Lamb: ISDA’s working goals include conservation, bioscience and more 

By Don Lamb, Director, Indiana State Department of Agriculture 

During the past three years as director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, I have been inspired by the work our staff carries out to promote, grow and advocate for Indiana agriculture. 

It is a shared purpose where everyone is focused on creating value for others inside and outside of the organization. I’m excited to share some of the important efforts ISDA has been working on and as we look to the future, share a bit more about the five key pillars driving our work. 

On conservation and farmland stewardship, the Division of Soil Conservation has been working diligently to develop new pathways for farmers to access capital for implementing conservation practices. We know that conservation practices are often some of the best investments producers can make, but installation costs can be a significant barrier. 

To address this, the division piloted a new cost-share program called the Indiana Management of Agriculture Enhancements (IMAGE) Cost-Share Program for southwest Indiana producers looking to improve their soil health. 

For ISDA’s new IMAGE program, the State Soil Conservation Board designated $500,000 to ISDA from the Clean Water Indiana Fund. The funding is designed to help agricultural producers implement projects that improve farm management, strengthen livestock operations and support responsible stewardship of Indiana’s natural resources. 

It also helps advance the Indiana State Nutrient Reduction Strategy by keeping valuable soil and nutrients on the land while reducing sediment, phosphorus, nitrogen and other pollutants from entering Indiana waterways. 

We know just as well as you do that the state’s economic engine is agriculture, driving economic development across the entire agricultural industry. That is why agriculture and agbioscience uniquely serve as key pillars of the BioHeartland announcement. 

BioHeartland is Indiana’s shared identity for the bioscience ecosystem where human health, animal health and plant science innovation are invented, made and moved. ISDA, and specifically the Economic Development Division, has partnered in this messaging and branding effort to help advance production agriculture and ag bioscience. 

A central mission of ISDA is to promote and advocate for Indiana agriculture which has historically struggled to have its voice elevated and understood. Created by recently passed legislation, ISDA is excited to participate in the Agricultural Promotion and Regulation Task Force later this interim. 

This 18-member task force is charged with examining potential avenues to improve Indiana’s future promotion and regulatory functions for agriculture, and we are looking forward to working together to amplify our industry and Indiana’s agricultural footprint. 

As we move into the future, we wanted to share with you the five pillars driving our work to further support Hoosier farmers and Indiana agriculture. Through industry and statewide partnerships, ISDA is committed to developing resilient markets, expanding local food access, supporting farmland stewardship, fostering innovation across farms and food systems, and supporting Indiana’s workforce development pipeline through Indiana FFA. 

These pillars tie all our work together and echo our shared goals of strengthening Indiana’s agricultural economy, preserving our natural resources and supporting good policy. I’m encouraged by what lies ahead and proud to continue serving Hoosier farmers.