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Indiana poultry: 75 years of giving back

For 75 years, Indiana’s poultry producers have donated 200,000 pounds of poultry products to Hoosiers in need.

Bruce Kettler is the director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.

“To have something like this happening for 75 years and have this annual donation of poultry for that period of time just goes to show the generosity of our state poultry producers,” he says.

For decades, the state’s poultry producers have worked to address food insecurity in their communities by donating eggs, chicken, duck, and turkey to food banks.

Kettler says the annual donation recognizes the strength of Indiana’s poultry sector.

“This is a way to show the generosity. There’s a significant contribution that our poultry producers and the Indiana State Poultry Associaiton provides to food pantries. They, like all of our agriculture community, are fortunate to be able to do these types of efforts and it’s an honor for me to be able to participate in something that’s been going on for 75 years like this has.”

The poultry industry contributes more than $15 billion to the state’s economy and employs more than 12,000 Hoosiers.