Innovation, trade and livestock regulations were themes at Indiana Livestock Summit

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Dave Blower Jr. at 317-644-0980; dblower@indianasoybean.com

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (June 24, 2026) — Corn and soybean farmers share many things in common with beef, pork, dairy and poultry producers. That’s why the Indiana Soybean Alliance’s Membership and Policy Committee (ISA) and the Indiana Corn Growers Association (ICGA) hosted the Livestock Summit on Tuesday at the JW Marriott hotel in Indianapolis.

The Summit began with a chat between Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and Courtney Kingery, CEO of ISA and ICGA, and continued with presentations from several ag stakeholders throughout the day. The theme was working together and implementing innovation, diversification and entrepreneurship.

“Over and over during the Summit we heard about collaboration across the entire animal ag value chain,” Kingery said. “Gov. Braun summed it up by touting innovation, diversification and entrepreneurship. Through those principles during the past 30 years, we have realized a 50 percent increase in meat and milk production, a 30 percent increase in egg production, pork production is up 50 percent all while feed usage has only increased by 20 percent. That’s a great story of efficiency, sustainability and innovation.”

Gov. Braun said the state’s agriculture sector is crucial to Indiana’s economy. “The valuable role of agriculture in Indiana’s economy cannot be overstated,” Braun said. “It comes into play in every one of our counties. I’m committed to ensuring the future of this foundational industry is bright. That’s why I launched our state’s $1 billion life sciences initiative, which, in part, will ensure Indiana’s agriculture continues to feed, clothe and fuel America.”

Gov. Braun’s administration has promoted nutritional benefits through its Making Indiana Healthy Again efforts. This initiative may also include opportunities for Indiana’s farmers. “Indiana-raised pork, eggs, dairy, poultry and beef are some of the most nutritious foods in the world, and I think Make Indiana Healthy Again is an opportunity for agriculture to help write that story,” Braun said. “Healthy should be defined by nutrition, not by farm size or production model. Make Indiana Healthy Again includes pathways to get more, healthy Indiana produce into Hoosier homes and schools. My administration wants to be a partner with producers.”

Promoting collaboration

This Summit was focused on the collaborative efforts shaping the animal agriculture and feed industries. That collaboration strengthens the value chain to support corn and soy farmers and livestock producers.

“More than half of Indiana’s corn and soybean production goes toward feeding livestock,” said ICGA President Alan Dunn, a farmer from Michigantown, Ind. “That statistic alone tells an important story, namely, what is good for one is also good for the other. When row crop production is successful, we have a safe, reliable, cost-effective food source for our livestock partners. When livestock producers do well, we have additional demand for the corn and soybeans we produce.”

David Hardin is the chair of ISA’s Membership and Policy Committee and a farmer from Avon, Ind. In addition to growing soybeans and corn, he is also a pork producer who has served on the Indiana Pork Producers Association board and the Indiana Board of Animal Health. Hardin understands the need for collaboration from both sides of the farm fence.

“Agriculture faces a lot of challenges; I think that if we face them with a unified front, we will be able to withstand anything that’s thrown at us,” Hardin said. “This summit is an opportunity to have honest conversations about those challenges and opportunities that we’re going to see ahead. I want to thank you for being here and being part of that conversation. I hope that these discussions help prepare us as an organization to advocate better for all of you.”

Discussing the details

The Summit’s speakers and panel discussions covered the tactics improving farm profitability. For many years, farmers have relied on export markets to increase crop values. Megan Bixler is the International Trade Director for the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Prior to a panel discussion on growing export markets, Bixler said farm exports remain strong.

She stated, “In 2025, the U.S. exported $171 billion worth of U.S. agricultural products. That’s slightly down from the peak that we hit in 2022. That was a record at nearly $196 billion. This decline is mostly due to returning to normal levels after that post-COVID boom, strengthening U.S. dollar inflation and increased competition for key products.”

