Agriculture is Indiana’s calling card, and has been for over 200 years. As we celebrate fall harvest, this week’s One Indiana is all about celebrating the incredible products coming out of Indiana’s farms.
Farmers contribute an estimated $31.2 billion to Indiana’s economy!
We’re the 10th largest farming state in the entire country, and the 8th largest agricultural exporter — exporting over $4.6 billion worth of ag products –and growing! (pun intended)
There are 94,000 farmers in Indiana, and 96% of the farms in our state are family-owned or operated. Hoosier farmers get up early and work hard to make sure that Americans have access to the incredible bounty coming out of Indiana and they deserve to be recognized for their efforts.
Check out just some of the areas our agriculture industry is leading the way below!
- Corn – Hoosier farmers sold $3.28 billion worth of corn in 2017, making it the number one commodity by sales value in our state! We’re also #2 in the entire country in popcorn production, so next time you settle down for a movie with a bowl of popcorn you can thank our Hoosier farmers!
- Duck – Man, it feels good to be #1. Hoosier farmers lead the entire country in duck production and make many fine-dining classics like duck a l’orange, duck confit, and Peking duck possible.
- Soybeans – The second largest commodity by sales value, soybeans are a crucial part of Indiana’s economy and Hoosier farmers sold $3.08 billion worth of soybeans in 2017.
- Spearmint and peppermint – What’s that fresh smell? It’s all of that spearmint and peppermint being produced by Hoosier farmers. We’re the #3 spearmint producer and the #4 peppermint producer in the entire country!
- Pork – Hoosiers love their pork tenderloins, so it’s no surprise we’re top 5 in hog production. There are currently more than 4.2 million hogs in Indiana – man, that’s a lot of pork!
- Melons – Another commodity, another top 5 finish for Hoosier farmers. We produce the fifth most watermelons in the country — an American summer classic!
- Dairy – The #5 agricultural commodity in Indiana, Hoosier farmers produce $750 million worth of dairy products a year from 187,000 cows. Have a sweet tooth? Our farmers have you covered — we’re the #2 ice cream producer in the entire country!
- Poultry and eggs – Another top #5 Hoosier commodity, there are more than 20.5 million turkeys alone in Indiana and our farmers sell more than $1.18 billion worth of poultry and eggs a year!
Want to learn more about our booming agriculture industry and the great Hoosier products coming out of our state?
Check out the Indiana State Department of Agriculture Website!
-Your Holcomb Crew