INDIANA — Today, at the Indiana State Fair, Lt. Gov Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler presented 73 family farms with a Hoosier Homestead Award, recognizing their family’s longstanding commitment to Indiana agriculture.
In Lawrence County, the Fountain farm established in 1920, was given a centennial award.
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.
“Agriculture has always been and continues to be a vital and thriving industry in our state,” Crouch said. “I always look forward to honoring these Hoosier Homestead Award recipients on their family’s commitment to their farm, community, and heritage.”
Families are eligible for three different distinctions of the Hoosier Homestead Award, based on the age of the farm. They can receive the Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years, or Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
Since the program’s inception in 1976, nearly 6000 families have received the award. Often, a Hoosier Homestead farm is easily recognized because most recipients proudly display their awarded sign on their property.
“Each of these Hoosier Homestead farms has such a unique and important story behind them,” Kettler said. “Managing and operating a farm is no simple task, and I commend each of the families that receive this award for their dedication and devotion to agriculture.”
The following list includes the August 2021 Hoosier Homestead Award recipients.
| County | Name | Homestead Date | Award |
| Adams | Kiefer | 1882 | Centennial |
| Allen | Scherrer | 1900 | Centennial |
| Bartholomew | Anthers | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| Bartholomew | O’Neal — Dickey | 1919 | Centennial |
| Benton | English | 1871 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Benton | Hasser | 1916 | Centennial |
| Brown | Parsley | 1920 | Centennial |
| Carroll | Been | 1910 | Centennial |
| Carroll | Duff | 1921 | Centennial |
| Carroll | Penn | 1867 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Clark | Johnson | 1921 | Centennial |
| Clay | Edward & Anna Spaeth | 1921 | Centennial |
| Clay | Harvey Fell | 1918 | Centennial |
| Daviess | Bean | 1907 | Centennial |
| Decatur | Carroll | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| DeKalb | George E. Baker | 1918 | Centennial |
| DeKalb | Rosenbury | 1906 | Centennial |
| DeKalb | Tustison/Hook | 1845 | Sesquicentennial |
| Dubois | Hoppenjans | 1921 | Centennial |
| Dubois | Lawrence Gutgsell | 1910 | Centennial |
| Fayette | Winfield Schockey/David Dean | 1921 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Brier | 1906 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Knecht | 1846 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Franklin | McNally | 1918 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Schuck/Knecht | 1879 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Schuck/Knecht | 1902 | Centennial |
| Gibson | Hardiman/Lyles/Nolcox/Solomon | 1915 | Centennial |
| Hamilton | Ringer | 1894 | Centennial |
| Harrison | Leffler | 1874 | Centennial |
| Harrison | Reinhardt | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| Hendricks | Dillon | 1917 | Centennial |
| Howard | Jean Gesse — Kingseed Farm | 1848 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Howard | Davis | 1920 | Centennial |
| Howard | Breisch | 1848 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Howard | Kingseed | 1903 | Centennial |
| Howard | Kingseed | 1919 | Centennial |
| Huntington | Brubaker | 1899 | Centennial |
| Jackson | Anthony – Browning – Robbins | 1919 | Centennial |
| Jackson | Garriott – Robbins | 1914 | Centennial |
| Jackson | George Parke Vehslage | 1862 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Jackson | Pfaffenberger | 1853 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Jasper | Smith | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| Jay | Bell | 1885 | Centennial |
| Jennings | Anthers/Blair | 1821 | Bicentennial |
| Jennings | Biehle | 1906 | Centennial |
| Jennings | Biehle | 1906 | Centennial |
| LaPorte | Shebel | 1920 | Centennial |
| LaPorte | Steve and Joann Jensen | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| Lawrence | Fountain | 1920 | Centennial |
| Martin | Sherfick | 1920 | Centennial |
| Miami | Clendenning/Fouts/See | 1841 | Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Crockett | 1865 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Morgan | Charles J. Kirk | 1906 | Centennial |
| Morgan | Oliver, August, & Alice Dilley | 1902 | Centennial |
| