Hastings gets day in the sun (and storm) at state fair

Members of the Hastings Plants and Produce family of rural Mount Vernon smile as they are honored by the Indiana State Fair. Left to right are Carter Haag, Scott Haag, Luca Haag, Tammy Loehr, Karen Walker, Diane Haag, Tatum Haag (in arms), Brooks Haag, Nancy Hasting and Ann Stevenson. Photo provided.

By Lois Mittino Gray

Nancy Hastings remembers being a young girl at the Indiana State Fair serving guests a lavish meal at the long trestle tables in the Pioneer Village building. On Wednesday, August 12 she was seated as the “Guest of Honor” at one of those same tables enjoying her special day as the Corteva Agriscience “Featured Farmer of the Day.” Hastings, owner of Hastings Plants in Point Township in Posey County, was selected as one of fifteen Featured Farmers for the Day for the 2026 Indiana State Fair.

Nancy traveled up to the fair anticipating a full day of planned activities in her honor. She was even slated to have a featured spot in the evening parade riding in a wagon. Unfortunately, a torrential rain and stormy weather derailed most all the planned activities and the fairgrounds even closed its gates early at 5 p.m. for the day.

She traveled up to Indianapolis for the ceremony with two other Hastings employees, Tammy Loehr and Lauri Schutz and friends Karen Walker, Mount Vernon Mayor Steve Loehr and family members consisting of her daughter, son-in-law and four granddaughters. “We were disappointed in the weather, but you can’t control that. We still had a good time,” the unflappable Hastings said. Even though it was cold and rainy, they were able to spend time in the Dairy Barn serving milk and ice cream, although there were not too many customers. “We met with the FFA (Future Farmers of America) state officers and they are such personable young kids. So nice! The Cream of the Crop.” She explained these students just graduated from high school and take a gap year to become officers before heading off to college.

The whole entourage ventured to the Pioneer Village for a lavish lunch of roast beef, rolls, green beans, mashed potatoes, corn, apple salad, watermelon, and peanut butter pie or banana pudding. “They serve big dinners like that every day at the fair, sometimes around 150 meals. That is what I used to help in the kitchen to serve,” she recalled. “They are called Thresherman’s Dinners. They are modeled after the times all the men came to help with the wheat threshing and ate during the first round. The women and children ate the next round at the tables, but we all were able to all sit together that day.”

The family and guests had to remain in that building for several hours and were stuck sitting around due to the lightning and rain. When it cleared, Posey County Native Heidi Williams Spahn, her Captiva hostess, accompanied Hastings to a scheduled interview for a Glass Barn Chat, sponsored by the Soybean producers. “It was a short, abbreviated chat, but we did it,” Nancy remarked. “We were able to get around in golf carts.”

All fifteen featured farmer honorees have a banner on site somewhere at the fair. One of the last things Nancy’s group did was to go in search of Nancy’s banner on display at the Fair before the Fair officials closed its gates for good due to the inclement weather. At that site, they took their formal group picture to remember what Nancy called “her special, bittersweet day.”

Pictures of the special day are posted on the Hastings Plants Facebook page.