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Sample commodities that Hoosier farmers produce during the 2023 Taste From Indiana Farms

Taste From Indiana Farms, underway now at the Indiana State Fair, allows fairgoers to sample food and drink items that contain ingredients that Indiana farmers produce.

Isabella Chism, Indiana Farm Bureau’s second vice president and chair of the Women’s Leadership Committee, says it’s even more special to be hosting the event in the new INFB Fall Creek Pavilion.

“Right now we’re having our 30th annual Taste From Indiana Farms at the New Indiana Farm Bureau Fall Creek Pavilion, which we are so excited about,” she says. “There’s nothing like highlighting agriculture and what our Indiana farmers grow and produce in the building that Indiana Farm Bureau has its name on.”

She tells Brownfield about some of the commodities that are available for visitors to try.

“Every year changes and we like to highlight different products, so people get familiar with what our Indiana farmers grow. This year we have soy represented in the form of chocolate because a lot of people don’t understand that soy lecithin, which is a product of the soybean, is used to produce chocolate. So, we have chocolate covered gummies and chocolate covered pretzels,” she says. “We also have duck. Indiana is number one in duck production. Culver Duck Farm has allowed us to showcase their duck sticks, and people have been acting very favorable towards them and liking them. We have lamb represented. We have Sechlers Pickles represented. We also have popcorn, our state snack, highlighted here in the form of a popcorn ball. Other items include apple cider slushies from Beasley’s orchard and ice cream sticks donated by Prairie farms. It’s all wonderful.”

Chism says Taste From Indiana Farms provides a great opportunity as Indiana Farm Bureau’s largest consumer-facing event.

“We have taken it to the point of talking to the consumers and not talking down to them, but just helping them understand what we do on the farm and some of the benefits of that are helping us to talk about and talk toward the understanding of why Prop 12, for example, is not a good thing for us as farmers and why WOTUS rules are important or unimportant depending on what we’re talking about at the time. People do hear about those things and don’t understand them. Here they can ask a farmer and get the first-hand information.”

The 30^th annual Taste From Indiana Farms is hosted by the INFB Women’s Leadership Committee. It will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. through this Sunday, Aug. 13. Volunteers are passing out food and drink samples as well as providing information about the items.

Audio: Isabella Chism