Lyness: Indiana Grown Reaches Milestone, Expands Membership

Indiana Grown is celebrating its five-year anniversary this month.

Shutterstock photo.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Indiana Grown celebrates its five-year anniversary this month as it continues to attract more members and expand services, according to State Rep. Randy Lyness (R-West Harrison).

The program is available thanks to a 2014 law aimed at connecting more Hoosier consumers with Indiana goods. Lyness said more than 1,600 farms and businesses that grow, raise, produce or process agriculture items in the state participate in Indiana Grown and new members join almost daily.

"Indiana Grown has become one of the largest marketplaces for agriculture products made in the Hoosier state," Lyness said. "With thousands of farms across Indiana, it's easy to find a wide variety of quality homemade goods produced right here at home."

According to Lyness, Indiana Grown members and partners include farmers, producers, processors, artisans, retailers, grocers and restaurants. Hoosiers can join for free online at IndianaGrown.org, and have to provide information to ensure their products meet Indiana Grown's guidelines.

Lyness said consumers can also go to IndianaGrown.org for local shopping guides, recipes using Hoosier-sourced goods, locations of nearby farmers markets, and their popular Indiana Grown maps, trails and guides.

"Shopping local strengthens our economy, and supporting our neighbors' farms and businesses will help them as they get back on their feet due to the pandemic," Lyness said.

Housed within the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, in the last five years Indiana Grown worked with partners to connect schools with local food producers, paved the way for more locally sourced options in hospitals and made local products more readily available to consumers in grocery stores.

"My time with Indiana Grown has been truly rewarding," said Indiana Grown Program Director Heather Tallman. "More important than these high impact projects are the ripple effects each one has created for our members and partners."

For a complete timeline of Indiana Grown's past five years and more information, visit IndianaGrown.org.