Staff photo by Michelle Davies
By the numbers
•Agriculture contributes $25.4 billion directly to the Hoosier economy
•Another $7.6 billion is brought in by connected businesses, such as fertilizer, feed and equipment suppliers
•The agricultural industry supports 130,000 jobs in Indiana
•About 83 percent of Indiana’s land is devoted to farms or forests
•14.7 million acres are devoted to farming and there are 4.7 million acres devoted to foresting
•Grain and oilseed farming are the dominant sectors, contributing $5.3 billion to Indiana’s GDP and supporting 84,000 jobs
•Hog production supports 16,930 jobs
•The state produced 6.5 billion eggs in 2011
•Dairy farms produced 3.5 billion pounds of milk
•Beef production was more than 200 million pounds
•Other animal production, including sheep and fish, was 5.7 million pounds
•Fruit and vegetable production was more than 880 million pounds
A simple fact Indiana’s urban dwellers increasingly overlook is that the state’s economic well-being remains firmly rooted in farming. Many communities, including in Allen County, are agricultural communities. Allen County is home to 1,649 farms and includes 254,136 acres of farmland.
A recent study from the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business dramatically demonstrates just how significant the role of agriculture is to Indiana’s economy, according to its author, Tanya Hall.
“I’m originally from a farm up that way,” said Hall, who grew up in Woodburn. “I’m very much aware that there is a disconnect. People are getting further and further away from the farm. The report is meant to bridge that disconnect and remind all Hoosiers how important agriculture is to Indiana.”
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