Indiana Grown Program To Promote Foods Grown In Hoosier State

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana wants to connect farmers, restaurants, grocery stores, farmers markets, and consumers to promote products and foods grown and produced in the Hoosier State.  That’s the goal behind the state’s new Indiana Grown program.

Hoosiers will be able to identify Indiana Grown products in three categories:

• 100% Indiana – Products within this category must be grown in Indiana and/or all ingredients must come from Indiana.
• Prepared in Indiana – Product ingredients can be sourced from anywhere, but 100 percent of the production must be done in Indiana.
• Indiana Grown – This category applies to all other Indiana Grown members. 

A fourth category – Partner– includes companies or institutions that assist in marketing Indiana grown products and members.

State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney says consumers can use the program’s website – IndianaGrown.org – to connect with Indiana brands; and more resources are on the way.

“There’s also a mobile app in the works that will include a way to scan the UPC codes in grocery stores, or wherever you might find a UPC code, and you’ll see that list of Indiana Grown vendors and products,” McKinney said.

More than 200 producers have already signed up with Indiana Grown, including everything from Red Gold Tomatoes, Creighton Brothers chicken and eggs, wineries and breweries, to hardwood.