Indiana Grown members connect local food buyers

Indiana Grown held a member event Tuesday focused on encouraging schools, hospitals, restaurants and more to buy local. The event featured 57 Indiana Grown members who are ready and able to expand into larger markets.

Members who attended the showcase were highlighting their locally grown, raised, processed, and crafted items, like wagyu beef, pork, Indiana wine, craft spirits, specialty produce, sauces, spices, coffee, and more.

The event featured guests from Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky shopping for their specialty store, distribution business, hospital or school cafeteria, restaurant, or grocery store.

A spread prepared by Apricot Sun of Carmel. (Photo provided by ISDA Communications)

Indiana Grown was excited to play host to this first-time event said Indiana Grown Director Caroline Patrick.

“This brand-new event for Indiana Grown was a huge success and we are so thankful to the many members who attended,” Patrick said. “When expanding your small business, it can be hard to be connected with the right audience and this was a great opportunity for our members and for our food buying attendees to feature locally grown, made and crafted products in their schools, hospitals, restaurants, catering services and more across the state.”

Tamika Catchings with Tea’s Me Café from Indianapolis stated she appreciated her fellow members and Indiana Grown teammates.

“Being an Indiana Grown member for only a year and a half, we were grateful to be invited to this first-ever event,” Catchings said. “Walking around and visiting with other Indiana Grown members has been a huge asset because we can seek other members who want to work with us and leverage both of our products for greater success.”

Jennifer Wiese of BeeFree, whose company was started by a mom looking for gluten free snacks for her son who was diagnosed with autism, highlighted that this event was a great success.

“We loved the opportunity to introduce our products to new customers, and we love sharing our story that our snacks were created by a mom on a mission and our products are sweetened with honey, contain real ingredients that are the perfect on-the-go snack,” Wiese said.

BeeFree of Noblesville. (Photo provided by ISDA Communications)

Companies who attended the showcase included:

• Your Grandpa’s Old Fashioned – Carmel
• Spicekick Seasoning – Fishers
• Apricot Sun – Carmel
• BeeFree – Noblesville
• Groomsville Popcorn – Tipton
• My Sugar Pie – Zionsville
• Daniel’s Vinyard – McCordsville
• Pig’s Tale Charcuterie – Indianapolis
• Sip & Share Wines – Indianapolis
• Marsha’s Specialty Desserts & Tierney’s Catering – Avon
• 550 Wagyu – Lafayette
• Owen Valley Winery – Spencer
• Uncle Al’s Breading & Auntie B’s Custom Blending – Converse
• Agua Blanca Shrimp – Indianapolis
• Voils Family Farm – Mitchell
• Abby’s Elderberry – Otisco
• Cindy’s Candy Corner – Hymera
• Bee Great – Churubusco
• Kim’s Key Lime Products – Indianapolis
• Little Family Foods – Terre Haute
• Indiana Soap Company – Greenfield
• Cute as a Cupcake! Cupcakery & Bake Shop – Merrillville
• Three Flock Farm – Ellettsville
• Amish Country Dairy – Shipshewana
• PopKorn Kernels With A Twist – Bloomington
• Pa and Ma’s BBQ Sauce – Indianapolis
• Tulip Tree Creamery – Indianapolis
• West Fork Whiskey Co. – Indianapolis
• Fungi Meadows – Logansport
• Miller’s Orchard – Nappanee
• Fish Lake Organic – Goshen
• Little Way Farm and Homestead – Vevay
• MKONO Farm – Bloomington
• Needmore Coffee Roasters – Bloomington
• Garcia’s Gardens – Indianapolis
• Metal Honey Foods – Indianapolis
• Pure Memory Water – Indianapolis
• Risin’ Creek Creamery – Martinsville
• Linneweber’s Sauce Company – Vincennes
• Hunt Family Farm – Amboy
• Brick House Vinaigrettes – Indianapolis
• Healthy Hoosier Oil – Converse
• Nature’s Tea Company – Indianapolis
• Aahaa Chai – Indianapolis
• Bloomington Farm Stop Collective – Bloomington
• Celtic Glen Heritage Livestock – Spencer
• Middle Davids Candles – Franklin
• Kei2Health – Indianapolis
• Eat Surreal – Indianapolis
• Wild Spirit Coffee Co – Bloomfield
• Slaughter Orchard & Cidery – Bloomington
• Beehive Body Co – Mount Summit
• Tea’s Me Cafe – Indianapolis
• Culver Duck – Middlebury
• Bread & Roses Gardens – Bloomington
• Newfangled Confections – Indianapolis
• 4 Birds Bakery – Indianapolis

Indiana Grown will continue this showcase into 2025 and beyond.