BRINKLEY — Madison Coleman of Brinkley (Monroe County) was named 2014-15 Miss Arkansas Rice on Saturday at the Brinkley Convention Center. Coleman will be a senior at Lee Academy in Marianna this fall. She is the daughter of Shannon Coleman of Brinkley.

Josie Brown of Wynne (Cross County) was first runner-up, and second runner-up was Anna Thrash of Conway (Faulkner County). Other county winners participating in the state finals were Lizzy Bronson of DeWitt (Arkansas County), Brittany Roedel of Jonesboro (Craighead County) and Gennie Bariola of Carlisle (Lonoke County).

The goal of the Miss Arkansas Rice program is to encourage interest in rice promotion and to publicize the importance of the Arkansas rice industry to the state's economy. Contestants were judged on their promotion activities and knowledge of the rice industry. They also cooked a rice dish at the competition on which they were judged. Madison’s recipe was "Chocolate Rice Parfait."

The Arkansas Rice Council sponsors the annual contest in cooperation with Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Arkansas’ rice industry supports 2,500 rice farms, employs more than 35,000 Arkansans and contributes over $4 billion annually to the state’s economy.

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Madison Coleman

Arkansas Farm Bureau is a nonprofit, private advocacy organization of more than 190,000 families throughout the state working to improve farm and rural life.