Contact:

Heidi Gant

317-692-7828

HGant@infb.org

(Indianapolis) – Sept. 15, 2026 – Indiana Farm Bureau has awarded 10 grants to support the growth and development of women-owned agriculture-related small businesses across the state.

Each grant, valued at $1,000, will help recipients pursue training and professional development, invest in technology upgrades, or purchase equipment to strengthen and expand their businesses.

Grant recipients were recognized Wednesday, Sept. 9, during Indiana Farm Bureau’s Harvest Dinner at the Hamilton County Fairgrounds Bicentennial Pavilion in Noblesville. The event celebrated the contributions and leadership of women in agriculture.

The 2026 Women-Owned Small Business Grant winners are:

• Tana Long - Bluejay Homestead
  This Starke County business is a fresh-milled flour bakery that also offers value-added farm products. Long plans to use her grant to increase production capacity and expand into additional products.
• Stephanie Strothmann - Purple Shamrock Farm
  This Jackson County business would like to increase marketing efforts for their upcycled dog treats and expand distribution across Indiana.
• Shannon Tieken - Samara Acres LLC
  This Clay County business that produces local honey, beeswax candles and artisan products would like to use the grant funds to update equipment to meet standards for a wholesale food processor licensing.
• Marybeth McDaniel - MBee's Honey Farm
  This Benton County business would like to add more hives to their apiary and support beekeeping education.
• Madelynn Keiffer - Lavender and Lace Florals LLC
  This Huntington County full-service florist would like to use grant funds to update equipment and increase marketing efforts.
• Suzanne & Lauren Flanders - Simply from Scratch
  This Hamilton County farm-to-table mobile grocery would like to use grant funds to update equipment to improve product quality and increase storage capacity.
• Kristen Tackett - The Harvested Homestead on 13
  This Wabash County self-serve farmstand would like to use grant funds to purchase equipment to display their pork products.
• Jenna Blue - Blue Family Farms 
  This LaPorte County premium cut flower and dahlia tuber farm plans to use the grant funds to purchase equipment to extend their growing season and expand educational programming.
• Beverly Sharritt - Flying Dirt Farm 
  This Madison County specialty cut-flower farm would like to use the grant funds to participate in professional development and educational opportunities to refine business operations.
• Aimee Jo Albright - Albright Acres Flower Farm and Nursery
  This Hendricks County business would like to use the grant funds to equip a permanent farm store with supplies to provide consistent retail space and improve customer experience.

INFB originally set out to award five grant winners this year but instead doubled the amount of recipients due to an overwhelming pool of qualified applicants.

“In celebration of the International Year of the Woman Farmer, we wanted to help provide more opportunities for women to succeed in farming and agribusiness,” said Chelsea Poe, INFB’s executive director of education and engagement. “This initiative also aligns with one of our top priorities this year to create incentives for rural entrepreneurship and agricultural diversification. We know funding can be a huge roadblock in growing a business, so hopefully this grant will alleviate that hurdle for some.”

To learn more about the scholarships and grants that INFB offers, visit our website.

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About Indiana Farm Bureau: For more than 100 years, Indiana Farm Bureau (INFB) has protected and enhanced the future of agriculture and our communities. As the state’s largest general farm organization, INFB works diligently to cultivate a thriving agricultural ecosystem to strengthen the viability of Indiana agriculture. Learn more at INFB.org.