Here are six more families who help diversify Indiana agriculture. Each farm family will be featured during the 18-day run of the 2022 Indiana State Fair. The Featured Farmer program is sponsored by Corteva Agriscience. The fair runs from July 29 to Aug. 21, except Mondays and Tuesdays. Meet the first batch of Featured Farmers here.

Day 7
Aug. 6 — DeMario Vitalis
New Age Provisions Farm produces leafy vegetables and select herbs in downtown Indianapolis. DeMario Vitalis began hydroponic container farming in 2020, becoming the first person in Indiana to purchase a shipping container from Freight Farms in Boston, Mass. He later purchased a second one. Each container can produce the equivalent of 3 acres of lettuce. His farm operates 365 days a year in a quality-controlled environment. Visit newageprovisions.com.

Day 8
Aug. 7 — Eggersman family
Eggersman Brothers Cattle Co. in Jackson County grows corn and soybeans, but the farm is featured for cattle. Norman Eggersman raised Herefords, but today the family concentrates on registered Simmental and SimAngus cattle. Norman’s grandsons Jordan, Evan and Cameron are the newest generation. The previous generation — David, Charles and Russell — is still active. Jordan, Evan and Cameron all spent time working in other cattle operations before returning to the family farm. The Egg Enterprise, a satellite center for StockVets in Rensselaer, takes care of donor cows. Jordan started the business in 2017.

Day 9
Aug. 10 — Salomon family
Salomon Farms LLC in Whitley County features diverse enterprises, including corn, soybeans and custom baling. Started by Carl Salomon, the farm operation is managed today by his grandson Brian. Brian’s father, David, was named an Indiana Prairie Farmer Master Farmer in 1976.

Day 10
Aug. 11 — Black and Schulz families
Brad and Karen Black operate Apple Hill Orchard near Bruceville, and Kristi and Tim Schulz operate Evansville Countryside Orchard, specializing in peaches. Both businesses were started by Joe Black, Brad and Kristi’s father. Apple Hill Orchard works out of a log cabin with a bakery, cider room, rental hall and retail space. Evansville Countryside Orchard features a rustic farm stand and U-pick opportunities. Visit applehillorchard.webs.com and countrysideorchard.com.

Day 11
Aug. 12 — Wagler family
Wagler Dairy, Brown County, is also a two-for-one bonus. The dairy was founded in 1950 by Henry and Frances Wagler. Today, their son Kenny and his wife, Lesa, milk 700 cows, producing a semitanker load of milk daily. Kenny and Lesa’s son Justin and his wife, Sarah, operate Nutrient Management Partners, custom-applying manure, selling and repairing manure-related equipment, and fabricating manure pump trailers. They cover 60 worksites in Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky, touching 15% of Indiana’s hogs and 10% of Indiana’s dairy cattle.

Day 12
Aug. 13 — Paarlberg family
Dutch Valley Growers, LaPorte, represents tomatoes and onions in the Featured Farmer program, but the operation is much more than just two crops. Ryan Paarlberg, contact for the farm, says they farm from Rolling Prairie to Kouts, about a 45-mile stretch. The operation was founded by Wayne and Conrad Paarlberg and their spouses, with James and Amy Paarlberg owning it today. Ryan and other siblings work in the operation, which includes about a dozen full-time and multiple part-time employees. They raise tomatoes for Red Gold, along with seed corn for Pioneer and commercial corn and soybeans. The farm also produces and markets onion sets, shallot sets and garlic under the Dutch Valley Growers brand. Visit dutchvalleygrowers.com.

Watch IndianaPrairieFarmer.com this week to meet the rest of this year’s Featured Farmers.