The Indiana State Fair kicked off bright and early Friday morning with the annual hot air balloon launch and a gathering of state ag leaders, legislators and farmers at the Indiana Pork ham breakfast, then opening ceremonies with music provided by the Calgary Stampede Show Band.
At the ham breakfast the president of Indiana Pork, Jason Slaton was helping promote the State Fair signature food item this year, the smoked pig patty, “with BBQ sauce and pickles, and all of the items originate from our great state of Indiana. We’re certainly proud to have won the signature item again this year and encourage people who attend the fair to get and enjoy that while they’re at the fair.”
Governor Mike Pence paid tribute to the state’s ag sector, and in particular the pork industry, ranked 5th in the country for production. Slaton returned the favor.
“We’re fortunate in Indiana to not only have great pork producers but we also have some great packing plants and facilities to get our pigs to market,” he told HAT. “The infrastructure that we have and the grain that we have make for a great area for pig production and certainly our governor and Lt. governor are very active in promoting our product not only here in Indiana and across the country, but across the world as well. They were just in China for a recent trade mission visit earlier this summer, so we appreciate all they do for the pork producers here in the state of Indiana.”