The need for food links humans across the globe, but the food we eat, the way we grow, prepare and eat it, our mealtime rituals, traditions and conversations…all of these elements distinguish us as cultures and individuals.

It’s giant tenderloins and persimmon pudding. Morel mushrooms and fried chicken. It’s backyard gardens and family farms, hip new restaurants and reliable old diners. It’s time spent around the table and pitch-ins in the backyard. It’s family-meal traditions and new dining discoveries.

Through Food for Thought we'll encourage Hoosiers to celebrate and examine the ways food helps to define Indiana’s culture, considering food in the context of history, law, politics, science, the arts, religion, ethnicity and our place in the world. Through this program, Hoosiers will share and sample the cultures reflected at the state’s table and address the local and global issues of hunger, nutrition, food production, obesity, food security and safety.

Elements of the program include:

A collection of Indiana food stories from Hoosiers like you. Submit yours.

A partnership program to highlight food-related programs throughout Indiana. Apply today.

A calendar of food-related events in Indiana. View/Add dates.

A traveling exhibit that will visit fairs and festivals across the state.

Lectures and workshops.

Literature, poetry and art competitions.

A partnership with Spirit & Place Festival.

A community victory garden at the Meredith Nicholson House

Curriculum guides and resource lists for K-12 teachers. Learn more.

FoodCon: an unconventional convention at the Harrison Center for the Arts.

A list of resources, including book recommendations and links to blogs, games, trivia and more. Check it out.