Farmers will share their stories at State Fair

INDIANAPOLIS — An all-star lineup of farmers will be featured July 28-Aug. 20 at the Indiana State Fair.

Visitors can attend a live chat with the featured farmers at 2:30 p.m. in the Glass Barn every day of the fair. The farmers represent a variety of crops and livestock from around the state.

“The Featured Farmers program is all about connecting fairgoers to farmers during the State Fair, to help connect the dots about where their food comes from,” said Cindy Hoye, executive director of Indiana State Fair Commission.

“These farmers have incredible stories to tell, and we are proud to be the backdrop for these conversations.”

Kicking off the first day of the fair, the Hill family will share their story at the fair. The Hills are celebrating 50 years of raising pigs in Hancock County.

“We take it very seriously that what we’re doing here is raising food for our family and other families,” said Heather Hill.

“As a mother, there’s nothing more important than the decisions I make that impact my children and their health. So, we do a lot of things here to make sure we’re taking care of the environment and taking care of our animals to ensure we’re producing a nutritious, high-quality product that is very safe and affordable.”

The Hills’ pigs are raised in climate-controlled barns where the thermostat is adjusted to precise temperatures, depending on the age of the pigs. A curtain is raised or lowered as weather changes to allow in fresh air for ventilation.

Pigs are protected from the Indiana elements and natural predators such as coyotes. At Hill Farms, animal health is the barometer of success.

“It’s very important that we take care of our pigs — our whole priority is to raise healthy pigs,” Hill said.

“I often joke that we take better care of them than we do ourselves. We have generators in the barns that automatically kick on if we lose power — that doesn’t happen at my house.

“Our veterinarian comes once a month to do a routine herd visit. No one in my family goes to the doctor every month. I think about my grandfather a lot because he would be amazed at the level of care that we can provide these pigs.”

The family also advocates for agriculture through involvement with the National Pork Board and the Glass Barn Education Center at the Indiana State Fair.

“When given the opportunity, it’s important that we share what we do with our friends, our neighbors and our community,” Hill said.

“People often say we need to need educate the coasts about agriculture, but I’m a firm believer that we need to educate the people right here in our own communities.

“If people have questions about agriculture, I feel a responsibility to answer them and help educate about what we do, so that they have confidence in the food that they’re eating from the grocery store.”

To learn more about the farmers, visit IndianaStateFair.com.