At the Indiana Statehouse Friday, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb presented 59 farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.
“These long-standing Hoosier farming families are the backbone of our state’s rich agricultural history,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “They have dedicated their lives to supporting our strong agricultural economy, and it was a pleasure to honor them today.”
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. If less than 20 acres, the farm must produce more than $1,000 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, over 6,100 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award. Many past awardees can be identified by the sign proudly displayed in front of the family farm or field.
“The Indiana statehouse is a historic venue for hosting this historic ceremony,” said Lamb. “Honoring over 50 farming families today was an unique look into Indiana’s rich past, especially when celebrating two bicentennial awards. Thinking of how much agriculture, and our whole world, has changed in the last 200 years was an incredible thought and we are so thankful to these farming families for remaining committed to agriculture production.”
During the ceremonies, two Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership: the Dorton family from Harrison county and the Coleman family from Parke county.
Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the spring 2024 ceremony:
• Adams County, Girod , 1865, Sesquicentennial
• Allen County, Kruse, 1872, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Bartholomew County, David and Brenda Simmons, 1850, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Blackford County, Twibell, 1870, Sesquicentennial
• Cass County, Ide, 1874, Sesquicentennial
• Clark County, Trainor, 1920, Centennial
• Daviess County, Ferguson, 1852, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Daviess County, Flinn, 1893, Centennial
• Daviess County, Kavanaugh, 1894, Centennial
• Dearborn County, Andrews-Probst, 1916, Centennial
• Dearborn County, Gaynor, 1924, Centennial
• Delaware County, Felton, 1881, Centennial
• Dubois County, Feldmeyer-Holtzman, 1848, Sesquicentennial
• Elkhart County, Zollinger, 1899, Centennial
• Floyd County, Leonard C. Lemmel, 1918, Centennial
• Franklin County, Elmer and May Brack, 1919, Centennial
• Franklin County, Werner, 1923, Centennial
• Fulton County, Shewman, 1905, Centennial
• Gibson County, Spindler, 1924, Centennial
• Grant County, Dearduff, 1870, Sesquicentennial
• Hancock County, Troy, 1921, Centennial
• Hancock County, Gundrum-Long, 1906, Centennial
• Harrison County, Dorton, 1824, Bicentennial
• Huntington County, Kennedy, 1919, Centennial
• Huntington County, Bone-Ulrich-McPherson, 1912, Centennial
• Jackson County, Cummings, 1924,Centennial
• Jackson County, Durham, 1919, Centennial
• Jackson County, Koop/Otte/Rieker, 1867, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Jackson County, Speaker/Otte/Rieker, 1886, Centennial
• Jackson County, Tatlock Farms, 1888, Centennial
• Knox County, Marchino, 1865, Sesquicentennial
• Lake County, Merritt G. Bailey, 1882, Centennial
• LaPorte County, Spence, 1868, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Madison County, Moore-Rydman, 1890, Centennial
• Madison County, Drake, 1920, Centennial
• Madison County, McClintick-McClintock, 1898, Centennial
• Miami County, Peter/Fisher/John H. Balsbaugh/Raymond E. Musselman, 1837, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Miami County, Peter/Fisher/John H. Balsbaugh/Raymond E. Musselman, 1873, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Montgomery County, Richard S. and Sandra K. Clouser, 1848, Sesquicentennial
• Montgomery County, Gentry, 1918, Centennial
• Morgan County, Rhea , 1920, Centennial
• Orange County, McDonald, 1922, Centennial
• Orange County, McDonald, 1887, Centennial
• Owen County, Stahl-Williams, 1902, Centennial
• Parke County, Coleman, 1824, Bicentennial
• Perry County, Hagerdon, 1919, Centennial
• Pike County, Whitehead, 1869, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Ripley County, Amy and Edward Rodriguez, 1852, Sesquicentennial
• Rush County, Halterman/Wallace/Mull, 1883, Centennial
• Spencer County, Hildenbrand, 1923, Centennial
• St. Joseph County, Berger, 1907, Centennial
• St. Joseph County, Besinger, 1873, Sesquicentennial
• Tippecanoe County, Charles Dill, 1896, Centennial
• Tippecanoe County, Stan Thayer, 1850, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Tippecanoe County, Charles and Theresa Shelby, 1835, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Vanderburgh County, Herman Wortman, 1866, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
• Wells County, Ted B. and Valerie N. Markley, 1874, Sesquicentennial
• Whitley County, Keiser-Fenker, 1923, Centennial
The 2024 Summer Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony will take place on Aug. 14, 2024 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
