Harvest is here - watch out and slow down for farm equipment on rural roads this fall

Harvest season is here, and?Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch,?Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Bruce Kettler, Hoosier Ag Today and many other state agencies have teamed up to promote roadway safety this fall?encouraging motorists to watch out and slow down for farm equipment on rural roads this harvest season. To kick off the campaign, ISDA and?Hoosier Ag Today?created a Public Service Announcement to inform drivers of what to do when encountering farm equipment on roadways.?

The following list includes several safety tips for motorists approaching large farm equipment:

• Farmers will pull over when they are able to let motorists pass, but it may take time for them to get to a safe place to do so.
• Be patient. Farm equipment is wide, sometimes taking up most of the road.
• Be careful when passing. Do not pass in a designated ?No Passing Zone? or within 100 feet of any intersection, railroad grade crossing, bridge, elevation structure or tunnel.
• Please be aware of farmers working near the road and semi trucks and trailers parked alongside rural roads.?
• Avoid tailgating, as some farm equipment might have to make sudden stops along the road.

Click below for a list of safety tips or to view the full Public Service Announcement.

Indiana Grown announces new director

Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Bruce Kettler announced this month that Caroline Patrick will be the new director of the?Indiana Grown?program and will lead its nearly 2,000 members. Patrick?s background focuses on culinary arts and local food procurement. She was most recently Director of Food Nutrition at Community Hospital East in Indianapolis where she started a bistro in the hospital focused on local foods. Her education includes a culinary arts degree from The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York. In this role of Indiana Grown director, Patrick will help to ensure Indiana Grown members find and secure new opportunities and work to help consumers shop for local products. She will also meet with elected officials statewide to help them better understand the program and the need to support local food-based businesses and artisans. Additionally, she will oversee the Indiana Grown team and work with them to set and realize a strategic vision and complete other operational needs.

Click below to read more about Caroline.

Farm Show and ISDA to Host Ag Career Fair to Help with Labor Shortage

The Indiana Farm Equipment and Technology Expo in partnership with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) will host an agricultural career fair as part of its annual Expo in December. The one-day event will give Indiana agribusinesses the chance to interview potential candidates for their open positions. It will also expose those not familiar with careers in agriculture to the opportunities there are in this field. The career fair will take place on Thursday, December 15, from 9am to 1pm at the Grand Park Event Center in Westfield, IN where the Expo is being held.

Click below to read more.

Ensure you are counted in the 2022 Census of Agriculture!

America?s farmers and ranchers will soon have the opportunity to be represented in the nation?s only comprehensive and impartial agriculture data for every state, county and territory. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will mail the 2022 Census of Agriculture to millions of agriculture producers across the 50 states and Puerto Rico this fall.

Collected in service to American agriculture since 1840 and now conducted every five years by USDA?s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census of Agriculture tells the story and shows the value of U.S. agriculture. It highlights land use and ownership, producer characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, among other topics.

Click below to learn more about the?2022 Census of Agriculture and ensure you are counted.

NASDA honors Jordan Seger with the Douglass-Irvin

Administration Award

Recently at the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture 2022 Annual Meeting, ISDA Deputy Director Jordan Seger was selected to receive the Douglass-Irvin Administration Award.

The purpose of the award is to recognize an individual for outstanding contributions within a state agency resulting in improved efficiency and impact.

As Deputy Director, Jordan supports ISDA in achieving its mission and strategies. Among many responsibilities, he oversees the day-to-day operations of the department, represents ISDA in committees, engages with producer organizations and identifies strategic opportunities to grow the state?s agriculture sector.

Click below to read more about Deputy Director Seger and the Douglass-Irvin Administration Award.

September 8: Indiana Grown announces new director
Find the full release?here

September 21: Department of Agriculture warns of harvest traffic on rural roads
Find the full release?here

Learn more Shrimpbox here.

FEDERAL FUNDING:

Dairy Business Builder Grant Program
Find more information?here

Food Supply Chain Guaranteed Loan Program
Find more information here

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) COVID-19 Small Business Funding Portal
Find more information here

STATE FUNDING:

Indiana State Trade and Export Promotion (IN-STEP)
Find more information here

Manufacturing Readiness Grant
Find more information here

GENERAL FUNDING:

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grants
Find more information here

Food Export Midwest?
Find more information here

Economic Development Director |?Indianapolis, IN
Find more information here

Assistant Director - FFA Career & Leadership Development?|?Indianapolis, IN
Find more information here

Indiana Grown Marketing & Communications Manager?|?Indianapolis, IN
Find more information here

October 10:?Columbus Day
ISDA office closed

October 26-29:?National FFA Convention & Expo
Find more information here

October 31:?Halloween

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