Indianapolis, Indiana – The holiday season is the most beautiful time of the year for most of us. This is the period when everyone spends more time with family and friends than usual. It’s the season of giving and receiving and spreading love. However, the holiday period is also the most challenging period of the year for those in need of help and support. People with financial difficulties have a hard time during the winter months, and this year their situation is even worse, having in mind the high prices driven by the skyrocketing inflation.
And that’s where a group of poultry farmers stepped in!
On Tuesday, the 75th Indiana state poultry recognition event took place at the Statehouse, and this was the perfect opportunity to once again celebrate the Indiana poultry farmers’ generosity for helping and supporting those in need throughout the year.
The event was established in the late 1940s and is held every year. Indiana Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Bruce Kettler were among the attendees on Tuesday. Since the beginning of the year, the group of poultry farmers has donated more than 200,000 pounds of eggs, chicken, duck, and turkey, assisting and supporting Hoosiers in need, according to Crouch. With their activities, the poultry producers have a large impact on food insecurity in Indiana, Crouch added.
Bruce Kettler said the event recognizes the year-round contributions to various food banks and pantries throughout the state. Becky Joniskan, president of the Indiana State Poultry Association, said members continually give back to their local communities and the large poultry donations come from small communities across Indiana.
Official data shows that more than 12,000 people are part of the state’s poultry industry, which generates more than $15 billion every year.
According to the USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service, Indiana ranks first in duck production, second in egg production, and fourth in turkey production in the country.
