Hoosier families awarded for commitment to Indiana agriculture

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Hoosier Homestead Award was presented to 65 Hoosier families in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

Lt. Governor Suzanna Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler presented the awards at the Indiana Statehouse in Indianapolis, Friday afternoon.

In a press release, Crouch stated, “Indiana agriculture keeps our economy thriving, and each year we are reminded of how rich our history is by the long list of award recipients,” Crouch went on to say, “Because we have such a thriving farming community, Indiana is at the top of the nation for production and these long-standing farms keep us moving forward.”

In order to qualify as a Hoosier Homestead recipient, farms must be owned by  the same family for over 100 consecutive years. The farm property must be larger than 20 acres and produce more than $1,000 of agricultural product per year.

There are three honors Hoosier farms can qualify for:

  • The Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership
  • Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership
  • And Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership

Also in the press release ISDA Director Bruce Kettler commented, “For more than a century, these farming families have been providing Hoosiers and Americans with the food, fuel and fiber they need for their everyday lives,” Kettler continued saying, “Each generation has learned to adapt and evaluate how to keep their farm successful with changing times and technology. It was an honor to celebrate them at the Statehouse.”

Below is a list of the Award recipients and type of honor received:

Farm County

Award Name

Homestead

Date

Type of Award

Allen

Van Horn

1911

Centennial

Carroll

Mills

1861

Sesquicentennial

Carroll

Reiff

1918

Centennial

Clinton

Bradburn-Strain-Ceo

1895

Centennial

Daviess

Ryan

1867

Sesquicentennial

Decatur

William S. Emly

1837

Sesquicentennial

Decatur

The Oesterling Homestead

1909

Centennial

DeKalb

Hook

1848

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Dubois

Merkel

1885

Centennial

Dubois

Schroeder

1845

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Elkhart

Cobb Family Farm

1909

Centennial

Fountain

Thomas

1918

Centennial

Franklin

Rosfeld

1855

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Franklin

Meyer Family Farm

1867

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Franklin

Kolb

1917

Centennial

Fulton

Hendrickson

1900

Centennial

Fulton

Walters-Duffey

1904

Centennial

Gibson

Kennedy Hill Farm

1865

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Grant

King

1878

Centennial

Hamilton

Marion E. House Farms, Inc.

1917

Centennial

Howard

Schafer/Gingerich

1865

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Howard

Hollingsworth

1853

Sesquicentennial

Huntington

Hosler

1906

Centennial

Huntington

Killen

1918

Centennial

Jackson

Tape Family

1863

Centennial

Jay

Hutchens

1861

Sesquicentennial

Jennings

Funke

1867

Sesquicentennial

Kosciusko

Waldbeser

1906

Centennial

Lake

Huseman

1883

Centennial

LaPorte

Brooks - Bartmess

1860

Sesquicentennial

LaPorte

Lloyd & Helen Steinke

1855

Sesquicentennial

Madison

Wright

1917

Centennial

Marshall

Motz Family Farm

1915

Centennial

Marshall

John Gibson

1851

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Miami

Kendall

1862

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Montgomery

Oppy

1898

Centennial

Parke

Wilkey

1872

Centennial

Pulaski

Christensen

1867

Sesquicentennial

Pulaski

Westphal

1915

Centennial

Putnam

Kenneth Wayne Mason

1882

Centennial

Randolph

Hobson

1917

Centennial

Randolph

The Huffman Family Farm

1918

Centennial

Ripley

Timke

1888

Centennial

Ripley

Crum

1868

Sesquicentennial

Ripley

Kohlman

1867

Sesquicentennial

Ripley

Huber

1867

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Rush

Francis Graham Farms Inc.

1846

Sesquicentennial

Shelby

Linville

1911

Centennial

Shelby

Dake

1918

Centennial

Spencer

Lee

1855

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Spencer

Singer/Scott

1918

Centennial

Steuben

Sugar Grove Farm

1913

Centennial

Switzerland

Crandell

1908

Centennial

Switzerland

Romerill

1917

Centennial

Tippecanoe

Claude, Harold, & Ruth Boesch

1917

Centennial

Tipton

Leisure

1907

Centennial

Union

Gavin-Beck Family Homestead

1823

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Wabash

Swihart Long

1907

Centennial

Wabash

Walters-Duffey

1888

Centennial

Wabash

Walters-Duffey

1915

Centennial

Wabash

Merrick

1835

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Warren

Andrews

1907

Centennial

Warren

Inez F. McDermond

1904

Centennial

Wells

Laymon

1918

Centennial

Whitley

Kerch

1853

Centennial & Sesquicentennial

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