Expert: Indiana an island of drought in Ohio Valley
Indiana’s official climatologist says Indiana is drier than surrounding states.
Agriculture/Farming
Articles
Purdue hosts winemaking, grape-growing workshop
An Oct. 13 workshop will offer tours of Purdue University's vineyard at Meigs Farm during which participants will learn the basics of juice and wine quality control. The workshop is run by the school's Wine Grape Action Team, a group that aims to help Indiana vintners and wine grape growers.
Indiana corn coming in sooner, faster, better in 2010
The Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service says farmers harvested 27 percent of their corn by Sunday, compared with none by this time last year and an average of 6 percent over the past five years.
Farmers fear possible tougher dust rules from EPA
Farming groups have urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to retain its current standards for dust, soot and other microscopic particles, arguing that tighter restrictions would be unworkable.
Beck’s Superior Hybrids plans $24.5M expansion
A Hamilton County seed company has plans to expand its facilities, creating as many as 72 jobs over the next five years, state economic development officials said Friday morning.
Urban farming key to this ‘Taste of Indiana’
First-of-its-kind event in Indianapolis showcases what’s known as the slow food movement, which promotes the benefits of producing
plants, seeds and livestock for local consumption.
Indiana State Fair ends with slightly smaller crowd
The Indiana State Fair has wrapped up a 17-day run during which officials say it drew 952,020 visitors.
Company expanding solar unit, plans to add 120 jobs
Fort Recovery Construction & Equipment in Portland plans to invest $1.9 million to accommodate research, development
and production of solar thermal collector panels.
USDA expects record corn crop in Indiana
The U.S. Department of Agriculture expects Indiana farmers to produce more than 1 billion bushels of corn, compared with the
933 million bushels harvested last year. Officials also predict a record crop nationwide.
Summer is key time for those who raise Christmas trees
Christmas and July harmonize like a blizzard on Independence Day, but the summer months are perhaps the most vital for Tom
Dull and his wife, Kerry, who raise 23,000 Christmas trees on their peaceful farm in Thorntown.
Consumers facing record prices for bacon
The U.S. hog-breeding herd is near the smallest on record, and wholesale pork-belly prices are up 72 percent in the past year,
to the highest price since at least 1998.
Indiana State Fair’s ‘Year of Pigs’ begins Friday
The industry group Indiana Pork Farmers says the state is home to 3,000 pork producers who raise 8 million pigs and feed 25
million people annually. The industry employs 15,000 people.
Farm with 2 million chickens planned in eastern Indiana
An application with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management calls for a six-barn confined animal feeding operation
near the Jay County town of Bryant.
Indiana working on phosphorous limits for lakes
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management says the rule would impact sewage treatment plants upstream of lakes.
Looking out for summer garden pests
Just because it’s summer, don’t expect tree and shrub pests to go on vacation.
State FFA leaves Education Department for ag agency
Beginning this summer, the Department of Agriculture will house Indiana FFA's executive offices.
Indiana’s biggest private companies majored in the basics in 2009
Health care, plastics, other fundamental consumer needs kept some companies on upswings.
Farmers say northwest Indiana airport costing wind power
Some farmers would like to see a small airport in rural northwestern Indiana closed in order to open up a large part of the
state's windiest area for electricity-producing wind turbines.
U.S., Indiana mint production wilts with foreign competition
Decades ago, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin were the top U.S. mint producers, but the heart of U.S. production is now in
the Pacific Northwest. Over time, as small mint farms shut down, Indiana has fallen to fourth.
Indiana farm fatalities down for 1st time in 3 years
An annual report by Purdue University shows that 20 Indiana residents died last year in farm-related accidents, down
from 28 in 2008 and 24 in 2007.