County 1: Jackson

Visiting Jackson County is always like a homecoming for me. Even though I always lived in neighboring Lawrence County, I represented Jackson for 12 years in the Indiana Senate. I’ve walked countless parades and held plenty of Third House meetings in its towns.



Maplewood Farm's Tim Burton shows Lt. Governor

Skillman his process for making syrup.



The local officials I met with in Jackson County are like most leaders throughout the state: passionate about the communities they serve. They were full of good ideas of their own and willing to hear new ones. For example, the city of Seymour’s “robo-trash” trucks require fewer sanitation employees and have cut work comp claims by nearly 95 percent.

After the meeting in Brownstown, we had lunch at Stahl’s Café in Ewing, then headed to Medora to cut the ribbon on the country’s longest covered bridge. Finally, we stopped at Maplewood Farms, where Tim Burton is becoming one of our most successful Indiana Artisans.

A Hoosier from Fortville, Ind., who has been

to every covered bridge in the country, talks to

Lt. Governor Skillman at the Medora Covered Bridge.

Indiana Artisan is a program I started as lieutenant governor to provide marketing support for producers of food or art products. It was so successful; we took it out of government’s hands and made Indiana Artisan a non-profit organization. We had a chance to talk to Tim and meet youth helping out on the farm from Bradford Woods’ leadership camp.





Tim is becoming a local celebrity of sorts. Folks my age will be impressed his syrup was served in Chicago at Oprah’s farewell brunch. The camp kids, however, were more impressed that he recently ate with Lady Gaga’s parents (Mr. and Mrs. Gaga?).

This is exactly the kind of success we planned with our Indiana Artisan program. Governor Mitch always speaks about raising the net disposable income of Hoosiers. When we can help a small business market itself, we make that happen for them and any employees they may choose to hire.

We have artisans all over the state, and I plan to visit many more of them. But I’m glad I got to start it off at Maplewood Farms.