Indiana Checkoffs Reaching Out on College Campuses

Hoosier Ag Today
12/13/2009
by Andy Eubank

Brainstorming by the Indiana Soybean and Corn checkoffs in the summer of 2008 on how to educate consumers in the food versus fuel debate has led to a fall 2009 phenomenon. Communications Director Megan Kuhn explains a change in direction last summer. “We went out and surveyed Indiana consumers and found that most realized that increased food prices were coming from increased oil prices. So we took a different approach by asking where can we make the most impact engaging people about biofuels.”

And the answer was Indiana college campuses. So this semester a group of students called the “Ask Force” is on campuses engaging students in biofuels discussions. Kuhn explains, “The Ask Force is a great group of college age kids who have really immersed themselves in learning about Indiana biofuels and some of the questions around them before they went out to the college campuses. So far they have visited IUPUI, Butler, Purdue, Indiana University, the University of Indianapolis, and Ball State. And they’ve been multiple times.”

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