Amy Beth Dowdy grew up in a close-knit farming family in Stoddard County, Missouri, in the southeast corner of the Bootheel. “Daddy had a few fields of rice and Mama always said that gave us something to argue about at the dinner table,” she says.
Soon after graduating from Mississippi State University with an agronomy degree, Dowdy landed a job in Missouri with Terra, which allowed her to come back home. She initially worked with the company’s local sales representative, accompanying him on farm visits and honing her weed identification and rice consulting skills.
In 1996, Dowdy went out on her own and started ABD Crop Consulting LLC. She says she takes her farmers from seed to grain. During the winter planning season, Dowdy assists them with variety selection at seed booking time. Once the crop is planted, she scouts their rice fields weekly.
Read more about the 2020 Rice Consultant of the Year, Amy Beth Dowdy of Dexter, Missouri, in the special tribute below.