Start off 2018 right with these simple New Year's resolutions
For many, a new year signifies a fresh start. It’s a time of reflection and celebration, but also, a time of setting goals. Making New Year’s resolutions is a great way to make a positive change in your life. Unfortunately, roughly 80 percent of resolutions fail by mid-February, according to U.S. News and World Report. In order to help you succeed this year and to start off 2018 right, we wanted to provide you with some simple and unique resolution ideas for next year.
 Visit at least 1 Indiana agritourism destination
Agriculture is part of our state’s identity and legacy, and Indiana has more than 300 pristine agritourism destinations around the state. Agritourism includes U-Pick, fall activities, farm markets, farm tours, Christmas tree farms, wineries, breweries, and other activities that bring the general public to the farm for agricultural activities.
To find agritourism destinations throughout Indiana, check out the Visit Indiana agritourism page. The newly-launched agritourism page is a joint effort between the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the Indiana Office of Tourism Development to build awareness of Indiana's many agritourism destinations.
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 Buy more Indiana Grown products
Indiana Grown products encompass anything grown, raised, produced, or processed in Indiana, and can be found in a variety of locations across the state, such as grocery stores, restaurants, farmers markets, convenience stores, wineries and breweries, just to name a few, or online.
When you buy Indiana Grown products, you are keeping dollars and food close to home and supporting your fellow Hoosiers. You are also supporting job creation and building sustainable communities, while preserving Indiana’s agricultural heritage. To see a list of our members that sell Indiana Grown products, click here.
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 Consider conservation as part of your farm management
Indiana's soil and water resources are critical to the future of agriculture and our state. Although Indiana is a leader in conservation, and more farmers are incorporating some form of conservation on the farm, more work is needed to ensure that these precious resources are conserved and improved for the next generation.
Whether it’s planting cover crops, installing a filter-strip or practicing conservation tillage, a new year is a great time to consider incorporating conservation into your farm management. If you’re interested in learning more, or for conservation assistance, contact your local resource specialist or Soil and Water Conservation District.
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 Tell your story to someone new
As farm and ranch families make up just 2 percent of the U.S. population, and with more people showing a greater interest in where their food comes from, now more than ever it’s important to tell the story of Indiana agriculture.
There are many ways you can engage the public about agriculture, whether it's hosting a farm tour, posting on social media or just having an everyday conversation at the grocery store. Regardless of what method you use or find effective, try telling your farm story to someone new in 2018.
As the 2017 chapter closes and with 2018 on the horizon, we hope you and your family have a Happy New Year!
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Providing an outlet to grow
International trade continues to be critical for food and agricultural companies in Indiana. That's why ISDA is working to expand access to international
markets by strengthening our partnership with the Food Export Association of
the Midwest USA (Food
Export-Midwest).
As background, Food Export-Midwest is a non-profit
organization that promotes the export of processed food and agricultural
products from 12 Midwestern states, including Indiana. The organization
provides a wide range of services to facilitate trade between local
agribusinesses and importers around the globe.
 Food Export-Midwest programs and services offer substantial and immediate impact for Indiana’s food and agriculture companies, which make up a key sector of the state’s economy.
One of the most accessible of these is the Branded Program. This program provides 50 percent cost reimbursement for a wide variety of international marketing activities, including fees for overseas trade shows, label modifications, product demonstrations and freight cost for samples to name a few.
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 Growing ISDA’s partnership with Food Export-Midwest will help to ensure that these resources are not “left on the table,” but fully utilized as the economic development tools they were envisioned to be.
Food and agriculture companies in Indiana that have utilized these programs and services have seen increased sales opportunities, decreased risk and a funding source for growth – the return on investment has been substantial. Exporting products offers the potential of increasing sales and expanding potential markets.
Visit www.foodexport.org to learn more about Food Export Midwest or click here for
information about ISDA’s International Trade programs. You can also contact Robert Warner at rwarner@isda.in.gov.
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Making
your voice heard
Lawmakers will return to the Statehouse just after the new year
begins for the 2018 legislative session. Many topics will be up for debate,
some of which could have a direct impact on agriculture. That’s why it’s
important to stay up-to-date and get involved when it comes to issues that are
important to you and your family. However, it can be challenging to know where
to begin, so here are some of the basics.
The Indiana General
Assembly is comprised of two legislative bodies – the House of Representatives
and the Senate. There are a total of 50 Senators and 100 Representatives. Legislators
will gavel in on Wednesday, January 3, 2017, at 1:30 p.m. During a short
session, budgetary and fiscal issues will not be up for consideration; budget
bills are only considered during odd-numbered years. Lawmakers are expected to
wrap up by March 14.
 Once bills are filed, they must be assigned to and pass out of a committee before it can go to the full House or Senate for consideration. Below are links to help you navigate the General Assembly and this year’s bills.
State lawmakers
- To find your legislator, click here.
- To contact your legislator or get the latest news, visit their website by clicking here for the House Republicans or here for the House Democrats; or by clicking here for the Senate Republicans or here for the Senate Democrats.
Bills
- For a full list of bills introduced for 2018, click here.
- To search for bills by subject matter, click here.
- For a list of bills pertaining to agriculture, click here.
- For a list of important dates and legislative deadlines, click here.
- For daily actions taken by the General Assembly, click here for the House or here for the Senate.
Committees
- For a full list of committees, click here.
- For the committees pertaining to agriculture, click here for the House or here for the Senate.
- To find out when committees meet, click here for the House or here for the Senate.
- For a live video stream of the legislative session or committee meetings, click here for the House or here for the Senate.
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 Federal Legislation
Not quite when the clock strikes midnight but soon thereafter,
Congress will get back to work on the 2018 Farm Bill. Both the U.S. House and U.S. Senate have been
conducting hearings in Washington D.C. and around the country to gather input
on the bill.
The farm bill started in 1933 and is the most comprehensive
legislation for agricultural and food policy in the United States. It covers a
wide variety of topics including commodity programs, trade, rural development,
conservation and food and nutrition programs, to name a few.
This is must-pass
legislation as funding for programs under the last farm bill will expire in September
2018. Listening sessions concluded in 2017 and the House and Senate Agriculture
committees are working on drafts that are expected to be completed and heard
early in 2018.
Follow updates and learn more about the Farm Bill by clicking here.
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