2015 Indiana State Fair to be 'Year of the Farmer'

Partnership with Dow AgroSciences offers opportunity to promote farming all year long

INDIANAPOLIS – It started with corn. It continued with pigs. The Indiana State Fair has subsequently featured tomatoes, trees, soybeans, dairy cows and popcorn during its annual summertime celebration, and now it plans to promote the one thing that all these commodities have in common – the farmer.

State Fair and Dow AgroSciences executives, alongside Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann, Monday (Oct. 27) declared 2015 to be the Year of the Farmer presented by Dow AgroSciences culminating at the State Fair in August.

While the fair is the state’s largest annual celebration of agriculture and includes many hard-working youth and adults exhibiting their crops and livestock, the majority of fair visitors still don’t fully appreciate the key role farmers play in feeding and clothing the world population.

“American farmers are the heroes of modern agriculture as they devote their lives to producing food, fiber and fuel, and there is no better place to showcase their efforts than the Indiana State Fair,” said Rajan Gajaria, Vice President of North America and Latin America, Dow AgroSciences. “Dow AgroSciences is delighted to be in partnership with the Indiana State Fair Commission to kick off what will be a very memorable year as the spotlight shines on Indiana’s farm families and reinforces the importance of Indiana agriculture here at home and around the world.”

Next year’s State Fair will feature a number of unique programs and events to honor Indiana’s farmers and its farming heritage, including:

  • A Harvest Dinner during the State Fair
  • A Farmer’s Care food drive
  • A speaker series on the importance of modern farming
  • A creative writing contest for school kids centering on the Year of the Farmer

With the exception of the Harvest Dinner, the other initiatives will begin early in 2015 to extend the reach of this year’s fair theme.

“A main reason the Indiana State Fair continues to thrive after 157 years in existence is the focus we place on agriculture,” said Indiana State Fair Executive Director Cindy Hoye. “At the heart of agriculture is the individual farmer and, especially here in Indiana, farm families. We want them to understand how much they mean to our everyday lives, and this is one way we can do that.”

As planning continues for next year’s fair, the public will see messages and branding for the Year of the Farmer though a variety of communications with the intent of making all Hoosiers more aware of the innovative way local farmers are keeping up with the growing demand for food, fiber and fuel.

“Recognizing the 2015 Indiana State Fair as the Year of the Farmer is a perfect fit,” said Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann. “Products grown by our farmers are interwoven through our lives and our economy to the point it’s difficult to identify any part of our existence that is not connected to what our farmers provide.”

The 2015 Indiana State Fair runs Aug. 723. For more information, please visit www.indianastatefair.com

 

About Indiana State Fair

The Indiana State Fair is the state’s largest multi-day event celebrating Hoosiers’ spirit and agricultural heritage. Nationally recognized for offering great entertainment, showcasing youth, interactive agriculture education programs, premier facilities and a variety of unique, fun foods, the Indiana State Fair has been an annual tradition for generations of Hoosiers since 1852.  The 2015 fair is celebrating the “Year of the Farmer.” For more information, please visit www.indianastatefair.com.

 

About Dow AgroSciences
Dow AgroSciences, based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, is committed to discovering, developing, and bringing to market crop protection and plant biotechnology solutions for the growing world. Dow AgroSciences is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Dow Chemical Company and had annual global sales of $7.1 billion in 2013. Learn more at www.dowagro.com. Follow Dow AgroSciences on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTubeor subscribe to our News Release RSS Feed