This is the third and final segment of our interview with ISDA director Gina Sheets , who says ISDA is not only a advocate and resource for commodity agriculture but for food produced, sold, and consumed right here in Indiana
The Indiana Grown program helps brand food products produced here in Indiana. Sheets said this program, along with farmers markets and food hubs, are a way of providing Hoosiers with a source of locally produced products, “This program helps Indiana consumers make a local choice. It lets them get in touch with the people who produce their food.” Sheets made it clear that ISDA wants to represent all of agriculture: commodity production and local food production. While many of the new ISDA programs are still getting up to speed, the Indiana Grown program is up and running and interacting with producers.
Sheets told HAT that ISDA is committed to being an advocate for agriculture and that a number of new communications efforts will help tell the story of agriculture to non-farm Hoosiers, “There will be a number of new blogs from ISDA, and we will be tweeting more on Twitter.” She said the department’s web site is undergoing a redesign to provide more resources to producers and consumers and to serve as a source of news about Indiana agriculture.
In conclusion, Sheets wants ISDA to be a leader, a collaborator, and a resource for the Indiana ag community, “We want to be all three and work with the many fine groups in the state who are doing such great work for agriculture.” During the interview, Sheets painted a big picture of what she wants ISDA to be. Details and timelines, however, were lacking, and one gets the impression that many of the programs are still a work in progress.
You can watch the complete interview with new ISDA Director Gina Sheets in the video section of our app for Smartphones and tablets.