INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Montgomery County farmer and agribusiness owner Adam Moody had one grandfather who was a farmer and the other who was a preacher, and he guessed he could do both – which is what he did last week at the Indiana State Fair, when he stood up to receive Indiana’s 2014 AgriVision Award.

"It’s hard to be singled out for accomplishments that are being replicated all over the state ... Adding value is the fastest-growing sector of ag business," he told a crowd of other farmers and award winners seated inside the Normandy Barn at the state fairgrounds.

In 2013 Moody co-founded Husk, LLC to process and preserve locally-grown vegetables. The processing facility in Greenfield was designed and developed by Moody and his partners to distribute Indiana sweet corn to retailers in five states.

This year the plant expanded into green beans, peas and squash. He is also the founder of the first organic slaughterhouse in Indiana, as well as other ag businesses.

Moody said he believes the debate in agriculture should center on the consumer’s need to understand and connect to it. "When we founded Moody Meats, we proved we can feed local people with local products and employ local people. It’s not about organic or non-organic, GMO or non-GMO. We need to connect consumers with farmers. And we need to stop calling them ‘consumers’ and start calling them what they are: Customers," Moody said.

A fourth-generation farmer, he once sold a load of hogs for 9 cents a pound in 1997 and couldn’t afford an Easter ham that year for his family, said Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann, in presenting the award.

Moody’s endeavors are a response to the changing landscape of agriculture over the decades, she added. Founder and CEO of Lone Pine Farms, Moody Meats, Inc. and Moody Retail Shops, he employs 42 Hoosiers within his companies. He still owns and operates a 250-acre farm in Montgomery County.

"This award recognizes a deep commitment and vision for Indiana agriculture, two items that Adam exceeds in," said Ted McKinney, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. "Adam is an outstanding example of what it takes to be one of the best in Indiana agriculture. He has demonstrated the drive to further promote and advance Indiana agriculture."

In the Indiana Statehouse, Moody contributed to legislation related to poultry processing and local farm markets. He has served as a co-chair of the Indiana Farm Bureau’s Value Added Committee and as a member of the Raw Milk working group with the Indiana Board of Animal Health. "It’s hard to think of an ag program at the state level that Adam has not been a part of," Ellspermann said.