Farms Matter

By Sarah Correll

$37.9 billion. That’s a lot of money. According to a report of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, that’s how much Indiana’s agriculture industry contributed to the economy in 2011. This report studied the importance of agriculture in Indiana, and it includes some impressive numbers.

 About 83% of Indiana’s land is farmed or forested. That’s 19.4 million acres of Indiana land producing food and forestry products for use, trade, and export.

Agriculture employs over 190,000 Hoosiers. These are jobs from our communities, for our communities.

And most of this comes from family farms. What an amazing industry!

Read the Indiana Business Research Center’s full report, “Agriculture’s Bounty: The Economic Contribution of Agriculture,” here. 

Farm to Fork Event Coming to Indianapolis This Weekend

By Sarah Mahan of This Farm Family's Life

Local farmers, chefs, brewers, vintners and food enthusiasts will all come together in one place to celebrate the tastes of Indiana. DigIN will take place this Sunday, August 25th  from noon to 5 pm at White River State Park in Indianapolis, Ind.

  

 

DigIN is a food event that focuses on celebrating the farm to fork experience. Indiana's Family of Farmers is pleased to be sponsoring the event to help showcase the high quality products that come from Indiana farms of all sizes and to feature the farmers who produce our food.
 

More than 35 of Indiana's finest chefs will prepare a dish from fresh produce and meat and poultry from Indiana farms. Guests will be able to interact with chefs and some producers while dining.
  

 

Keegan Poe is a third generation farmer from Johnson County and he will be supplying ground beef, ground lamb and leg of lamb for the event. Poe grew up on a sheep farm that is now managed by his brother.  He began his beef business in 1975 while completing a 4-H project. He earned a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Kentucky and a Master's Degree in Ruminant Nutrition from Purdue University. Poe now operates a 25 head cow-calf operation, specializing in freezer beef. Poe feels DigIN is an important event that provides consumers the true story about agriculture."The information about food coming from the mainstream media is misleading at best," says Poe. He encourages event-goers to seek out farmers to learn about where their food comes from.
 

Visit White River State Park for DigIN and enjoy a wide range of music, cooking demonstrations and "savor the bounty of Indiana's agriculture."
 

For more information about the event, visit: digindiana.org

The Talk of the August Table: Popcorn!

By Sarah Correll

Many of us have been busy enjoying food, fun, family, and friends at the Indiana State Fair for the past two weeks, and we were thrilled that a few of our blogger friends could join us as well! Here’s what they had to say about the Year of Popcorn at the Indiana State Fair in this month's Table Talk Series!

Not a fair fanatic? Start here and learn why Angie of Just Like the Number thinks everyone should at least appreciate the fair.

Crystal at Mom for Less shares her love for August and the parts of the fair her family loves best.

Liz’s post on Two Maids a Milking is popping with great popcorn recipes- including this delicious looking caramel corn!

If you couldn’t get enough of the popcorn or the deep fried Oreos at the fair, check out Amy at A Latte with Ott, A’s Oreo Popcorn!

Wondering what popcorn has to do with the state fair, anyway? Michelle at Gotcha Baby explains!

Lana at Walking the Off Beaten Path shares memories of popcorn and the fair with a good bit of humor here.

On Writrams, Jackie shares six delicious popcorn recipes. How good does that peanut butter cup popcorn look?!

If you haven’t had a chance to visit the fair yet this year, be sure to pop in! We’ll be in the DuPont Food Pavilion and hope to see you before the fair closes on August 18!

Pop In for a Dairy Delicious Meal

Cheese sculptures, great food, parades, and cooking demonstrations are adding up to a great fair for Indiana dairy farmers!

The Cheese Lady finishes her 2012 sculpture

Sarah Kaufmann’s  artistic cheese creations have become an integral part of the Indiana State Fair. She’s back again this year, and her huge cheese creation will highlight the importance of childhood nutrition and starting your day with an energizing breakfast, as well as dairy farmers’ commitment to kids’ wellness and nutrition. You can watch her work in the DuPont Food Pavilion and see the finished product after the official unveiling.

 While you’re in the DuPont Food Pavilion, check out the food demonstrations on the Red Gold Culinary Stage! Dairy experts are sharing their knowledge on the stage at 2:00 each day. Join them to learn new recipes that incorporated nutritious dairy products!

The Daily Parade adds even more fun to the state fair’s daily activities. Each day at 6:00 the parade will circle the main road at the state fair. Look for the dairy float in the line-up!

A day at the fair can leave you hungry, and the Dairy Bar is a longstanding favorite for food at the fair. If you’re looking for a light, healthy snack, try their apple slices or cottage cheese! At the fair early? They serve breakfast until 10:00 each morning. They’re premiering the Blue Moo this year. It’s a grilled American and bleu cheese sandwich on sourdough bread. 

And don’t worry- they’re still serving all your favorite fair-time dairy delights: scrumptious grilled cheese sandwiches, creamy milkshakes, monster ice cream cones, regular and flavored milk, breakfast sandwiches and more.

Beef Up Your Time at the Indiana State Fair

By Sarah Correll

Indiana beef cattle farmers have always had a role in the Indiana State Fair, and this year is no exception! They will be offering their delicious food, and a side of knowledge, at the 2013 fair.

The Indiana Beef Tents are located on both the north and south side of the fairgrounds. Both will be serving all-beef hotdogs (the kids meals come with coloring books, too!), hamburgers, and the famous ribeye sandwiches. Added bonus: the ribeyes are under 290 calories!

At 1:00 each day a beef expert will be teaching us how to make the most of the delicious product in the DuPont Food Pavilion. You can also learn about beef in the Exposition Hall at their booth each day.

We also can’t forget about all the beef producers who will be on the grounds for the fair. 

Watch beef farmers from ages eight to eighty and beyond show their cattle in the various show and have your questions answered!