A NOTE FROM THE PRESIDENT
Committed to Success
By Randy Kron, INFB President
Hello and welcome to the start of another year with Indiana Farm Bureau. Before we get too far into 2026, I think it’s important to reflect on the successes we achieved together last year. As you read this report, you’ll see that we have a lot to be proud of in 2025:
- Growing our membership for the 10th consecutive year.
- Creating new programs that serve the interests of our members and help farm families thrive, including the Indiana Ag Threats & Security Summit and Critical Issues Summit.
- Hancock County Farm Bureau member and retired Army Col. Joe Ricker was the inaugural recipient of the Veteran Farmer Award of Excellence from American Farm Bureau Federation.
- Nearly 13,000 state fairgoers visited Taste From Indiana Farms, INFB’s largest consumer event, which was held at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion.
- More than 650 members attended the Statehouse and Third House meetings back in their districts.
As I write this, we are currently working with legislators at the Statehouse pushing our 2026 priorities. We are continuing the momentum from last year that saw several agriculture-related bills pass that were supported by Farm Bureau and its members.
- Senate Bill 1 was a sweeping realignment of the property tax base. This included a phasing in of a new assessed value deduction for farmland and an increase in the capitalization rate in the farmland formula from 8% to 9%. That change is not permanent however, as it will sunset in 2027.
- Senate Bill 28 established a reporting and investigation process managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources to ensure agriculture is protected for any potential loss of usable water.
- Senate Bill 461 more clearly defines the responsibilities of the Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency in ensuring a grain buyer is in compliance with the law.
- INFB was in attendance on March 25 to witness Gov. Mike Braun sign his first bill as governor, House Bill 1149. Authored by Rep. Kendell Culp, INFB’s vice president, this provides agriculture producers a comprehensive online resource for information on changes to state and federal law, funding opportunities, permitting requirements, lost farmland data and more.
- House Bill 1012, which requires law enforcement agencies to inform property owners of damage to property in the event of a motor vehicle accident, was a direct result of Delaware County Farm Bureau’s policy development process.
Our policy is very grassroots driven. It starts at the county level as all 92 counties have discussions about what’s important to them. This is unique, but when we are at the Statehouse, we know our policy is what our members want. House Bill 1012 is a direct result of addressing the needs of our county Farm Bureaus.
While I am excited to have you read much more in this report, there is plenty of work to be done, and the future is never a place to rest on our laurels. The farm economy is really tough, and profit margins are tight, but we at Indiana Farm Bureau remain steadfast in our goal to make the future of Indiana agriculture a bright one – not just for ourselves, but for upcoming generations.
This year presents new challenges, but more importantly, new opportunities. I know our members, volunteers and staff are ready for what’s ahead.
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Membership growth, new and expanded programs among the successes for 2025
For the 10th year in a row, Indiana Farm Bureau increased its total membership over 2025. In summary, the membership year ended with:
- 277,392 total memberships, representing a gain of 1,185 members from 2024’s total.
- 65,879 voting memberships, which represents 99.46% of 2024’s voting memberships.
“This is an accomplishment achieved by very few state Farm Bureaus and successes like this don’t come to us by accident,” said INFB President Randy Kron. “Volunteers and staff across all 92 counties invest their time together throughout the year because we all believe in the future of agriculture, and in Farm Bureau’s role in securing it.”
Listed below are some of the other activities, events and initiatives that INFB, its staff and its members worked on in 2025.
Advocacy
- Members from 74 counties traveled to Indianapolis to meet with their legislators during the 2025 session, focusing on INFB’s priority issues of taxes and water rights.
- Members connected with the session in other ways, too, including responding to action alerts and tuning in to the Friday legislative updates. Fifty county Farm Bureaus also hosted town halls and third house meetings.
- Taxes, renewable energy – nuclear, drones, property rights and food were the top priorities discussed by delegates during the 2025 delegate session, held in August.
- INFB operates two nonpartisan Political Action Committees (PACs) – ELECT (federal) and AgELECT (state) – to empower candidates who champion agricultural priorities. These PACs help assure that ag-friendly candidates have the resources available to win their races. For the third consecutive year, INFB is proud to have increased its funding raised.
- Jean Becker, former chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush, was the keynote speaker for the AgELECT fundraising breakfast at the 2025 Indiana Ag Gathering. In attendance at the breakfast also was Anne Hathaway, former assistant to Vice President Dan Quayle and Indiana Republican Party chair.
- Other fundraisers included events on farms and limited-edition INFB merchandise sales.
Collegiate Farm Bureau/FFA
- INFB has three active Collegiate Farm Bureau chapters – Purdue, Vincennes and Huntington universities – with a total of 59 active members.
- Forty-eight students participated in collegiate Discussion Meets. The winner was Blaine Wagner of Purdue University, who will represent Indiana at the 2026 Farm Bureau Young Farmers & Ranchers Leadership Conference later this month.
- Ten collegiate officers attended and participated in an advocacy workshop, local government panel discussion and industry tour as part of a new collegiate officer training offered during the summer.
- Eight students attended the collegiate Statehouse visit.
- INFB presented a workshop on “Crafting Your Why” at the brand new 4-H event, the 2025 Next Chapter Summer Experience.
