(10/24/25) CROWLEY, La. — “Y’all sure go through a lot of trouble to get your rice. We just buy it at the store.”

So were the words of a young cousin of Louisiana Rice Promotion Board chair Kane Fontenot when first introduced to the rice harvesting process. Fontenot recounted the story to high schoolers from 15 parishes across the state at the pilot Growing Careers … Beyond the Rice Field program, held recently at the LSU AgCenter H. Rouse Caffey Rice Research Station.

The brainchild of AgCenter extension agents and Louisiana rice growers, the program aims to get high-achieving students interested in the science behind agriculture and make them aware of the career opportunities available in a variety of interconnected fields.

“This is targeted to a teen audience for them to discover all the career possibilities in the rice industry, highlighting all the work done here at the rice research station,” said Lanette Hebert, 4-H coordinator for the AgCenter Southwest Region. “They are walking through every lab and getting hands-on experience with professors and research associates sharing with them a typical day and discussing their own educational background as well.”

Hebert said applications for the daylong program were sent statewide with approximately 50 returned. Of those, 30 were chosen to attend to keep the day’s activities as personalized as possible.

Julie Richard, a rice producer in Acadia and Vermilion parishes who helped organize the event, said the day was meant to show youth the ins and outs of rice production.

“We invited seven industry personnel — whether it is packaging, sales, chemicals, seed, technology or policy — to speak to the students so they get every different aspect of the industry,” Richard said. “This is to recruit future scientists, businesspeople and industry leaders that might not know what we do here on a day-to-day basis.”

On the science front, students learned about planting, harvesting, plant disease and destructive insects from a group of AgCenter researchers who were enthusiastic about sharing their collective knowledge with those in attendance. Rice research associate Jacob Fluitt flexed his 17 years of experience by walking students through the rice growing process in one of the research station’s on-site labs.

“We are doing a small project where each student is planting pots with rice, then they will apply a fertilizer, take them home and see the results,” he said. “It shows them that there’s a lot more science to rice farming than they may have thought.”

During the networking lunch where — of course — the rice-centric dish jambalaya was the main course, the seven industry leaders sat with the youth to answer questions about the industry at large. Fontenot emphasized the importance of getting young adults interested in all forms of agriculture.

“They’re our future, so that is why we wanted to help sponsor this,” he said. “There are fewer and fewer people getting into agriculture, so we need to continue to educate this group on why it is so important.”

Haley Capps, a teacher at STEM Magnet Academy of Pointe Coupee, called the program a great opportunity for the five students she brought with her from her drone class.

“I’m so proud of them, and they’re learning about agronomy and how rice is connected to the world,” she said. “It tied into my curriculum and was the perfect opportunity for them.”

LSU AgCenter rice research associate Jacob Fluitt walks attendees through the steps of planting rice at Growing Careers … Beyond the Rice Field. The program was developed by the AgCenter and Louisiana growers as a way to engage youth in the various careers possible in the field of rice production and agriculture overall. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter

Student attendees at Growing Careers … Beyond the Rice Field enjoyed a jambalaya lunch in between learning about the science, processes and business behind rice production. Seven industry leaders were invited to answer questions from the youth about the numerous careers available in the rice field. Photo by V. Todd Miller/LSU AgCenter