Kingery moderated a discussion on ag export opportunities that featured Ryan LeGrand of the U.S. Grain and BioProducts Council, John Hinners of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, Allison Thomas of the U.S. Dairy Export Council, and Shelby Watson of the USA Poultry and Egg Export Council. The panel concluded that global demand, evolving trade policy and expanding market access continue to shape the future of American agriculture.

Aaron Kuhn, a regional marketing manager for ethanol producer POET, led a panel discussion titled Feed Supply Resilience and Innovation. The experts included Trent Torrance of United Animal Health, Kristy Lowe of Lowe’s Pellets and Grain, and Charles Shininger of CSA Animal Nutrition. The panel said feed availability, input costs and supply chain reliability continue to play a vital role in the success of livestock operations across the country.

“There’s tremendous opportunity for livestock producers over the next 10 years when you talk about protein demand, innovation and feeding the world,” Torrance said. “I think when we look at challenges, we see the negative in that challenge. But there’s also a lot of opportunity in that. When we look at the global supply chain, it’s more difficult due to shipping problems around the world. But when we look at the demand for some of the ingredients, it’s also an opportunity to look inward and solve some of those other problems. So, I think there’s always going to be an opportunity to produce protein more efficiently, to feed the world more efficiently, and make the world healthier.”

Navigating regulations

The Summit’s programming also covered government regulations and how the livestock industry adjusts. Indiana State Poultry Association President Rebecca Eifert Joniskan led a panel discussion about how food safety and environmental regulations affect poultry producers.

The panel included Kim Rice of Rose Acre Farms, Jason Glenn of Maple Leaf Farms and Kate Borders of Miller Poultry. The group concluded that consumer expectations are driving regulations for chicken, turkey and duck producers.

Elanco Animal Health Executive Vice President Jose Simas and Kingery moderated a discussion about changes in animal health and how livestock producers respond. The leaders in the program were Indiana pork producer Brian Martin, Dr. David Dixon of the Indiana Beef Cattlemen’s Association, Phil Seger of turkey producer Farbest Foods, and southern Indiana dairy producer Sam Schwoeppe. The livestock leaders determined that innovations in animal health, evolving regulations and critical partnerships with corn and soybean farmers support a strong and sustainable food system.

Here is a list of other featured speakers:

• Indiana Farm Bureau Senior Director of Government Affairs Ryan Hoff covered the state’s process of assessing property for tax purposes.
• Chad Martin of Indiana Pork and Dr. Byron Ernest of Leadery Global talked about a program to capture top talent from Indiana high schools for future careers in the pork industry.
• Michigan State University Researcher Dr. Daniel Morris explained his efforts to develop an artificial intelligence monitoring system to constantly observe swine behavior.
• Brian Rexing of Dairy Farmers of America and the National Milk Producers Federation discussed farm-to-food systems including labor, nutrition and producer collaborations.

The event’s sponsors included Alliant, American Dairy Association Indiana, Farm Credit Mid-America, Corteva Agriscience, Indiana Beef Cattle Association, U.S. Dairy Export Council, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Dairy Producers, CSA Animal Nutrition, Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Pork, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Rose Acre Farms, Agribusiness Council of Indiana, Indiana State Poultry Association, Lowe’s Pellets and Grain, POET, Quality Roasting, United Animal Health and the U.S.A. Poultry and Egg Export Council.

For more about the Livestock Summit and other events this summer, visit incornandsoy.org/events.

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About Indiana Soybean Alliance Membership and Policy Committee: The ISA Membership and Policy Committee works to enhance the viability of Indiana soybean farmers through the advocacy and promotion of state and federal policies. ISA Membership and Policy Committee is led by members of the Indiana Soybean Alliance farmer board who are charged with directing advocacy efforts on behalf of approximately 600 dues-paying members. Learn more at www.incornandsoy.org.

About Indiana Corn Growers Association: The Indiana Corn Growers Association works with state and federal governments to develop and promote sound policies that benefit Indiana corn farmers. The ICGA consists of nine farmer-directors who provide leadership to the organization on behalf of more than 700 members statewide. Learn more at www.incornandsoy.org.

This communication was NOT funded with Indiana corn and soybean checkoff dollars.