By MEGGIE I. FOSTER
Assistant Editor

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Hoosier farmers and agriculture leaders from across the state joined for the day dedicated just for agriculture interests during The Great Indiana State Fair on Aug. 15.

The event-filled day included numerous announcements, ceremonies, the Farmers’ Day Parade, 4-H Sale of Cham-pions and, of course, free time to grab some deliciously traditional fair food.

The Farmers’ Day daytime events kicked off with the annual Old-fashioned pancake breakfast presented by Indiana Farm Bureau on Biofuels Main Street, located just beneath the Grandstands center stage at the fairgrounds. Proceeds of the morning breakfast were donated to the Indiana FFA Foundation.

In addition to being named Farmers’ Day, the special day was also titled Purdue Day, as Purdue University tents from nearly every college and department lined the streets of the fairgrounds.

While obvious agriculture was making a big appearance at the fair, the Indiana State Department of Agriculture also took a step forward honoring board members and making several announcements that could change the course of the agriculture industry in the state of Indiana.

Ag Advisory Board

The first announcement of the day began in the newly-renovated Administration Building, as Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman and State Director of Agriculture Andy Miller awarded five outgoing members of the Indiana Agricultural Advisory Board with the Distinguished Hoosier Award, one of the highest honors bestowed upon a Hoosier, according to Skillman.

“A lot has changed in the agriculture industry in the last two years and the state has natural strength in a great partnership with the Ag Advisory Board,” reflected Skillman.

Recipients of the Distinguished Hoosier Award and outgoing Advisory Board members include: Richard Halderman, Halderman Companies; Linda Schanlaub, Macy Elevator; Jim Schriver, Schriver Farms; Howard Unger, farmer and beef producer and Richard Wertz, International Timber and Veneer.

“On behalf of the Governor and all Hoosiers I would like, to take this time to thank you (outgoing board members) for your continued service as we move agriculture forward,” she added.
Under a new tenure process instituted during legislation this spring, Ag Advisory Board members will now serve a three-year term and every April five members will complete their terms. During the State Fair board meeting, Miller and Skillman named the five new members taking a seat on the board. New members include: Jeremy Mullins, of Louis Dreyfus; Barry Jordan, a beef producer; Greg Huber, of Huber Winery; Matthew Gibson, from the Indiana Corn Growers Assoc., and Gary Reding, of Langeland Farms.

According to Miller, board members represent a wide facet of food and agricultural interests including hardwoods, grains, biofuels, livestock, food processors and other related industries.

“There is such a wide diversity of interests throughout agriculture,” said Miller. “As we sought to invite new members, we looked at outgoing members and what skills they brought to the board. In addition to representing their own interests, new members also need to be able to represent agriculture as a whole and see the big picture,” explained Miller.

Improving regulatory issues

Entitled the Celebration of Indiana Agriculture event, Skillman and Miller made a major announcement during a multipurpose event designed to gather every leader and stakeholder in the agriculture and food industry from across the state.

During the event, Skillman announced a new partnership with Indiana Farm Bureau to form an industry group to develop ideas to improve the state’s faulty agricultural regulatory system.

“Our goal with this group is to increase efficiency in regulatory programs, while ensuring economic progress and maintaining a healthy state of welfare and conservation throughout the state,” she said.

Partnering with Farm Bureau, Ted McKinney, leader of the U.S. Food Chain and State Affairs for Dow AgroSciences, will chair the new group and help in selection of members. McKinney, in coordination with Farm Bureau, will invite key stakeholders from agriculture, the environmental community, elected officials and others, who will face regulatory reform issues head on, moving Indiana agriculture forward in the stride to economic revitalization.

While referencing the Agriculture Regulatory Review Baseline Report, a summary of multiple internal reviews of the status of Indiana’s agricultural regulatory climate, Skillman noted that she was most “concerned about the confidence level among Hoosiers,” in the state’s regulatory system.

“Regulatory programs could be better and the programs are designed to serve you and that’s exactly what they should do,” she added. “We want to make a leaner government and a more efficient government and we believe we’re headed in the right direction with this new industry group that will focus primarily on regulatory reform in agriculture.”

AgriVision Award