It’s not hard to convince Hoosiers to take time out of their day to celebrate a cause that is so near and dear to our city’s heart – food!  On March 8 we celebrated National Ag Day, a day that recognizes the contributions of farmers and the abundance of food that is produced every year by agriculture.  Indiana’s Family of Farmers, one of the nation’s top producers of grains, produce and meat, celebrated this day in style by inviting six of the cities most delicious food trucks as well as several local celebrities to recognize, educate, and celebrate just how important agriculture is to everyone.

This day also served as the culmination of the 2^nd Annual Ag Essay Contest, entitled “Our Food, Our Farmers”, sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers and Indiana Humanities.  Nearly 300 students from across Indiana submitted essays for this competitive contest which explored Indiana’s role as a global agricultural leader.  Six winners were recognized during the celebration and awarded top-tier prizes of an Apple iPad for first place and a Kodak Playsport camcorder for second place. View pictures of the event.

In addition to food trucks and essay contest winners, tons of valuable information was shared, ranging from facts about dairy, poultry, soy, and pork to how to get your plate in shape by eating the most nutritionally sound foods.  Nutritional “AG”visors were also available at each food truck to answer any additional nutrition questions the crowd might have.

Click here for more information about the sponsor of the event, Indiana’s Family of Farmers, and here to read more about the Ag Essay Contest and the winning entries.