This year marks the 25th year recognizing October as National Popcorn Poppin’ Month, first declared by the Secretary of Agriculture, Dan Glickman, in 1999.  

You butter believe it, popcorn is here to stay. Indiana is one of the world’s largest producers of popcorn! According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Indiana harvested 5.4 million acres of corn in 2023, so it only makes sense that we are the leading producer of the beloved snack! The Hoosier state is home to several leading popcorn companies and brands, including Cousin Willie’s, Pop Weaver, Gutwein Popcorn, and Yoder Popcorn.  

Local Hoosiers are also making a name for themselves in the popcorn industry, like Purdue alumni Jacob and Amanda Baird in their creation of Groomsville Popcorn. To learn more about the Tipton small business, check out their story here! 

Looking for an activity that is POP-ular with all ages? 

The northern Indiana city of Valparaiso proudly celebrates Indiana’s popcorn producing records with its annual Valparaiso Popcorn Festival. The festival is an all-day event for folks of all ages! This year’s celebration consisted of a Popcorn Parade, over 320 hand made goods for sale, , food vendors, fine arts booths and more! After 45 impressive years of celebrations, the Valparaiso Popcorn Festival is sure to be poppin’ with fun.  

The tiny town of Van Buren, Indiana is “Poppin’ Up with Hometown Pride” this year with its 52nd annual popcorn festival! This devoted community celebrated all weekend long with bounce houses, local bands, baby races and more. To conclude the four-day festival the close-knit community comes together for a firework show! 

Are you hungry yet? 

Salted or sweet, popcorn can’t be beat! If you are looking for a salty snack or a sweet treat Indiana’s official state snack has you covered. If you are wanting a relatively healthy snack to munch on, air-popped and lightly seasoned popcorn has a low-calorie count and has ample dietary fiber according to the American Heart Association. If you are looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, you can’t go wrong with classic caramel corn or its dozens of yummy variations! 

Check out these yummy variations of the classic popcorn snack from a few of our American Farm Bureau Federation partners across the U.S. 

• Alabama Farmers Federation offers a delicious recipe for honey-glazed popcorn. 

• Illinois Farm Bureau’s Partners publishes many resources and recipes, including an article “Pop Star: Popcorn Farmer Shares His Favorite Popcorn Recipes.” 

• Check out Texas Table Top’s Chocolate Delight Popcorn recipe, brought to you by Texas Farm Bureau. 

Popcorn creates memories 

Popcorn pops up at the best times. One of the greatest parts of having popcorn is sharing it with your friends and family during life’s most memorable moments! Whether it is watching your favorite team score a homerun, going on a first date to the movie theatre, or taking your kids to the Indiana State Fair it likely that the buttery snack is not far from reach.  

To create even more memories with Indiana’s beloved snack, try these hands-on activities with your kids! 

• Check out “Popcorn Country: The Story of America’s Favorite Snack” by Cris Peterson. This book was the 2020 Book of the Year a part of Indiana Farm Bureau’s Agriculture in the Classroom. Read along with your children and learn all about this wonderful snack!  

• Use a straw, one piece of popcorn per player, and a piece of paper. Draw a start and finish line on the paper and have a race! The first person to get their piece of popcorn across the finish line using only air from the straw wins! This game is perfect for a rainy day inside with materials you already have in the house.  

• Use washable paint to toss popcorn in a bowl, covering most of the white. Once it dries, have kids use the popcorn as leaves to create beautiful fall-colored trees. This activity can be used to show the changing colors and falling of leaves for each season! 

• With a grownup’s help, dye popcorn kernels with food dye. Using paper and glue you then can create mosaics that would make Gaudi proud! Or, for younger kids, mix the colored kernels together and have them separate each color into piles to practice sorting and fine motor skills!