INDIANAPOLIS – Governor Mike Pence, Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann and nearly 350 agriculture leaders from throughout Indiana and the nation gathered today for the Inaugural Governor’s Agriculture Conference that featured national speakers from key sectors of the agriculture industry.

The globally-themed conference advanced Indiana’s reputation as an impactful leader in agriculture throughout the world. The attendees heard from internationally recognized speakers on essential topics centered on agribusiness development, conservation, stewardship, sustainability, feeding an increasing population, and Indiana’s growing role in addressing these critical topics. The program recognized the importance of global innovation and the necessity to continue to elevate Indiana as a major player in agriculture and agribusiness, through stimulating thoughts and ideas from prominent and challenging speakers. It also provided Indiana’s Governor and Lt. Governor with an opportunity to share ideas and thoughts about continuing to elevate Indiana agriculture.

Governor Pence described the conference as a way to elevate Indiana as a major global player in agriculture.  He noted, “I could not be more proud of the exceptional skills, resilience and ingenuity of the men and women who continue to move Indiana agriculture forward.  By combining old-fashioned hard work and common sense with next-generation innovation and technology, Indiana farm families and agribusinesses are strengthening our rural communities here at home… and contributing significantly to feeding, fueling and clothing the world.”

Pence also thanked the guest speakers who shared their insights into the challenges and opportunities for the American agriculture industry in the 21^st century.

The conference was opened by Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann, who also serves as Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture. She highlighted the continued expansion of the agriculture industry in Indiana, including significant growth in food processing. The Lieutenant Governor also advanced a renewed Indiana Grown program featuring Indiana products, and summarized the new AgriNovus Indiana initiative that is providing a platform for collaboration and synergy among research efforts at Indiana agribusinesses and universities.

In addition to Governor Mike Pence and Lieutenant Governor Sue Ellspermann, guest speakers at the conference included:

Dr. Jay Akridge, Dean of Agriculture, Purdue University

Dr. Jason Clay, Senior Vice President of Food and Markets, World Wildlife Fund

Tim Hassinger, President & CEO, Dow AgroScience

Greg Page, Executive Chairman, Cargill Incorporated

Jeff Simmons, President, Elanco

Beth Archer, Executive Director of the AgrIInstitute and Ted McKinney, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture co-chaired the conference. The Agribusiness Council of Indiana, AgriNovus Indiana, Indiana Beef Cattle Association, Indiana Corn Marketing Council, Indiana Dairy Producers, Indiana Ethanol Producers Association (IEPA), Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana State Poultry Association, Indiana Soybean Alliance, Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen’s Association, Inc., Indiana Pork, and the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association sponsored the conference.

This week marked the governor’s annual State of the State Address. During this address, I was pleased to hear Governor Pence echo his commitment to attracting the best and brightest to the Hoosier state. This is something that we have been working towards throughout my time in the Legislature.

One way which we have aimed to achieve this goal is through responsible government spending. This session, as we once again create Indiana’s biennial budget, this is something we will continue to emphasize. In order to create an environment where the private sector can grow and create jobs, it is essential that we pass an honestly balanced budget that lives within our state’s means and does not raise taxes. Frankly, young people simply will not flock to areas that do not have available jobs.

By now, you may have read that Boonville was recently named the ninth best city for young families in the state of Indiana. For the second year in a row, NerdWallet, a blog focused on economic growth and prosperity looked at cities across the state, considering factors such as home affordability, current and past family incomes, quality of education and family friendliness.

In addition, Boonville was recognized as the most affordable place for homebuyers, with home values at $90,600. This is quite the accomplishment, particularly for our small city of just over 6,000 residents. The average population for the rest of the top 10 cities was 32,000, revealing that in Indiana, larger cities tend to be the best cities for young families. However, clearly, Boonville is leading the way for small Hoosier cities.

Even though some of the other cities in our district were not recognized, it is important to note that NerdWallet only considered cities with a population of more than 5,000. I am confident that had the population requirement been lower, we would have likely seen several other local cities make the list. Our efforts for clean, safe, affordable communities are not exclusive to Boonville. These are efforts that echo throughout our corner of the state, and I am pleased to see that recognized by others.

As someone who chose to raise my own family in District 75 and have grown children now doing the same, I am not surprised by this ranking. However, I must admit, it is not something I would have expected. You see, here in southwest Indiana, we know all that our area of the state has to offer, but it is not every day that we make it on the radar statewide.

Whether you live in the Boonville city limits or not, I believe this is something that we can all be proud of. Our district has affordable housing, great schools and nearly everything that a larger city can offer, but yet still keeps that down home feeling that many young families are looking for when determining where to settle down. This is a great time for our communities, and I couldn’t be happier to call District 75 home.