As a lifelong Hoosier, I have grown up with and around a variety of farmers that produced different types of goods and products.  I have always known that behind the white picket fence fairy tale view many have of farming is a hard, rewarding, thankless, heartbreaking  job.  There is no time clock to punch, no paid time off to accrue-these are people who are bound to the Earth 24/7.

I have a healthy respect for the work that goes into the food that I buy and prepare.  From the corn on my grill to the roast in the oven, someone had to provide that for me. I understand  what “from tractor to truck” or “from field to fork” means, and how the quality food enjoyed by my family and I starts with the dedication of Indianas farmers.

Indiana Family of Farmers celebrated on Tuesday March 5, 2013 with ten food trucks that served tasty signature dishes on Robert Orr Plaza to celebrate Indiana’s Agriculture Appreciation Month. The public was encouraged to come out and support these local businesses and learn more about Indiana agriculture. National FFA’s mascot Flight was out there along with Indiana dietitians.

This event was an advance celebration of National Ag Day which is March 19, 2013. It is also a part of Indiana Agriculture Appreciation Month, which has been declared through a proclamation from Governor Pence.

Did you know?

• Indiana Pork farmers make enough pork to feed 25 million people each year.
• Most milk travels only 100 miles from the farm to the grocery store.
• Beef is the #1 source for Protein, Zinc and Vitamin B-12 in our diet.
• Did you know only 1% of all of the corn grown in Indiana is sweet corn. Most of the corn grown in Indiana goes to produce feed, fuel, grain foods, and consumer goods.
• Soy provides all eight amino acids.
• A hen can lay about 300 eggs each year.
• Pork is the world’s most widely eaten meat.
• Fuel Up to Play 60, the dairy industry’s partnership with the National Football League, teaches more than 860,000 Indiana school children the importance of good nutrition and exercise.
• Half of the fatty acids in beef are monounsaturated–the same type of fatty acids found in olive oil and championed for their heart-healthy properties
• Soybeans help restore nitrogen to the soil as they grow.
• Family farmers grow 90% of the corn in the U.S.
• Indiana ranks 1st for commercial duck production

Information courtesy of Indiana Family of Farmers