Arkansas Rice Farmer Named To EPA's Ag Advisory Committee

Arkansas rice farmer Ray Vester, of Stuttgart, was named today to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Farm, Ranch, and Rural Communities Committee (FRRCC), according to a report posted in the USA Rice Federation’s Rice Daily e-letter.

The FRRCC is an independent committee that advises EPA on a wide range of environmental issues of importance to agriculture and rural communities.

According to the report:

FRCC members for the 2010-12 term include representatives from academia, industry, non-governmental organizations, and state, local, and tribal governments. Committee members were selected from a large pool of applicants responding to a request for nominations published last November in the Federal Register. FRRCC meetings will be open and the group is expected to meet twice annually, generally in Washington.

Vester, a rice farmer for more than 40 years, is the current chairman of USA Rice Federation's Environmental Regulatory subcommittee. In addition, he is a member of the Arkansas Rice Producers' Group board of directors, the USA Rice Federation Sustainability Task Force and the Biotechnology Task Force. Vester is also a member of the Arkansas State Plant Board.