National Ag Day: Indiana hub for ag production, innovation

INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers celebrated National Ag Day on March 22.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Indiana’s Family of Farmers invited Hoosiers to celebrate the occasion.

“There are many ways to support agriculture,” according to the ISDA. “People can shop local, attend a farmers market, grow a backyard garden, buy from an Indiana meat processor or simply research how your food goes from field to grocery store.”

Indiana is a hub for agriculture production and innovation. The state ranks the eighth largest agricultural exporter in the nation, the 10th largest farming state and ag contributes an estimated $31.2 billion to Indiana’s economy.

There are more than 94,000 farmers and just over 54,000 farming operations.

In 2017, Indiana farmers cultivated just under 15 million acres of farmland. But the state’s ag industry is more than just plants. There are more than 4.2 million hogs and nearly 200,000 dairy cows in the state.

That adds up to a huge impact on the state.

Did you know?

• Ninety-six percent of Indiana farms are family owned or operated.

• In 2020, landowners installed more than 32,000 new soil conservation practices and farmers planted a new state record of 1.5 million living covers on their soil in 2020.

• The state is home to many agricultural businesses, including food processing, seed research and development, meat processing and packaging, egg or dairy processing and more.

• Indiana is home to a variety of agriculture technological advancements, like aquaculture and fresh vegetable processing facilities.

• Indiana is also home to renowned agricultural companies such as Elanco Animal Health, Corteva Agriscience and others.