WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.638
>> HELLO AND WELCOME TO INSIDE
INDIANA BUSINESS. I'M GERRY
DICK.
INDIANA FARMERS ARE WELL INTO

2
00:00:05.638 --> 00:00:11.411
HARVEST IN A YEAR THAT HAS BEEN
UNLIKE ANY OTHER.
UNPRECEDENTED WET WEATHER MADE
LAST YEAR'S CORN AND SOYBEAN

3
00:00:11.411 --> 00:00:18.551
HARVEST AMONG THE MOST
CHALLENGING IN MEMORY.
THIS YEAR, FARMERS HOPING FOR A
REBOUND YEAR WERE HIT WITH THE

4
00:00:18.551 --> 00:00:24.324
PANDEMIC AND PLUMMETING CROP
PRICES IN THE SPRING AND A HOST
OF CHALLENGES AS THE 2020
GROWING SEASON UNFOLDED.

5
00:00:24.324 --> 00:00:30.096
>> RIGHT NOW, ALMOST HALF OF THE
STATE'S CORN CROP HAS BEEN
HARVESTED AND WHILE MORE THAN
70-PERCENT OF SOYBEANS ARE IN

6
00:00:30.096 --> 00:00:36.836
THE BARN...BUT FARMERS STILL
HAVE WORK AHEAD.
AND FOR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW THE
STATE'S IMPORTANT AG ECONOMY IS

7
00:00:36.836 --> 00:00:40.807
HOLDING UP, I'M PLEASED TO
WELCOME BACK TO THE SHOW INDIANA
STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
DIRECTOR BRUCE KETTLER.

8
00:00:40.807 --> 00:00:46.546
>> WE REALLY HAD PAINTED A
WELCOME TO THE PROGRAM.
>> THANK YOU, ALWAYS A PLEASURE
TO BE HERE.

9
00:00:46.546 --> 00:00:53.853
>> A ROLLER COASTER RIDE TO PUT
IT MILDLY FOR INDIANA
AGRICULTURE. GIVE US YOUR TAKE
ON THE STATE OF AGRICULTURE, AND

10
00:00:53.853 --> 00:00:59.959
HOW THINGS HAVE PROGRESSED FROM
A SPRING WHEN THERE WAS A LOT OF
UNCERTAINTY.
>> WELL, I THINK YOU'VE

11
00:00:59.959 --> 00:01:09.636
CRITICIZED IT VERY WELL,
FRANKLY, THERE WAS SOME OPTIMISM
(CHARACTERIZED
(CHARACTERIZED] COVID-19, THE

12
00:01:09.636 --> 00:01:15.708
PANDEMIC HIT, THAT CERTAINLY
CHANGED THINGS IN AGRICULTURE IN
MANY WAYS, THEN WE HAD A LOT OF
DRY WEATHER IN THE STATE OF

13
00:01:15.708 --> 00:01:23.116
INDIANA, PARTICULARLY IN PARTS
OF INDIANA WHERE IT WAS NOT VERY
OPTIMISTIC THAT SOME OF OUR
CROPS WOULD DO WELL, THERE WERE

14
00:01:23.116 --> 00:01:30.857
TIMELY RAINS IN SOME SITUATIONS,
NOW IN THE LAST THREE, FOUR
WEEKS, ESPECIALLY, CROP PRICES
FOR CORN AND SOYBEANS HAVE

15
00:01:30.857 --> 00:01:41.167
IMPROVED, REBOUND IN SOME OF THE
LIVESTOCK PRICES, AND FRANKLY I
THINK OVERALL WE'VE HAD PRETTY
GOOD YIELDS OUT OF THE CORN AND

16
00:01:41.167 --> 00:01:48.408
SOYBEANS, IT'S BEEN VARIABLE.
THERE ARE PARTS OF THE STATE
THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE WHAT
THEY HAD HOPED. OVERALL, I THINK

17
00:01:48.408 --> 00:01:55.315
OUR CROPS HAVE BEEN RESISTANT,
WITH THE IMPROVEMENT IN PRICES,
THAT'S PROVIDED A LITTLE MORE
OPTIMISM INTO THE FALL.

