Andy Miller

On April 25, 2005, Andy Miller became Indiana’s first agriculture director when Governor Mitch Daniels signed H.B. 1008 into law. That law created the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. Until 2005 Indiana had been one of only four states without a standalone department of agriculture.

During the last two years, Indiana has seen unprecedented economic growth in agriculture, due in large part to the combined efforts of the Department of Agriculture and the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. During Miller’s tenure with the Department of Agriculture, Indiana saw $2.68 billion invested in food and agricultural projects in the state in the last year, bringing 2,518 jobs to Hoosiers.

He has worked to establish Indiana as a national leader in biofuels. Indiana is the fifth-largest corn producing state and the fourth-largest soybean producing state, however, Indiana’s biofuels industry long lagged behind other states. Since the establishment of the Department of Agriculture, Indiana has surpassed the 1 billion-gallon goal set for the end of 2008 and now has more than 80 public E85 pumps.

Miller grew up on a family hog and grain farm in Waterloo, Ind., where his father still runs the operation. He draws on his own agricultural experiences to create a vision for the Department of Agriculture and to inspire others through his leadership.

In addition to Miller's farming background, he has an extensive experience in the agricultural industry. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Purdue University in 1992. Before becoming Indiana’s agriculture director, he worked for Weaver Popcorn, a 75-year-old Indiana business. Prior to joining Weaver, Miller created Nature’s Entrée, a frozen-food company in Indianapolis. He also worked for ConAgra, Nabisco and Procter & Gamble.