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Indiana Grown’s ‘Monumental Marketplace’ milestone event
 
By EMMA HOPKINS
Indiana Correspondent
 
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. — On July 7, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch read a proclamation issued by Gov. Eric Holcomb which named the date as Indiana Grown Day amidst a 100-vendor farmers market spread along monument circle.
 
The event, which will henceforth be called the Monumental Marketplace, will be an annual event on Indiana Grown Day. Crouch said the second anniversary of the Indiana Grown program, which now marks Indiana Grown day, is a landmark for the program which has grown exponentially in the past two years.

“As secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, I am so proud of our Indiana Grown program,” she said. “It puts a logo on those members’ products that makes it easier for Hoosiers to find them on the shelves. In these two years, we have grown to more than 800 members, we’re averaging a member a day, and that is because people realize the value of this program.”

Ted McKinney, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, also spoke at the event. This year Indiana Grown received additional funding – this past spring legislative session for the state budgeted $250,000 per year for the program for the next two years.

“You see in front of you the diversity,” McKinney said. “This is a big tent – large farmers, small farmers; low tech, high tech; long established, brand new – everyone can play in Indiana Grown, and we are so pleased. Now, we have a little more cash to lift everyone up.”

Among the venders this year was small dairy owner Anna Catt, whose family operates Steckler Grassfed, in Dubois County. The farm is certified organic and produces raw milk-aged cheeses, among other products.

“We joined Indiana Grown a year ago, and we’re really happy to be here,” Catt said. “This is what we believe in. We’re the little guy, we’re on the farm all the time, that’s our home. So this is fun for us to get out and see stuff and interact with people. It’s especially nice when we see products that complement our products.”

Melanie Shepherd, owner of Freebird Farm and Homestead in Cass County, shares Catt’s feelings. She grows 30-40 varieties of herbs and raises dairy goats on 16 acres.

“We’ve been an Indiana Grown farm for two years, and we’re at Kokomo’s farmers market, and people always love to see the Indiana Grown logo and know that we’re endorsed by Indiana Grown,” Shepherd said. “I think it’s amazing that they endorse buying local and local farms.”

McKinney said with all the good that came to Indiana Grown this year – receiving extra funding and surpassing 800 members – there was a little bit of bad news. Marsh Supermarkets, a partner with Indiana Grown, recently has closed and is selling its stores to other grocery chains.

“We are always going to be indebted to Marsh, because they were the first at bat, a big job at Indiana Grown,” McKinney said. “But businesses come and go,

so what we’re doing now is working with all the other retailers as we have been doing all along, so wherever those consumers choose to go, we are working to lift up all our retailers, so consumers can find a wide variety and plenty of Indiana Grown products.

“We are trying to get Meijer and Walmart onboard; they are not there yet, but I think in time they will be part of the mix in the future.” 
7/19/2017