(Indianapolis, IN) – One hundred and three Indiana farm families were presented the Hoosier Homestead Award by Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb on Wednesday.
The award is presented each year at the Indiana State Fair
“The Hoosier Homestead ceremony at the Indiana State Fair is a prestigious event for all involved,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “It is a true honor to celebrate these families for their work and commitment to bettering Indiana agriculture.”
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years, and consist of 20 acres or more, or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year.
Based on the age of the farm, families are eligible for three different distinctions of the Hoosier Homestead Award. They can receive the Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years or Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
Eleven area farms were recognized. They are:
Dearborn County
- Murtaugh, 1855, Sesquicentennial
Decatur County
- Manlief, 1873, Sesquicentennial
- Charles and Mary Torline, 1874, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
Franklin County
- Kuntz, 1916, Centennial
- Miles Homestead Farms LLC, 1874, Sesquicentennial
- Wessel, 1858, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
Ripley County
- Drockelman, 1860, Sesquicentennial
- Miller, 1910, Centennial
- Shorten-Volz-Miller, 1917, Centennial
- Smith, 1868, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Wilson, 1923, Centennial
Since the program’s inception in 1976, nearly 6,200 families have received the award. Often, a Hoosier Homestead farm is easily recognized because most recipients proudly display their awarded sign on their property.
For more information about the Hoosier Homestead Award program, please visit isda.in.gov. Photos from the ceremony are available here.
