A Ripley County farm recently received an award that took a century to earn.
The farm owned by the Hicks family, of Napoleon, has been recognized with a Hoosier Homestead Award.
The state program recognizes farms that have remained within the same family for at least 100 years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce $1,000 or more of agriculture products per year.
The farm was purchased by Frank Grow in 1901 after selling his patent for the first self-starter for the Maxwell Car. Pat Hicks and her sons Brad and Bart, and their families, currently own the farm and are the fourth and fifth generations to do so.
Lt. Governor Sue Ellspermann and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney presented the award at the Statehouse in March with State Representative Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) in attendance.
“The families celebrated here today remind us of what makes Indiana agriculture great,” Mckinney said. “Agriculture is not solely about producing food, fiber, and fuel for a growing population. It is also about preserving a way of life that values hard-work, integrity and community. The Hoosier Homestead Award Program celebrates just that.”
