Mike Beer, Noblesville, IN
What first attracted me to Indiana Foodways Alliance was the opportunity to work with a real business and get some real experience instead of reading about it in a book. I, being a young adult male, love food as well, which made it a perfect fit. I’ll eat just about anything besides Chinese – not a fan. However, having lived in Indiana most of my life, I’ve grown to love the state and come to enjoy its food. Be it corn on the cob, breaded tenderloin, or fresh apple cider from the orchard, I love it all.
I have only begun to explore my culinary side, but I’m enjoying it thoroughly. While I used to burn cold cereal, I now am somewhat familiar with the kitchen and am always thinking of new creations. While not new, I do make a mean BLT. There’s nothing better than freshly ground black pepper, lightly sprinkled on smoked bacon, topped with a freshly cut tomato and lettuce, all scrunched between wheat bread and mayo. Yum. Don’t even get me started on ice cream.
Besides the stereotypical Indiana foods, I also enjoy some of the “more down to earth” choices. I have been introduced to soy products via a family member who is a vegan (no animal products). At first, I didn’t enjoy soy, but it slowly grew on me and I now actually prefer some soy products, like chocolate milk, to their dairy counterparts. Another favorite of mine is cornbread made from freshly ground corn meal. There is an old water powered grist mill located at Spring Mill State park near Mitchell, IN, that grounds corn into corn meal every hour. Every year I buy some and make corn bread. Let’s just say that it’s delicious.
Another favorite Indiana food experience of mine is going to the orchard every fall. Having previously worked in produce at a supermarket, I know how long some of the produce that is sold has been sitting there, not to mention the warehouses. This fact makes it all the sweeter to pick fresh apples to eat and make apple crisp with. And fresh apple cider is one of the reasons that make autumn my favorite season.
In short, I love food; especially food from Indiana. I hope that my involvement with this project helps others to see what they're missing, or to appreciate what they have right here, in front of them. I also hope to learn more about local producers and restaurants that I can go to and enjoy. Being an entrepreneurship major, I love small business and always do what I can to help them succeed. I believe that it is important to support these local businesses and that they have more positive effects on the local community than people believe. What Indiana Foodways Alliance is doing is very important, and I hope to help however I can.
