State of Indiana sent this bulletin at 05/31/2019 03:40 PM EDT
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture is now accepting submissions for the 12th annual Indiana agriculture photo contest. The contest is open to Indiana residents and was created to recognize the hard work and contributions of Hoosier farmers, as well as the beauty of the state’s agricultural landscape.
Contestants can submit up to five photos in digital format. Each photo must be taken within the state, accompanied by an entry form and fall under one of the following categories: Agritourism, Conservation, Faces of Agriculture or On the Farm.
Photos will be evaluated based on creativity, composition and category representation. Entries must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. (ET) on June 30, 2019.
We live in the information age, where everything is accessible at the touch of a button. Yet, people go their entire lives without knowing where their food comes from or having stepped one foot on a farm, which is not surprising considering 98% of the U.S. population has little or no direct connection to agriculture.
While there are many great ways to learn about the industry, the best way is to experience it firsthand, and there’s no better time to do that than the summer and fall.
When you think about visiting a farm, many things might come to mind, whether it’s a local farmer’s market, a nearby pumpkin patch or your favorite farm-to-fork restaurant, but there’s so much more to explore in Indiana.
In fact, the state has more than 300 different agritourism destinations, which encompass everything from farms to farmer’s markets to u-picks, and that number doesn’t include the 200+ breweries, 100+ wineries and dozens of distilleries. These destinations, many of which are family-owned, are educating consumers about the importance of agriculture and our food system, and allow kids and adults to experience life on the farm. No two locations are the same, and many offer guided tours and discounts.
So, whether you're planning your next day trip or weekend getaway, this summer is the perfect time to get our and explore Indiana agriculture.
To find an agritourism destination near you, click here, or you can download the Indiana Agritourism Guide by clicking here or the Indiana Agritourism Winery and Brewery Guide by clicking here.
Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch is now accepting nominations for the 2019 AgriVision Award, which is the highest agricultural honor presented by the state.
Now in its 13th year, the award was established to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the agriculture industry, whether it’s developing a new technology, managing an agribusiness or organization, or working to address a global issue, to name a few.
The AgriVision Award is open to any Indiana resident and all sectors of the agriculture industry—from bioenergy to livestock to the agbiosciences. Any person or organization may submit a nomination.
