INDIANAPOLIS (March 23, 2018) — At the Indiana Statehouse, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Bruce Kettler presented 65 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

“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 said. “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.”

To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years, and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1000 of agricultural products per year. Indiana farms may qualify for three honors: Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.

Since the program's inception in 1976, more than 5,000 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award.

“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 said. “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 Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the spring 2018 ceremony:

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

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