18
00:01:55.315 --> 00:02:05.158
>> WE TALKED WITH BRENT BIBLE, A
FARMER IN TIPPECANOE, ROMNEY
AREA, 5,000 OF SEEDS AND
SOYBEANS, HE TALKED ABOUT THAT,

19
00:02:05.158 --> 00:02:12.966
HOW DIFFICULT IT LOOKED IN THE
SPRING, THINGS HAVE COME BACK IN
A BIG WAY.
>> THEY HAVE. FOR FARMERS, AND

20
00:02:12.966 --> 00:02:19.939
THOSE INVOLVED IN THE PRODUCTION
AND AGRICULTURE, WE KNOW WE'RE
GOING TO BE AT THE WHIM OF THE
WEATHER, IN SOME CASES THE

21
00:02:19.939 --> 00:02:26.246
MARKETS, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS
GIVES EVERYBODY A LITTLE MORE
OPTIMISM THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO
INTO NEXT YEAR WITH THINGS THAT

22
00:02:26.246 --> 00:02:34.187
HAVE IMPROVED.
>> ABSOLUTELY, AND TO GET A
FLAVOR FOR WHAT FARMERS ARE
THINKING, HERE'S WHAT BRETT

23
00:02:34.187 --> 00:02:39.259
BIBLE HAD TO SAY EARLIER IN THE
WEEK.
>> WE REALLY HAD PAINTED A
PRETTY

24
00:02:39.259 --> 00:02:46.065
PRETTY BLEAK PICTURE IN THE
SPRING AND AND REALLY INTO THE
SUMMER INTO MID-SUMMER. WE
THOUGHT THE CROP WAS PROGRESSING

25
00:02:46.065 --> 00:02:57.343
FAIRLY WELL. WE WERE HAPPY WITH
CONDITIONS AND THAT TYPE OF
THING, BUT THE PRICE LEVELS JUST
THEY JUST WEREN'T THERE, AND WE

26
00:02:57.343 --> 00:03:01.247
WERE HAVING TROUBLE SEEING HOW
THAT WAS GOING TO LEAD TO A
BREAKEVEN OR TO A PROFIT FOR THE
YEAR. YOU JUST HAVE TO MAINTAIN

27
00:03:01.247 --> 00:03:09.822
A POSITIVE OUTLOOK THAT THINGS
WILL BE GOOD, WILL CONTINUE TO
IMPROVE. WE WILL GET BETTER AND
AND GET THROUGH THE NEXT HURDLE

28
00:03:09.822 --> 00:03:19.799
OR GET OVER THE NEXT HURDLE.
>> SOUNDS LIKE THINGS, GENERALLY
SPEAKING, HAVE KIND OF IMPROVED
TO THE POINT WHERE 2020 IS NOT

29
00:03:19.799 --> 00:03:30.810
LOOKING NEARLY AS CHALLENGING AS
IT ONCE WAS. ALSO, ADD ON TOP OF
THAT, THE US MCA, THE NEW TRADE
AGREEMENT WITH US AND MEXICO,

30
00:03:30.810 --> 00:03:37.517
WHAT THAT MIGHT OFFER FOR
FARMERS GOING FORWARD IN TERMS
OF THE OUTLOOK.
>> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. THAT WAS A

31
00:03:37.517 --> 00:03:43.890
REALLY IMPORTANT AGREEMENT. AND
I THINK I'VE HEARD IT SAID
BEFORE, AND I KNOW I'VE SHARED
WITH PEOPLE AS WELL. YOU HAVE TO

32
00:03:43.890 --> 00:03:52.732
BE ABLE TO SHOW TO THE REST OF
THE WORLD THAT YOU CAN DO
BUSINESS WITH YOUR NEIGHBORS,
THAT'S WHY THE US-MEXICO-CANADA

33
00:03:52.732 --> 00:04:01.808
AGREEMENT WAS IMPORTANT FROM AN
AGRICULTURE PERSPECTIVE, NOT
ONLY TO HELP OUR CROPS AND
LIVESTOCK FARMERS, BUT BEING

34
00:04:01.808 --> 00:04:08.181
ABLE TO SHOW WE WITH WORK
TOGETHER WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IN A
POSITIVE WAY. THAT SETS US UP
FOR VERY POSITIVE THINGS TO

35
00:04:08.181 --> 00:04:13.319
HAPPEN IN AGRICULTURE, ONCE WE
GET PAST THE PANDEMIC AND KEEP
MOVING ON.
>> BRUCE, ANOTHER IMPORTANT

36
00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:20.593
DEVELOPMENT I THINK OVER THE
COURSE OF THE PAST SEVERAL
MONTHS, THE STATE USING CARES
FUNDING TO HELP SOME OF THESE

37
00:04:20.593 --> 00:04:26.833
MEAT PROCESSING OPERATIONS,
AROUND THE STATE OF INDIANA THAT
WERE HIT VERY, VERY HARD BY THE
PANDEMIC.

