State of Indiana sent this bulletin at 12/31/2020 06:30 AM EST
"As director of agriculture for the state of Indiana the recent announcement from Elanco Animal Health and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation is celebrated news. Elanco Animal Health is the second largest animal health company in the world and has had locations in Indiana for many years. Our state’s agriculture climate and infrastructure is a large consideration of why global companies come to Indiana. We are excited that Elanco Animal Health selected the Hoosier state as the location for their global headquarters and that they will continue calling Indiana home," said Bruce Kettler, ISDA Director.
To view Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch's statement on this announcement click here.
As the Indiana State Department of Agriculture prepares for the new year, we are excited for the future of Indiana agriculture. Indiana's Rural Road to Recovery will continue to guide our work in 2021 as we focus on mitigating the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, push for rural broadband across the state, serve as a resource of information on federal and state financial assistance and continue to strengthen our agriculture workforce pipeline.
This week, Indiana Grown launched the Shop Indiana Grown online marketplace. The free service will be offered to all qualifying Indiana Grown members providing them with an additional sales outlet during a time when online retail is critical to the success of many farms and businesses in our state and nationwide.
Indiana Grown is also partnering with the Indiana Small Business Development Center (Indiana SBDC), which provided support to fuel the e-commerce platform leveraging relief funding from the U.S. Small Business Administration. Indiana SBDC, which provides no cost, expert guidance and resources that farms and small businesses need to grow, has launched a number of programs and initiatives to help entrepreneurs and business owners access relief funding and adapt to the new economic climate. Through this collaboration, Indiana SBDC and ISDA are helping farms and small businesses tap into larger consumer markets, and the Indiana SBDC will serve as a trusted resource for Indiana Grown members that may need customized assistance related to COVID-19 recovery, e-commerce, market research or export assistance.
The Shop Indiana Grown online marketplace is another way Indiana Grown can promote all forms of agriculture in the state and allow its members to share the stories behind their farms and businesses.
The Indiana State Department of Agriculture awarded more than $468,000 to six projects designed to grow the state’s specialty crop sector, funded by USDA’s Specialty Crop Block Grant program
Some of the projects awarded this grant cycle include Purdue University developing an automated hand-hygiene verification observation system to monitor and verify that food handlers have thoroughly and effectively washed their hands and Indiana University identifying the steps needed to establish an Indiana-based supply chain for Indiana grown tree nuts.
To view the awarded organizations click the button below.
Congratulations the recipients of this year's 2020 Division of Soil Conservation Staff Awards:
Most Valuable Employee - Trevor Laureys Outstanding Leadership - Jennifer Thum Outstanding Support: Clean Water Indiana - Tara Wesseler-Henry Outstanding Support: Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program - Heath Hurst Rookie of the Year - Sam Stroebel
January 1: New Years Day ISDA Offices Closed
January 12: State Soil Conservation Board Meeting Find more information here
January 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day ISDA Offices Closed
January 27: ISDA Dairy Strategy 2.0 Press Conference Rollout Find more information here
