream, stocker outfits weaning and preconditioning tens of thousands of cattle - the list is endless and I can go on and on.
 
In full disclosure, after each of these trips, I’m pretty sure I’m guilty of saying, “this was the best trip yet!”  Yet, what strikes me about the trip to Florida is how similar our environmental challenges are and what we can learn from much larger scale ranches utilizing many of the same grasses we have.  The visits to Mississippi and Arkansas were similar in that aspect, as we share very similar climates and soil structures.  An example being that in many parts of our state, away from the river bottoms and rich delta soil, we have sandy loam soil and Bahia grass.  Across much of the country, Bahia grass is considered unfavorably in comparison to other forage options.  But on our farm, with our naturally acidic soil, that’s the primary warm season forage on which we depend.  Quite frankly, with proper grazing management, our Bahia grass serves our cow/calf operation quite well.  To see the ranches we visited in Florida utilizing many of the same grasses in their cowherd management, on a MUCH larger scale, was refreshing and inherently offers grazing management insight more applicable to our Bahia grass than management priorities and goals with other types of grasses.  
 
Another common theme we saw on our visits was the longevity of these family businesses.  Granted, the initial land purchases were made in a very different time than our current economy, and it was possible to purchase large tracts of land at a reasonable (if not cheap) price per acre.  Many of these acquisitions occurred after the Great Depression, and it was possible to purchase tens of thousands of acres with much less risk and entry costs than in today’s financial climate.  One of the farms we rent has a parallel development story along the same time frame.  Unfortunately, I do not see that sort of growth and expansion as an option for most in our era of slim commodity margins.
 
Yet, the second part of what was so striking about these family businesses is the ability of multiple generations that have come together and successfully kept the land in tact and the businesses viable.  As part of my family is facing a daunting estate succession, seeing these ranch families successfully keeping the business alive while simultaneously bringing younger generations into the operations is incredibly encouraging!
 
Moreover, seeing how these family businesses are utilizing all of their natural resources while maintaining conservation priorities is enlightening.  These ranches are working with various water management and environmental groups as well as research institutions to continually prove that agriculture is in fact sustainable and beneficial to the environment, which is absolutely inspiring. In our social climate of people blaming agriculture for climate change and pollution challenges, these working relationships and collections of data are integral in our efforts to protect and defend our industry.  A saying that stuck with me refers to the argument that cattle are causing pollution of the Everglades downstream.  The response is that Florida has had the same number of cattle for more than 100 years, yet the population has grown 20-fold to 22 million people in that same time and the number of visitors is over 115 million people each year.  The Everglades weren’t polluted 100 years ago, so how are the cattle to blame?   
 
Something else that is so special about these trips is the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with new people while also spending quality time with old friends.  Not only are we meeting people through the tours, we’re also visiting with peers from throughout our state.  One of the things I learned early in my advocacy journey is how important networking is.  When approached with questions, I know there is no way I can answer everything I’m asked.  But you can be sure I know someone who does know the answers I do not, and they’re often just a phone call away.  I encourage everyone get passed their farm gates to see and learn from our peers, both in Louisiana and afar.   ​

Ready or not, 2020 is here.  Along with the festivities of the New Year come the awards show season for Hollywood’s most glamorous.  ‘Tis the season for the rich and famous from all over the world to travel to the west coast in private jets and rock the red carpet showing off exquisite gowns that will likely be worn only once.

Two weeks prior to the Golden Globes, organizers changed the menu to offer only vegan options in an effort to curb greenhouse gasses.  Despite food orders being placed months in advance and the rigors of implementing such a large menu change with little notice, the chefs obliged.  You can imagine ripple effects throughout the agriculture community as our products quickly became the target of a nationally televised social activist-type statement.  

What’s most striking to me is the sheer irony of this effort to “encourage social awareness” of climate change. The short notice of the menu changes inevitably led to food waste.  Why not focus on things that would have an actual positive impact rather than an impulsive reaction causing more waste?  Most, if not all, of the attendees traveled to the event in low-occupancy airplanes, jets and automobiles.  Most of the clothing worn that night will likely only be worn once.  What about the electricity required to put on such a spectacle?  The carbon footprint associated with transportation, energy and specialty clothing eclipses that of all of agriculture, let alone the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from animal agriculture.

While accepting his award for best actor in a drama at the Golden Globes, Joaquin Phoenix championed the vegan menu effort, amongst several other notable parts of his acceptance speech.  He did make a jab or two at all of the private jets.

