Beyond the Bushel: Quality and Sustainability in Rice with Brian Ottis
If you’ve spent any time in rice country, you’ve probably heard of RiceTec. And if you haven’t—well, let me introduce you to one of the most thoughtful voices in the field: Brian Ottis.
In the latest episode of Field Good Life, I sat down with Brian to talk about everything from hybrid rice to sustainability, and y’all—it was a good one.
Brian’s roots run deep in agriculture. Growing up around farming, he understands the grind, the reward, and the responsibility that comes with feeding people. Today, he’s the Director of Marketing and Product Management at RiceTec, where they’re doing more than just talking about change—they’re planting it (literally).
Why Hybrid Rice?
Hybrid rice might not be the dinner table conversation for most, but it should be. It offers farmers stronger disease resistance, better yields, and less pressure on resources. That means healthier crops, smarter land use, and more resilience in the face of unpredictable seasons.
But there’s a catch—just like in life, balance is everything. Pushing for higher yields can sometimes mean sacrificing milling quality. Brian and I talked about how critical that balance is for farmers like me who are trying to keep our heads above water while producing a product we’re proud of. Field yields are what makes a farmer profitable. But with thin to non-existent margins milling yields are becoming ever more important to the bottom line. And not only for farmers but for rice mills and the end users of rice as well.
Let’s Talk Methane (Yep, We Went There)
One of the biggest environmental hurdles in rice farming? Methane emissions. RiceTec is leaning into research that helps reduce those emissions without compromising production. It’s a huge deal for sustainability—and for proving that rice farmers can be part of the climate solution. With irrigation water management practices such as row rice and alternate wetting and drying (AWD) farmers are making a big impact on emissions while also preserving carbon to potentially sell to other markets. Thus, increasing the bottom line for family farmers. RiceTec varieties can help enhance these practices on the farm
The Reality Check
We also dug into the economic side of things. Rice farmers aren’t just competing with other rice farmers anymore—we’re up against corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, international markets and entire governments for that matter. Rice doesn’t always get the same spotlight, but it’s feeding a whole lot of people and supporting local ecosystems and communities in ways many don’t realize. Without the rice industry in Arkansas, small communities like mine would have no economic base from which to grow.
That’s why research matters. Brian said it best: “We have to keep investing in innovation to stay competitive and keep farmers in business.” I couldn’t agree more.
We wrapped our chat talking about perception. Scare tactics in the media try to make us fear the safety of our food. We believe the American farmer is growing the safest food supply in the world. TAs the negotiations for an increased reference price for rice are in the works in Congress, we are hopeful this will come to fruition so the American rice farming families are able to continue doing what they love and feeding the world with US grown rice. The industry is constantly evolving—managing inputs, watching markets, improving technology—all while juggling Mother Nature’s mood swings.
If you care about where your food comes from, or just want to understand the story behind some of the challenges that a grain of rice must overcome to make it to your plate, this episode is worth a listen.
Tune in to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts:
🍎https://podcasts.apple.com/za/podcast/field-good-life/id1795513436
💚https://open.spotify.com/show/2xQkadHp60CkKLaD43Eotq?si=f8b51e4fbf65485b
Let’s keep the conversation going.