38
00:04:26.833 --> 00:04:33.873
>> ABSOLUTELY. WE ARE -- WE HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO GET SOME DOLLARS
FROM THE CARES ACT THAT WILL BE
ABLE TO HELP WITH GROWTH AND

39
00:04:33.873 --> 00:04:42.982
EXPANSION OF OUR INDIANA MEAT
PROCESSORS, WE IN FACT JUST
CONCLUDED THOSE APPLICATIONS, WE
HAVE 60 APPLICATIONS, AND THOSE

40
00:04:42.982 --> 00:04:51.457
WILL BE REVIEWED, AND WE'LL BE
ABLE TO GET THOSE OUT QUICKLY.
BUT IT ALLOWS SOME OF THESE MEAT
PROCESSORS TO LOOK AT EXPANSION,

41
00:04:51.457 --> 00:04:57.330
THINGS LIKE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT IF THEY'VE NEEDED
THAT, MAYBE THERE'S SOME
EMPLOYEE TRAINING, OR THEY NEED

42
00:04:57.330 --> 00:05:05.038
SOME NEW EQUIPMENT IN ORDER TO
KEEP THIS GOING. AND WE WANT TO
MAKE SURE WE HELP WITH THAT.
IT'S A MATCHING GRANT, A MAX OF

43
00:05:05.038 --> 00:05:11.044
$150,000 PER BUSINESS, BUT THEY
HAVE TO MATCH, AND PUT MONEY IN
TO MAKE IT WORK. AND WE'RE
EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO OFFER

44
00:05:11.044 --> 00:05:16.215
THAT.
>> YEAH, AND THE NUMBER OF AG
ORGANIZATIONS AND RELATED
ORGANIZATIONS HAVE PIVOTED

45
00:05:16.215 --> 00:05:23.990
DURING THE PANDEMIC. I KNOW
THERE'S A BIG ANNOUNCEMENT NOT
LONG AGO, A MAJOR INVESTMENT BY
POET, THE BIG BIO FUELS COMPANY

46
00:05:23.990 --> 00:05:30.830
SHIFTING PRODUCTION AT A BIO
FUELS PLANT HERE TO PRODUCE
INGREDIENTS THAT GOES INTO HAND
SANITIZER.

47
00:05:30.830 --> 00:05:38.905
>> THAT'S RIGHT. ABOUT A
$25 MILLION INVESTMENT TO ADD ON
TO THAT PLANT. WHICH WAS REALLY
GOING TO HELP, AND IT'S

48
00:05:38.905 --> 00:05:46.112
INTERESTING HOW IN JUST A FEW
SHORT MONTHS, ALL OF A SUDDEN
WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT ETHANOL
COMING OUT OF OUR PLANTS TO GO

49
00:05:46.112 --> 00:05:55.421
TO THINGS LIKE HAND SANITIZER.
THIS IS GOOD, IT WILL CREATE 10
TO 12 MILLION BUSHELS MORE CORN
GOING INTO THAT PLANT, JUST TO

50
00:05:55.421 --> 00:06:01.260
BE ABLE TO FEED THE ETHANOL
THEY'RE GOING TO USE FOR HAND
SANITIZER.
>> 30 SECONDS LEFT, BRUCE, KIND

51
00:06:01.260 --> 00:06:10.303
OF LOOKING IN THE CRYSTAL BALL,
AGRICULTURE, THE AG BIOSCIENCES,
SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART OF
INDIANA ECONOMY, LOOKING AHEAD

52
00:06:10.303 --> 00:06:21.981
TO 2021, WHAT, CAUTIOUS
OPTIMISM, HOW WOULD YOU FRAME
IT?
>> I THINK CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM IS

53
00:06:21.981 --> 00:06:29.255
A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT. PEOPLE
WORKING IN AG BUSINESS, WE HAVE
TO BE OPTIMISTIC. BRENT SAID IT
VERY WELL. THERE'S ALWAYS GOING

54
00:06:29.255 --> 00:06:35.962
TO BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG
PEOPLE WITH CAREERS AND BEING
ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS, AND
WITH THE CHANGES IN TECHNOLOGY

55
00:06:35.962 --> 00:06:46.139
AND THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING,
I'M ALWAYS OPTIMISTIC THAT THERE
IS A PLACE FOR ANYBODY THAT
WANTS TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS

56
00:06:46.139 --> 00:06:47.406
BUSINESS.
>> BRUCE KETTLER, THANKS FOR