Indiana Agriculture Insider

Planting season is here; stay alert on rural roads this spring

Spring weather is here and farmers are beginning to plant their crops across the state’s 15 million acres of farmland. The Indiana State Department of Agriculture and several state agencies are reminding Hoosier motorists to be alert, be courteous and be patient when they encounter farm equipment on Indiana’s rural roads. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2018 farm equipment vehicles were involved in 98 crashes across the U.S., with two farm equipment vehicles being involved in fatal crashes in Indiana. The following list includes several safety tips for motorists approaching large farm equipment: Be patient. Farm equipment is wide, sometimes taking up most of the road. Avoid tailgating, as some farm equipment might have to make sudden stops along the road. Farmers will pull over when they are able to let motorists pass, but it may take time for them to get to a safe place to do so. Click below to find more safety tips or to view a public service announcement created by Hoosier Ag Today.

Agriculture Resource: 24-Hour Emergency Spill Line

Spring planting season is here, and it is important to be prepared for accidents and emergencies that can occur on the farm or on the highway. Because farms manage a variety of chemicals including pesticides, fertilizers, oils and fuels, proper management of these materials can prevent potential hazardous spills from occurring.

If you experience a spill of crop protection products or fertilizers, immediately contact IDEM’s Emergency Spill Line at (888) 233-7745 or (317) 233-7745.

Click below to learn more about the IDEM 24-Hour Spill Line.

Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force is committed
to collaboration and conservation

Partnership is key for Indiana. The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) is just one member of a larger Indiana Conservation Partnership, which features public, private and non-profit organizations that promote and increase soil conservation in Indiana. Housed on the ISDA website is a variety of interactive maps for Hoosiers to utilize, filled with information from across the state which is broken down by basin or by county. These interactive applications showcase Indiana’s efforts to enhance water quality and enable users to learn more about conservation programming in each basin.

Indiana wouldn’t have the information it does, readily available to the public, without our key partnerships. Hoosiers can find access to data on nutrient reduction loads in a certain watershed, or find information on water basins. For example, Hoosiers can learn that farmers and landowners had a record number of soil conservation practices installed for 2020, installing over 15,000 new practices to improve soil health.

With the guidance of Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, who serves as our state’s secretary of agriculture and rural development, Indiana is also partnering with Purdue University and other partners within the Indiana Conservation Partnership to develop an Indiana Science Assessment which will improve the method to quantify nutrient reductions from conservation practices and help prioritize the most effective conservation practices to improve program implementation and downstream water quality issues.

Read more on the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force below.

April 13: Planting season is here; stay alert on rural roads this spring
Find the full release here

April 22: Indiana Conservation Partnership and Hoosier landowners set new record for conservation practices
Find the full release here

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Restaurant Revitalization Fund
Find more information here

Food Export Midwest 
Find more information here

U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) COVID-19 Small Business Funding Portal
Find more information here

Economic Development Operations Specialist - Indianapolis
Find more information about the position here

Grain Compliance Auditor - Rushville / Greensburg
Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency
Find more information about the position here

Grain Compliance Auditor - Lafayette
Indiana Grain Buyers and Warehouse Licensing Agency
Find more information about the position here

May 1-9: Rob Hays Memorial Hoot Scoot Virtual 5K
For more information click here

May 23-25: National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) Board of Directors Meeting
For more information click here

May 31: Memorial Day 
ISDA Offices Closed

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