Nicole Montna Van Vleck Named 2021 Rice Farmer of the Year

Every year at the Annual Rice Awards Luncheon, Rice Farming magazine bestows three awards: Rice Farmer of the Year, the Rice Industry Award, and the Rice Lifetime Achievement Award. These annual recognitions, co-sponsored by Horizon Ag and USA Rice, highlight some of the most positive achievements associated with the U.S. rice industry.

The 2021 Rice Farmer of the Year is Nicole Montna Van Vleck, president and CEO of Montna Farms in Sutter County, California. In 2000, Van Vleck and her sister, Michell, took over the operation where their main crop is super high-premium, Japonica-style short grain varieties. Nicole has held leadership positions for USA Rice and the California Rice Commission where she is a tireless advocate for the U.S. rice industry.