Farm to city: Indiana observes National Ag Day

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana’s agriculture organizations teamed up to bring the farm to Indianapolis on National Agriculture Day.

Indiana’s Family of Farmers hosted the event outside the Statehouse. Contributing organizations to the nonprofit organization include American Dairy Association Indiana, Indiana Beef Council, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Pork, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana State Board of Animal Health, Indiana State Department of Agriculture and Indiana State Poultry Association.

Visitors stopped by to see chickens, pigs, goats and other booths to learn about agriculture.

The AgrIInstitute Class of 2021 also packed nearly 4,000 meals to send to Second Harvest Food Bank in Muncie.

Did You Know?

According to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana ranks:

• No. 1 in ducks, popcorn, gourds, hardwood and wood office furniture.

• No. 2 in pumpkins, wood kitchen cabinets and wood kitchen countertops.

• No. 3 in eggs, tomatoes, spearmint and cropland planted with cover crops.

• No. 4 in soybeans, turkey, peppermint and prefabricated wood buildings.

• No. 5 in corn and hogs.

• No. 6 in watermelon.

Gov. Mike Braun also declared March 19 as Indiana Agriculture Trade Day.

“Agricultural trade is an important source of both jobs and revenue for our rural communities,” the governor said.

“Nearly one-third of gross cash farm income comes from agricultural exports, and in Indiana, more than 46,000 jobs are supported by exporting the products that are raised or grown in the Hoosier state.”

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith, thanked farmers for their hard work.

“Agriculture isn’t just an industry — it’s a way of life here in Indiana,” he said. “Growing up, my dad worked in the dairy industry, and he showed me what a long day’s work really looks like.

“It’s that same work ethic consistently demonstrated by our farmers that keep our Hoosier communities and the world fed. Their role in export and trade is not only vital to Hoosiers, but to people worldwide.

“Agriculture contributes more than $35 billion to Indiana’s economy, is the seventh largest exporting state in the nation and is the ninth largest farming state.”