INDIANAPOLIS — American Dairy Association Indiana (ADAI) has announced the appointment of Heather Tallman to its team as Innovation Partnerships Manager.
Tallman joins the dairy association after five years with the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s Indiana Grown program – as Membership Development Program Manager and, more recently, as Indiana Grown Program Director. Prior to her positions with Indiana Grown, she was Owner & President of Bargersville, Indiana-based Kitchen Sink Media, INC and creator of the popular Basilmomma food and lifestyle blog.
“Heather has been a recognized force in Indiana agriculture for years,” said Jenni Browning, MS, RD, CD, American Dairy Association Indiana’s Chief Executive Officer. “We watched as she headed her own food-based media company, and then as she advanced to direct a program that brought millions of dollars of economic development to Hoosier farmers and producers. Her impressive work at Indiana Grown included building a significant network to connect Indiana food systems, and she also greatly increased the amounts of local foods found in schools, hotels, hospitals, dining halls, and supermarkets throughout the state.
“We truly are thrilled to bring her talents, knowledge, drive and spirit to the ADAI team, to the benefit of our Hoosier dairy farm families.”
Browning said the role into which Tallman steps at the dairy association is a newly created position that will implement partner strategy across the Indiana dairy industry.
“We’ll be looking to Heather to facilitate relationships with key partners in retail, foodservice, hunger and other areas – then creating a holistic approach that inspires trust in dairy products and dairy farming, and increases demand and sales of dairy foods,” she explained. “Heather’s background in agriculture, particularly her experiences with the Indiana Grown program, will be invaluable in accomplishing the goals we’ve set forth for our Innovation Partnerships Manager.”
“I have met some amazingly resilient farmers over the last several years, and look forward to the opportunity to work in an area that works so hard to feed my family and me,” Tallman said. “I’m eager to work with leaders in the Indiana dairy industry, to grow the awareness of the work that the Hoosier dairy farm families do every day, and continue to educate consumers, and beyond, about the Indiana dairy industry.”
Tallman resides in Franklin, Indiana with her husband and two sons.
Indianapolis-based American Dairy Association Indiana is a not-for-profit promotion, communication and nutrition education organization funded by and serving the Hoosier state’s 750 dairy farm families. ADAI is affiliated with the National Dairy Council, a leader in dairy nutrition research, education and communications since 1915. Additional information about the Indiana organization can be found at www.WinnersDrinkMilk.com.
