Over a century ago, a group of forward-thinking men decided the flat prairie area of Crowley was the ideal spot to put a rice experiment station. Their dream over the years has proven to be spot on. I just wonder if they ever could have imagined just how important it would become not only to Louisiana, and the nation, but to the entire world.
Dr. H. Rouse Caffey, whom the station would later be named after came to Crowley in the 1970s. Dr. Caffey is the one who envisioned the Station being much bigger than it was. He saw the rice industry as a global industry, and laid the foundation for those who would follow. One of those individuals would be Dr. Steve Linscombe.
Upon receiving his Ph.D. in agronomy from Mississippi State University, Steve applied for a forage breeding position with LSU. By fate, or by what I suspect, a little intervention from Dr. Caffey, Steve didn’t get the position, but it did lead to him to becoming the extension rice specialist for Louisiana.
Although Steve excelled at being our state rice specialist, it would be his 21 years as a rice breeder that allowed his talents to truly benefit the entire industry. Steve took over a Model T and turned it into a Ferrari. He sped up, modernized, and streamlined the process of breeding rice. During his tenure, we nearly doubled the yields, decreased diseases, and improved milling quality in the 33 varieties he developed. He also led the breeding process of the Clearfield line of rice that totally transformed the industry.
When Steve received an award, he would first credit his hard-working staff for doing the tedious manual labor required for variety development. But he often was working alongside his employees to plant rice and to select panicles, and it was his leadership that assembled and molded this team into the first-class organization.
Steve was born and raised in Gueydan to parents who were educators. During the summers his parents would take Steve and his sisters on camping and learning expeditions across the country. As an adult Steve would do the same. He has traveled the globe for rice, gaining and sharing knowledge; and he gave over 1,000 presentations worldwide.
On a personal note, Steve has been a great friend and mentor to me. Steve is one who I would visit with when I was contemplating starting the Louisiana Farm and Ranch publication. He not only encouraged me to do it but he also offered his time and talent to write an article each month. He faithfully wrote for us for over 12 years now and I am truly and forever grateful to him. My hope is that he still chimes in with us from time to time on his adventures in semi-retirement.
Although he is leaving LSU, he will continue to be involved with the industry as he takes over the USA Rice Leadership Program, previously held by Chuck Wilson of Arkansas.
Steve’s positions he held over the years with the LSU AgCenter will be filled, but his legacy will endure because of the rice varieties that he developed that have helped rice farmers continue to make a living. The LSU AgCenter will truly miss Steve Linscombe, but it’s because of him that …rice goes on!
Buck Leonards is a farmer in Acadia Parish and publisher of Louisiana Farm and Ranch Magazine.