New officers lead the Indiana Agriculture Resource Council

Indianapolis - With farmers in the field and the beginning of another growing season, the Indiana Agriculture Resource Council (IARC) also launches a new season.

Four individuals from the 20-organization Council will lead the organization this year.  Justin Armstrong, Barn Director for the Indiana State Fair Commission, is the new IARC chair. Joining Armstrong on the 2008 leadership team are: Vice Chair Danica Kirkpatrick, Purdue College of Agriculture; Secretary Sarah Ford, Indiana Pork Producers Association; and Treasurer Mindy Reef, Indiana Farm Bureau Inc.

The IARC is a partnership of agricultural, commodity organizations and state and federal agencies. Its mission is to unify, interpret and promote educational resources and events that may engage the general public in contemporary-based agricultural learning.

The IARC’s main projects over the 10 years have focused on educational programs for Indiana school children and the general public. This includes the:

• Indiana Agricultural Literacy Curriculum CD with 40 lesson plans organized into eight major units. Each lesson is matched with an Indiana Academic Standard appropriate for the fourth-grade level. Click here for more info.
  
  
• Farmers Care displays distributed to all 92 counties to educate the public about animal care practices. These displays are available to use at county fairs and other public events. Contact your county Extension office or the IARC to reserve a Farmers Care display.

On tap this summer, the IARC will once again host the exciting Indiana State Fair game show Ag Resource Council Quiz Show in the Pioneer Our Land Pavilion. Check out the 2008 Indiana State Fair’s daily schedule when it is posted online in June for game show times in the Pavilion.

For more information on the Indiana Agriculture Resource Council, click on the Web site at http://www.indag.org/.

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