Hoosier Ag Today

Join us at the Indiana State Fair on Tuesday, Aug. 13 for the Indiana Lieutenant Governor Debate—presented by AgrIInstitute. The debate begins at 3 p.m. before a live, public audience in the Purdue Extension Building on the north side of the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center. The live coverage will also be available via Livestream at HoosierAgToday.com, the Hoosier Ag Today mobile app, the Hoosier Ag Today YouTube channel, and the Hoosier Ag Today Facebook page.

Ten photos were chosen as the winners of the 2024 Indiana Agriculture Photo Contest by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. CLICK BELOW to see the winning photos—including the two "Overall" winners taken by Hoosiers from Star City and Marengo!

Providing more flexible repayment terms, adding more flexible servicing options, and lowering their collateral requirements are the three big changes that USDA Farm Service Agency says they're making to their farm loan program beginning Sept. 25. USDA is also removing the requirement that those who borrow pledge their primary residence as additional collateral for farm loans.

The National FFA Organization, which is based in Indianapolis, has announced that it reached a record-breaking milestone of having more than one million FFA members: 1,027,273. The growth in membership was reflected during the 2023 National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis, which had a record-breaking attendance of nearly 73,000. “It’s exciting to watch this generation continue to find their place in agricultural education and FFA,” said National FFA CEO Scott Stump.

John Deere’s recent decisions to layoff more than 600 employees at three plants in Illinois and Iowa, layoff an additional number of salaried corporate employees, and move manufacturing jobs to Mexico are concerning to many because the company generated nearly $10 billion in profits in 2023, while the company’s CEO, John May, received $26.7 million in total compensation last year. “I'm really frustrated because I don't believe that Deere and Company is being forthcoming about their plans for the future and I don't believe that we're at the end of their layoff period," says Congressman Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17), who represents the district where John Deere's corporate headquarters are located.

Congratulations to the Jordan family from Miami County on receiving the 2024 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation from Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc., honoring the family’s stewardship of “Old Fashioned Garden,” a historic farmstead southeast of Peru. Larry and Susan Jordan purchased the 217-acre farm near Peru, Indiana in 1973, which was once owned by the family of Hoosier songwriter Cole Porter. The large flower garden on the farmstead is believed to have inspired his first commercially successful song, “Old Fashioned Garden,” in 1919 and gives the farm its name today.

Just 6.5 miles north of the Indiana border in Constantine, Michigan, there are plans for a $41 million facility that will convert a milk byproduct into ethanol. The Michigan Milk Producers Association and Canadian-based Dairy Distillery-makers of Vodkow have broken ground this week on a new facility in southern Michigan that will repurpose milk permeate, a byproduct of dairy goods production, into biofuel. Dairy Farmers of America Indiana Dairy Producers, Inc. American Dairy Association Indiana Inc.

Join us from the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center on Tuesday, Aug. 13 as the Purdue Crop Chat Podcast will be live from the Purdue Extension Building beginning at 12 p.m. ET. You can also watch the Livestream of the podcast on HoosierAgToday.com, the Hoosier Ag Today YouTube channel, mobile app, and Facebook page. Purdue Ag Economist Chad Fiechter will join Shaun Casteel and Dan Quinn as they review the USDA's August Crop Report, which will be released on Monday. Purdue Agriculture Purdue University Agricultural Economics Purdue Agronomy eLearning Academy Botany and Plant Pathology Department at Purdue University

Congratulations to Ed Ebert, Senior Director of Market Development with the Indiana Corn Marketing Council , Indiana Corn Growers Association and Indiana Soybean Alliance—as well as John Baugh, Director of Agricultural Services and Regulations with Purdue Agriculture. Both were recognized with the 2024 AgriVision Award, which is the state's highest agricultural honor from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA). We'll have full coverage of the award presentations during the ISDA's Celebration of Ag ceremony at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center at HoosierAgToday.com and the Hoosier Ag Today mobile app.

The reviews are in and they're glowing for the Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, which also serves as the Swine Barn at the Indiana State Fairgrounds & Event Center. “It has been a great facility. We're glad to have our name on it, and I think it represents agriculture very well,” says Randy Kron, President of Indiana Farm Bureau, Inc.