Voice of the Farmer: A Survey of Indiana Meat Farmers and Their Processing Needs

An eight page handout sharing the results of our farmer survey. Eighty farmers filled out our survey, and their input was surprising. Most (88%) view processing as a barrier to growth. Their top reasons for choosing a processor were not distance or convenience, but rather trust, animal handling, and quality. We hope that these and other insights in the report can inform potential and current meat processors, ag professionals who work with farmers, and other decision makers. This survey and report were a collaboration with Indiana University's Sustainable Food Systems Science program.