Hypothetically, what if the activists working to shut down animal agriculture were to succeed?  Reducing the production of animal agriculture will have a drastic, negative impact for the consumer as less meat supply with consistent demand will drive up the price of meats.  Similarly, if the demand for plant-based protein were to increase without having additional land in production, the consumer is facing a very parallel challenge with increased demand and constant supply, again driving prices higher.  The rich and famous may not worry about things like this but these increased prices will drastically impact the food choices of a parent of three living off of $46,800/year (the average salary in 2018 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Going meatless in efforts to curb climate change also misses the mark when looking at ecosystems and best management practices.  Over 80% of the land grazed by cattle is not suitable to produce other crops.  The same land on which cattle graze today once was home to millions of buffalo.  In many respects, the presence of cattle grazing mimics that of the buffalos’ presence in years past, which is in fact healthy for rangelands. With proper grazing and rest, the forage regrowth is quite beneficial to the natural environment.  I’ve seen evidence of wildfires quite literally stopping at fencerows with ample forage on the other side of a barbwire fence, just because it was grazed properly.  Possibly most important, rotational grazing and ample rest periods on grazing lands sequesters carbon from the atmosphere.  While this research is relatively new, it is quite encouraging in both agriculture and climate change conversations.

Climate change is getting increased attention from many different directions, whether from Hollywood, activists or political candidates.  According the EPA, in 2017 transportation was responsible for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions, generating electricity was responsible for 28%, industry 22%, commercial and residential sources 12% and agriculture represented only 9% of total greenhouse gas emissions that year.  I’m sure every there is room for improvement in every industry, including agriculture, but as Hollywood’s awards season continues, I hope the rich and famous consider their own carbon footprint.

By Amelia Kent 

Alternative protein products are making their way into retail markets in multiple forms.  Whether in the form of a plant-based protein looking and tasting like beef or a product grown from beef cells in a lab, beef as we know it has some new competition in the retail marketplace.  In many respects, this shouldn’t come as a surprise to farmers and ranchers as the spectrum of consumer products, services and technology has experienced more compounded growth in the past century than in the all of the previous history.

However, as these alternative proteins are gaining traction in the meat cases and menus our beef occupy, we have a new competition with which to contend.  For many, this is an uncomfortable threat, but I see it an opportunity.  I heard the example of a group choosing to eat at a burger joint that also serves the alternative burger allowing for a vegetarian choice instead of another more-vegetarian restaurant that wouldn’t serve the group as much beef.  For me, as a beef producer, that’s a win.

These choices are also offering cattle producers a chance to highlight the sustainability of beef production.  Contrary to significant public perception, beef production is incredibly sustainable and conservation focused.  Most people are not aware that most of the land cattle graze is not suitable for other types of production.  Something I’m just starting to learn about is how to achieve carbon sequestration through rotational grazing.  I firmly believe that farmers and ranchers more intimately know the land they manage, the ecology and their environment than many of our urban counterparts.  Given much of the marketing rhetoric about alternative proteins hinges on “being better for the environment,” we all must speak up.  We have to share, and even brag, about the conservation measures we take, how much those aspects mean to us, and how we weave conservation and sustainability into our business models.

Three additional aspects to consider are labeling, nutrition and the ingredient list.  When comparing those three lists side by side for all three of the said products, the all-beef burger has the most protein and the only ingredient is ground beef.  In comparison, the alternative protein burgers have at least 5 grams less protein, more than 100 additional calories, and over six times as much sodium.  Additionally, the ingredient list for each of these options has more than TWENTY items!  Considering how much of the interest surrounding these alternative proteins is driven by health conscious marketing, we should be screaming from the rooftops about how healthy our beef is!

In all of this, we must not be disrespectful of consumer choice.  I know it’s easy to disparage these competing products, but I caution against doing so.  First, there are farmers growing and selling many of those products listed in the ingredient list.  There are too few of us in the agricultural community to be fighting in and amongst ourselves.  If these alternative protein products offer additional market outlets to farmers growing other crops, I’m glad for that.  Goodness knows we all need all the help we can get!  Another fact to remember is that taste wins in the marketplace.  We may not sell our beef to vegans and vegetarians.  But for those consumers who are buying and eating with health and environmental priorities in mind, we need to convey to them the healthful and sustainable aspects of our industry we know to be true.  Taste can carry the rest of the sell.

​More and more often, I see things floating through media outlets either talking favorably about or instilling distrust in our food supply.  An oldie but goodie reads “PSA:  ALL of the meat and milk you buy is antibiotic-free.”
 
