INDIANAPOLIS (March 22, 2022) – National Ag Day is today, March 22, and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture and the organizations of Indiana’s Family of Farmers invite Hoosiers to celebrate! National Ag Day is organized by the Agriculture Council of America (ACA). ACA is a nonprofit organization composed of leaders in the agricultural, food and fiber community, dedicating its efforts to increasing the public's awareness of agriculture's role in modern society.

Agriculture is a huge business in Indiana. Indiana is the eighth largest agricultural exporter in the nation, the tenth largest farming state and it contributes an estimated $31.2 billion to Indiana’s economy. We have more than 94,000 farmers in Indiana, with just over 54,000 farming operations. In 2017, Indiana farmers cultivated just under 15 million acres of farmland.

Indiana agriculture is more than just rows of corn and soybeans. We have more than 4.2 million hogs and nearly 200,000 dairy cows. We also have thousands of specialty crop farms and agribusinesses.

Hoosier farming is done on the local level; 96% of Indiana farms are family owned or operated. Our farmers care deeply about the environment to support their passion and livelihood. In 2020, landowners installed more than 32,000 new soil conservation practices and farmers planted a new state record of 1.5 million living covers on their soil in 2020.

The state is home to many agricultural businesses of all kinds, whether that is food processing, seed research and development, meat processing and packaging, egg or dairy processing and so much more. We have a variety of agriculture technological advancements, like aquaculture and fresh vegetable processing facilities.

Indiana is also home to many of the largest world renowned agriculture companies, like Elanco Animal Health, Corteva Agriscience and many other companies who keep farmers and their businesses top of mind.

Agriculture contributes so much to our local and statewide economy, and we encourage everyone to support Indiana agriculture, not just on March 22, but year-round.

There are many ways to support agriculture. People can shop local, attend a farmers market, grow a backyard garden, buy from an Indiana meat processor or simply research how your food goes from field to grocery store.

Indiana’s Family of Farmers is comprised of state agricultural organizations and commodity groups, such as, Indiana’s Board of Animal Health, Indiana Beef Producers, Indiana Pork Association, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Poultry Association, Indiana State Fairgrounds and Event Center, American Dairy Association of Indiana, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and many others, for a full list visit indianafamilyoffarmers.com.