- INFB also participated in youth events that included a leadership luncheon for the FFA officer team, was the premier sponsor of the state FFA convention, and had staff participate in FFA’s Premier Leadership Training.
Educational opportunities
- Around 250 Indiana farmers and agriculture industry partners attended INFB’s inaugural Critical Issues Summit. Focused on advancing agriculture in a changing world, the event was held at the Embassy Suites in Noblesville.
- Over 166 people attended the Indiana Ag Threats & Security Summit, held at the Tallison Hotel in Carmel. This new event focused on addressing modern challenges in agricultural security and was presented in partnership with FBI Indianapolis, Beck’s Hybrids and Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance.
- Agricultural Land Use & Zoning School was presented virtually with 78 participants.
- Indiana Agricultural Law Foundation’s 2025 Estate and Succession Planning for the Family Farm workshop was a virtual event attended by 245 farmers and attorneys.
- The INFB Drainage School was presented virtually and in person, with 50 in-person and 109 virtual participants.
- INAgLaw’s Understanding Agricultural Contracts & Leases seminar was presented virtually to 98 participants.
- INAgLaw’s Farm Succession Workshop, an intensive day-long workshop, had five multi-generational families working together with legal experts on succession planning.
Educational outreach efforts
- INFB’s Ag in the Classroom (AITC) volunteers gave 1,087 presentations in 2025, reaching more than 47,500 students.
- Additionally, over 16,500 students received agricultural literacy lessons from county ag days.
- The AITC volunteer of the year was Colleen Holman of Steuben County.
- 2025’s INFB Book of the Year was Right This Very Minute by Lisl H. Detlefsen with art by Renée Kurilla.
- INFB’s Leadership. Education. Action. Development. (L.E.A.D.) is a cohort-based program for members to enhance leadership skills, build a professional network and better understand the socioeconomic forces shaping agriculture. The Class of 2025 included Eugenia Badger, Clark County; Kendall Eads, Harrison County; Sarah Froderman, Boone County; Michael Lash, Orange County; Shalyn Nelson, Putnam County; Emma Swainston, Bartholomew County; and Jeff Whitehouse, Spencer County.
Health Plans
INFB Health Plans reached an important milestone in the fourth quarter of 2025, reaching 8,149 bound plans since inception and providing health coverage to more than 11,000 Hoosiers.
Indiana State Fair
In 2025, INFB focused on reaching consumers and connecting with young people.
- INFB was the presenting sponsor of the Exhibitor Experience for livestock exhibitors and all showmanship contests, awarding a variety of prizes for all livestock species.
- INFB also sponsored the 4-H Supreme Drive, which recognizes Indiana’s top 4-H dairy cattle, Boer goats, breeding ewes and breeding gilts, as well as the 4-H Supreme Showmanship competitions on Aug. 17.
- Taste From Indiana Farms, sponsored by the Women’s Leadership Committee, was held at the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion. More than 150 volunteers helped at the four-day event, providing food samples and information about agriculture to nearly 13,000 consumers.
Media outreach/coverage
INFB secured 1,069 news stories in 2025. The most popular topics included legislative session, summer market basket, Thanksgiving market basket, tariffs, legislative priorities and the Indiana Ag Gathering. Seventy-eight INFB members representing 44 counties were featured in 240 articles.
Podcast
In its third year of production, The Breakdown with Indiana Farm Bureau, the organization’s monthly podcast, covered topics such as youth engagement in agriculture, farm safety, ag innovation, hydroponics, the Indiana Agriculture Nutrient Alliance, and college students discussing the future of agriculture. Since its launch in January 2023, the program has garnered more than 152 subscribers and 3,900 downloads. The podcast also has a video component for viewing, which pulled in another 645 views via YouTube. To learn more, visit infb.org/podcast.
Social media
INFB’s social media channels continued to grow in 2025. From January through December, INFB’s Facebook followers increased by 9.79%, Instagram followers by 8.8% and LinkedIn followers by 18.53%.
With hundreds of posts made, the ones with the best reach along our social media platforms included: member spotlights from across the state, youth engagement at the Indiana State Fair, and photos that highlight the beauty of agriculture in the INFB photo contest.
State Convention
- INFB rebranded its annual convention to the Indiana Ag Gathering in 2025. Held in French Lick, the event totaled 837 people, including 93 first-time attendees.
- Delegates reelected INFB Vice President Kendell Culp, who was first elected as vice president in 2016.
- Four counties earned a County Activities of Excellence award, including Warrick (advocating), Tippecanoe (innovating and growing), Franklin (adding value by sharing knowledge) and Lake (growing engagement).
Young Farmers & Ag Professionals
- In May, the YF&AP State Committee launched a mental health awareness social media campaign, reminding members that caring for their mental health is part of caring for their farms and careers. The campaign reached over 22,000 people.
- Henry County Farm Bureau’s YF&AP program was recognized with the Outstanding County Young Farmers & Ag Professionals Award given to the top program in the state.
- The YF&AP Discussion Meet was won by Megan Platt of Shelby County.
- Winning the three other major YF&AP awards in 2025 were Cody and Samantha Otten, Tippecanoe County (Rising Star Award), Megan Espinda, Henry County (Excellence in Agriculture Award) and Brock and Laura Kiesler, Floyd and Washington counties (Achievement Award).