Several people whom I immensely respect shared that message on social media, as did I. This is an important reminder when there are so many different labels targeting consumers, some of which have very good points and many of which are purely marketing ploys. 
 
What I didn’t anticipate in this casual share were comments dissecting the word play, referencing antibiotic (over)use in livestock and in turn antibiotic resistance in humans.  Yet I am not surprised in these comments, nor dismissive.  As farmers and ranchers raising the animals that enter our food supply, we need to be front and center in dialogues such as these.  Yes, a dialogue, a friendly and respectful exchange; and not a debate or argument.
 
We know the daunting figures that agrarians represent less than 1.5% of our society, and that number keeps getting smaller.  If we don’t speak up for ourselves, tell our own stories, and provide respectful explanations of our practices, we’re leaving ourselves, our neighbors and our customers open to fueled misinformation. 
 
Let’s revisit that antibiotic resistance dialogue.  Can farmers and ranchers be better managers in administering antibiotics?  Sure, but what does that look like?  The Veterinary Feed Directive enacted in January 2017 is a major step forward in that better management through increased regulation, and preliminary data shows a sharp reduction in the use of antibiotics in cattle feedlots and hog operations.  
 
A working relationship with your veterinarian is another incredibly helpful tool, even if that means a quick text or call rather than an in-person visit.  That same working relationship with a veterinarian is extremely important anyway, but if a health problem does arise, that existing relationship between the farmer and the veterinarian ensures the vet’s familiarity of the herd and farm in question, and helps potentially mitigate liability.
 
Livestock are the common blame for antibiotic resistance, but something that is frequently left out of the antibiotic resistance conversation is overprescribing in humans.  This doesn’t mean one or the other are to solely or mostly blame.  I firmly believe everyone needs to be good stewards of the medical tools on which we rely, regardless of the industry in question.  While farmers and ranchers know we eat the exact same food being produced and marketed in the grocery store, we need to do a better job conveying that to our neighbors and the general public.  

Women’s History Month annually highlights the contributions of women to the world and agriculture is no exception. 

Did you know over 3,500 of Louisiana’s farms have women in both ownership and management roles?  I didn’t know that until I read a statistic from the Louisiana Women in Agriculture Conference, which is being held this year on March 21.  
 
For me, watching women working in various roles within agriculture has always been normal.  My grandmother is a renowned plant propagator who owns a wholesale nursery. My mother worked alongside my father on the ranch they founded, owned and ran together, and now helps run my grandmother’s nursery. In my childhood, I remember countless ranch women running their own ranches or working alongside their husbands.  

None of those examples are lost in the past – it is very much so still true today!  In fact, women are starting to be recognized more for their contributions and we’re seeing more women holding leadership positions in agricultural organizations. Mrs. Linda Zaunbrecher has been inducted into the Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction this month– only the second woman to do so.  Last year, my grandmother was the first.
 
Several years ago, I attended a communications training program hosted by the Farm Bureau Women’s Committee and at the very beginning asked why it was a women’s communications bootcamp and not open to men as well.  My curiosity was quickly satisfied when one of the trainers answered that there is empirical data showing women tend to be more effective communicators than men.  To say I was surprised is an understatement.  

When that same trainer started explaining some of the reasons why, it made complete sense.  Oftentimes, women buy the groceries, drop kids off and pick them back up from school, and tend to many of the household decisions.  Regardless of location and career differences, those are some starting points to common ground.  As advocacy is becoming more of a buzzword, social media controls much of our marketing and too much of our lives, and blogs are as popular as ever, women have really made a name for themselves in the world of communication and advocacy.  The AFBF GOTeam is comprised of a 60+ percent women.

These roles are not limited to effective communication.  I can think of numerous examples of farms and ranches that are solely owned by women or owned by a married couple but managed by the wife or even owned by a couple who shares management roles.  

For the past two weeks, I’ve been challenged with addressing my farm chores while simultaneously planning packing our entire house to finally fix the floors after flooding in 2016.  To say my stress level has been high is quite an understatement, but it’s something I know I can manage with the role models I’ve had from my past.  
 
I wonder if women are gaining more roles, or if it’s becoming more visible and socially acceptable for women to have these roles?  What are roles held by women in your farming operations?
 
 Amelia Kent and her husband, Russell, raise beef cattle and hay in East Feliciana Parish. Amelia is a past chair of Louisiana’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, is currently a member of the - Partners in Advocacy Leadership program with AFBF, and serves on the Cattlemen’s Beef Board. Find them on Facebook at Kent Farms; or on Instagram and Twitter @kentfarms_la.