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Indiana Agriculture: Enriching lives through innovation, education and collaboration.

This is not your standard Hoosier Farmer lead paragraph. It’s the vision statement of the Indiana Agriculture Strategic Plan 2027. It’s where the plan authors and implementers aspire to take Indiana’s farmers, its ag industry – businesses, natural resources and technology – and its economy over the next 10 years.

Agriculture is a $31 billion business in Indiana, with more than $11 billion of agriculture products being sold in-state. It’s a business too important to overlook and one that clearly can benefit from some strategic priorities. 

So, over the past 18 months, Farm Bureau representatives worked side by side with many groups – including nearly every ag commodity group in Indiana, universities, numerous state and federal agencies and nonprofits – to put together a strategic plan that speaks to the future of agriculture. Twenty-two listening sessions, an online survey, three strategic planning sessions and multiple committee action planning sessions were needed to develop the final plan.   

And on June 26, the Indiana agriculture community and Gov. Eric Holcomb and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch gathered together to present that plan to stakeholders and the media.

The planning committee, made up of influential leaders across the ag sector, drafted the plan which encompasses initiative and actions based on the following seven priorities:

• Economic and community development.
• Natural resources stewardship and environment.
• Education and career development.
• Public relations and outreach.
• Leadership development.
• Infrastructure.
• Food and agricultural innovation.

Indiana Farm Bureau was well represented in the audience and at the podium as President Randy Kron delivered the welcome and Justin Schneider, director, state government relations, moderated the natural resources and environment priority panel while Kendell Culp, INFB vice president and Indiana Soybean Alliance board member, moderated the infrastructure priority panel.

The thoughtful discussion around the plan priorities helped everyone in attendance understand that Indiana agriculture has a clear vision for the future and pathway for success. 

The complete plan is available on the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s website.