Indiana Grown receives $200K to study impact

INDIANAPOLIS (Inside INdiana Business) – A project from Indianapolis-based Indiana Grown and Purdue University has been awarded a grant for nearly $200,000 through the USDA’s Federal State Marketing Improvement Program. The funding will support an analysis of Hoosier’s awareness of local foods and where to get them. 

Indiana Grown, Purdue University’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Purdue will also use the grant to study consumer and producer data to determine the impact of the Indiana Grown program.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to expand and further develop the impact of our program across multiple sectors of agriculture,” said Heather Tallman, Indiana Grown program director. “This funding will allow us to better understand the public perception of Indiana Grown and grant us the opportunity to better serve our members.”

The partnership will work to develop “an economic model to evaluate the current economic impacts of a state branding initiative, like Indiana Grown, both at a regional and state-level.”

The organizations say the findings will be shared with stakeholders in Indiana, other similar state programs, and to inform future research and programming by Indiana Grown and Purdue Extension.