Indiana's farmers need support to supply local food to larger, regional buyers to grow and diversify their businesses. FARMWISE Indiana connects institutional, wholesale buyers to Hoosier farm and food producers, bringing local food to local plates.
About 3 out of 4 surveyed chefs and food service directors report purchasing local food and say they value the freshness, taste, and quality of local. Moreover, these buyers are motivated to support their local economy with the dollars they use to purchase food.
The goals of FARMWISE Indiana are three-fold:
- Expand values-based food procurement strategies of institutional partners to support local and regional businesses throughout Indiana
- Foster collaboration and coordination between supply chain businesses and farmers to meet the increased demand for Hoosier grown foods
- Support good stewardship practices that facilitate enduring and effective Indiana regional food systems
Rachel is a Food Distribution Manger representing the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. She works statewide to bring more local food to Indiana plates, building strong and resilient food market channels through partnerships and support.
Joseph works with producers, buyers, and distributors to enhance product availability through the Fischer Farms’ distribution network. The Fischer Family has farmed in Indiana for 150+ years and has been selling directly to buyers since 2002. Joseph collaborates with other coordinators to strengthen the food system to make an impact on the environment, economies, and food quality in our communities.
Anna is the Value Chain Coordinator for Indiana Grown for Schools representing the Indiana Department of Health. She works statewide to support producers interested in entering the school food market and guide food service directors who would like to serve more local fresh products in their meal program.
Audrey is based in Bloomington, where she works to connect institutional buyers to producers throughout the Uplands region of Indiana. She previously worked at Teter Organic Farm in Noblesville and now helps farmers and buyers navigate solutions to bring local food to local plates.
Serving St. Joseph, Elkhart and Marshall counties, Greg develops and supports relationships between Indiana food producers and institutional buyers. Having grown up in South Bend, he promoted the region’s local food system while starting the Purple Porch Co-op. Greg now helps farmers be successful and makes local food accessible through FARMWISE Indiana.
Jodee has led value chain work for Indiana since 2018. She works statewide to connect Indiana farmers and food businesses in regions throughout the state. A more robust and reliable food supply chain will enable wholesale buyers, such as schools, restaurants, and universities, to redirect purchasing dollars that directly support Hoosier farms.
Based in Evansville and serving the southwest region of the state, Laura focuses on connecting institutional wholesale buyers to Hoosier food producers to bring local food to local plates through FARMWISE Indiana. Her experience in school nutrition lends itself to navigating complexities between values-based, institutional food purchasers and Indiana grown producers.
Heather is a statewide value chain coordinator with over 15 years of experience educating consumers on how their food gets to their tables and working with farmers on how best to share their farm and small business stories. She is devoted to bringing more Indiana food to all, from our most vulnerable populations to Hoosier college students.
