Planting Season Roadway Safety

Planting season is here for Indiana?s 94,000 farmers. With the warm weather and sunshine, Hoosier motorists will also see more large slow-moving farm equipment traveling Indiana?s rural roads and highways.

The?Indiana State Department of Agriculture,?Indiana Department of Homeland Security,?Indiana Department of Transportation,?Indiana State Police?and?Hoosier Ag Today have partnered together to encourage motorists to slow down, be alert and be patient on roadways this spring.

Click below to read the full release and find safety tips for motorists.

Over $300,000 awarded to landowners to fund soil conservation in Western Lake Erie Basin

The?Indiana State Department of Agriculture?and the?USDA- Indiana Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)?announced conservation practices will be implemented on over 1,700 Indiana farmland acres through the?Western Lake Erie Basin Regional Conservation Partnership (RCPP).

The Western Lake Erie Basin Tri-State Collaboration Effort allows three states ? Indiana, Michigan and Ohio ? to come together to work with farmers, universities and non-governmental organizations and offer financial assistance to producers. The primary goal of this multi-state project is to protect the western basin of Lake Erie by reducing phosphorus and sediment loading, and algal blooms by using a suite of conservation practices working towards a 40 percent reduction of dissolved phosphorus.

For 2024, more than $307,036 was awarded to Indiana landowners within the watershed to implement a series of conservation practices. These practices will work to implement over 125 new acres of cover crops, apply gypsum to over 925 acres and use precision nutrient management on over 660 acres. The goal of these practices is to prevent nutrient runoff and decrease algal blooms in order to protect the Western Lake Erie Basin region.

Click below to read the full release.

Indiana Grown members connected to local food buyers

Indiana Grown held a member event in April focused on encouraging schools, hospitals, restaurants and more to buy local. The event featured 57 Indiana Grown members who are ready and able to expand into larger markets.?

Members who attended the showcase were highlighting their locally grown, raised, processed and crafted items, like wagyu beef, pork, Indiana wine, craft spirits, specialty produce, sauces, spices, coffee and more. The event featured guests from Indiana, Ohio and Kentucky shopping for their specialty store, distribution business, hospital or school cafeteria, restaurant or grocery store.?

Click below to read the full release.

ISDA promotes Hoosier Agriculture in Korea, Brazil & India

Agribusiness Trade Mission to Seoul, South Korea In late March, ISDA Director Don Lamb and ISDA International Trade Director Drew Sherman participated in a USDA FAS agribusiness trade mission to Seoul, South Korea. Korea is an established market for U.S. agricultural products and one of Indiana?s top five ag export markets over the last two decades. ?When we think about growing our exports, we think a lot about corn and soybeans here in Indiana ?but really beef, pork and poultry are the areas that we probably have the most opportunities to increase,? Lamb said. ?Of course, that includes corn and soybeans in one way or another through their use in feed products.? ?The U.S. is known for high quality plant and animal products among Korean consumers,? added Sherman, ?but more and more we are seeing interest in other consumer-oriented products. Snacks, beverages, healthy and protein-rich food preparations from the U.S. are highly sought after in the Korean market.? 36 U.S. companies traveled to Seoul and participated in business-to-business meetings. After initial evaluations, those companies are projecting more than $67M in export sales over the next 12 months.

Agbioscience Trade Mission to Brazil In April, ISDA Director Lamb traveled with a delegation to Brazil on an agriculture focused trade mission. The delegation also consisted of Gov. Eric Holcomb, Mitch Frazier (CEO, AgriNovus), Courtney Kingery (CEO, Indiana Soybean Alliance) and others. Their goal was to build relationships and identify partner opportunities across government, academia and industry as well as to advance industry partnerships, trade and investment across the agbiosciences sector, meeting with Brazil-based companies with Indiana operations.

Agribusiness Trade Mission to New Delhi, India Last week, Deputy Director Katie Nelson and ISDA International Trade Director Drew Sherman participated in a USDA FAS agribusiness trade mission to New Delhi, India to promote Indiana agriculture in one of the largest emerging markets in the world. ?In India this week, we?ve really been focusing on grain?specifically ethanol?as well as duck and turkey,? said Nelson. ?Indiana is the number one duck producing state in the country and number three turkey producing state. Last year, when India decreased its basic tariffs on duck and turkey from 30 percent to five percent, U.S. products became a lot more price competitive in the Indian market and we?re taking advantage of that lower tariff rate.? After initial evaluations, the 24 U.S. companies that participated in business-to-business meetings are projecting nearly $30M in export sales over the next 12 months.

April 4: Over $300,000 awarded to landowners to fund soil conservation in Western Lake Erie Basin
Find the full release?here

April 10: Motorists: stay alert and share the road with farm equipment this spring
Find the full release?here

April 24: Indiana Grown members connected to local food buyers
Find the full release?here

Indiana Meat and Poultry Intermediary Lending Program (MPILP)
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Cover Crop Premium Discount Program
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Farm Storage Facility Loan Program
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Rural Energy for America Program Renewable Energy Systems & Energy Efficiency Improvement Guaranteed Loans & Grants
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Grain Buyers Director| Indianapolis, IN
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Indiana FFA Assistant Director of Leadership Development | Indianapolis, IN
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