What We Do
“Food Systems are complex networks that include all the inputs and outputs associated with agricultural and food production and consumption. Food systems can vary substantially from place to place and over time, depending on location specific conditions.”
-United States Department of Agriculture
The Food Systems Coordinator supports small, diverse farms and value-added food businesses in Indiana. We are also involved in local food in terms of food safety, economics, and education. The Purdue Food Systems program uses an interdisciplinary approach to collaboratively create educational materials and workshops, while engaging community members to build local economies.
Contact Us
Sarah Hanson
Food Systems Coordinator
sspeedy@purdue.edu
615 W. State Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907
765-494-8483
Producer
Producer
Farmers/producers can learn more about community organizations and resources.
View ResourcesFood Safety
Food Safety
Consumer
Consumer
Learn more about organizations and resources to help consumers navigate our food systems.
View ResourcesFood Business and Entrepreneurship
Food Business and Entrepreneurship
Learn more about resources related to Food Business and Entrepreneurship
View ResourcesFeatured Stories
Join Purdue Extension for a free field day to gain practical, research-based insights you can use on your farm.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University’s Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture will offer a one-day home and commercial grower workshop about hydroponic crop production on Sept. 19.
The August-September 2026 Newsletter is now available.
If you have experienced the occasional bat in the house, you may be asking whether bats are really friends or foes.
Walking between the stalls in the goat barn, you glance at the animals. Suddenly, you wonder if this goat has a name, what it is, and why its owner chose that one in particular. 4-H’ers from all across the fair can tell you fascinating stories about how their animal got its name. Others declined to name them at all. Still others have animals that were named before their ownership.
There is nothing like the thrill of driving at top speed through an obstacle course on an ATV. That is probably why so many kids sign up for the Elkhart County 4-H ATV club. The club had its annual ATV rodeo at the grandstands.