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Jennifer's kitchen: Her life of hospitality remembered through rice outreachJennifer's kitchen: Her life of hospitality remembered through rice outreach

The Jennifer Cox Smith Teaching Kitchen, as part of the new Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center, is a tribute to her passion for cooking and serving others.

Whitney Shannon Haigwood, Staff Writer

January 15, 2025

12 Slides
Painted portrait of a woman holding her white dog, displayed in a demonstration kitchen in her honor at a land grant research center in Arkansas.

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The legacy of Jennifer Cox Smith is honored through Windmill Rice Company’s sponsorship of the demonstration kitchen at the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center located just outside of Harrisburg, Ark. Her portrait is displayed as a tribute to her love of cooking and kindness to others.Courtesy of David Smith

This past September, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture celebrated the grand opening of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center. It is the first land-grant research center built in the state in 100 years, and this cutting-edge facility is one of a kind. 

In addition to research, NERREC is focused on education and outreach, particularly to teach about rice. The center is complete with a greenhouse, classroom, and demonstration kitchen – and there is a heartfelt story behind this state-of-the-art kitchen. 

The demonstration kitchen was sponsored by Windmill Rice Company in honor of Jennifer Cox Smith, late wife of David Smith, company owner. Smith lovingly shared the sentiments behind the sponsorship in his speech at the NERREC grand opening on Aug. 30, 2024. 

You see, Jennifer was well loved by the local community. She was known for her genuine hospitality and being a phenomenal cook. Smith sat down with Farm Press for an interview to recount how it all started. 

Home cooking and harvest

As a kid, Smith grew up off a gravel road, where he and his family farmed in Alicia, Ark. His father taught him to drive a tractor and a semi-truck at an early age. Smith looked back at his teenage years, when there were 15 to 20 different locations where they could sell the rice crop. In time, those options dwindled to less than five.  

Related:The grand landscape of rice research and promotion

Smith continued farming the family land into adulthood, and in 1995, he married Jennifer, who was also from an agricultural background. Smith described her as a compassionate woman and the love of his life.  

“Jennifer was an incredible woman. One of her many talents was being a fantastic cook,” he said. “The first six months we were married, I gained 50 pounds.” Smith likened the home-cooked meals Jennifer prepared daily as being comparable to a Thanksgiving feast.  

Jennifer not only cooked for Smith, but she also cooked for their farm workers. During harvest season, Smith said Jennifer would wake at 5 a.m. every day, seven days a week, to cook lunch for their farm crew. Then, she would deliver those meals to the field. 

Smith recalled how Jennifer’s home cooking and delivery created a harmonious atmosphere amongst the workers and kept the farm running smoothly. “I did not have a man miss a day of harvest for 15 years,” he said with a chuckle. 

Windmill Rice breaks ground

When Smith was around 45 years old, he and a group of partners decided to build a rice mill. Ground was broken for Windmill Rice Company in February 2007. The mill was up and running by May 2008.  

Related:An experiment station to meet the needs of today and tomorrow

Smith said, “We started bringing in rice from my farm and neighboring farms. We milled it, put it in the tank, packaged some of it, and sold some for bulk. Since then, we have been growing and expanding.” 

In the office of the mill, they built a full kitchen just for Jennifer. There she made lunches for workers and entertained clients for dinner, pouring out her genuine hospitality with every dish. Smith said, “Jennifer was very much involved, and she made employees and customers feel special.” 

Smith continued to farm in addition to operating the rice mill. By 2018 he was farming close to 11,000 acres. Then life brought about the unthinkable. On April 4, 2018, Jennifer passed away. 

Rice kitchen carries on Jennifer’s legacy

Smith tenderly recalled the evening of Jennifer’s visitation. “The outpouring from our friends – and friends I did not even know she had – was overwhelming,” he said. “She was well loved, and she touched so many lives.” 

Gripped with grief, Smith decided to hang up his farming career soon after Jennifer’s passing. He pressed forward, focusing on the rice mill operation. 

Then, an opportunity arose to honor Jennifer’s memory. Smith said he was approached by the University of Arkansas and asked for a contribution to help construct NERREC, located on a site just a few miles from Windmill Rice Company. This opportunity would come with naming rights within the building. 

When Smith learned of NERREC’s plan for the demonstration kitchen, he discussed the idea of sponsoring the kitchen with his business partners, Randy Woodard and Jerry Cox (Jennifer’s father). Together they decided it would be a great way to honor her legacy. 

Today, Jennifer’s portrait hangs in the Jennifer Cox Smith Teaching Kitchen at NERREC. “I have received countless phone calls complimenting us on the sponsorship, because Jennifer was such a well-known, wonderful person,” Smith said. 

Research and educational outreach

NERREC opened its doors this past summer, with over 400 attendees at the center’s grand opening. There was a full slate of speakers, including a keynote address delivered by Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. Other speakers were legislators, stakeholders and building sponsors.  

The presentations were followed by facility tours, and the event was complete with refreshments. Of course, Jennifer’s kitchen was bustling to serve the large crowd who gathered in the grand atrium of the building. She was certainly there in spirit. 

The Jennifer Cox Smith Teaching Kitchen is part of the educational outreach component of the center. It is equipped with a camera system so rice cooking demonstrations can be displayed on a large screen, adjacent to the kitchen. The intention is to teach visitors about how rice is cooked and allow them to experience the taste and smell. 

Behind the demonstration kitchen is a full-size commercial kitchen, with an attached loading dock. NERREC Director, Tim Burcham said, “I never anticipated just how much we would use the kitchen, but in just a short time, we have already used it more than I ever imagined. Caterers love it. They can back into the loading dock, and everything is set up for them.” 

Thanks to Windmill Rice Company’s sponsorship of the kitchen, Jennifer continues to serve others. Every dish prepared at NERREC is a tribute to Jennifer’s kindness to others and her love of cooking. 

Other educational components at the center are a classroom with an attached greenhouse, which allows visitors to learn about rice and experience a variety of plants growing year around. 

To learn more about NERREC, visit the U of A website. View the slideshow at the link below to see photos from the NERREC grand opening.

About the Author

Whitney Shannon Haigwood

Staff Writer, Delta Farm Press

Raised in a rural town in northeast Arkansas, Whitney Shannon Haigwood has a passion rooted in agriculture and education. As an Arkansas State University graduate, her career began in 2007, teaching middle school. After four years in the public classroom, she shifted gears to be a dedicated stay-at-home mom for her two beautiful daughters.

In 2019, Whitney took a job with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, and her love for agriculture grew even stronger. While there, she served in the cotton agronomy program and gained an appreciation for soil health. She later accepted a promotion to be the Technical and Social Media Writer for Agriculture and Natural Resources, which further channeled her energy to educate others about sustainable crop production.

Whitney joined the Delta Farm Press editorial team in 2022, and she is ambitious to share timely stories and on-farm inspiration. “Our farmers and leaders in the ag industry have stories to tell. We learn from one another,” she said. “If we keep our successes or failures a secret, then we stifle opportunities to impact those around us. I aim to tell the story of agriculture in the Delta.”

Whitney lives amidst acres of row crops in Newport, Ark., where she raises her two “farm girls” along with their spunky Sheepadoodle dog.

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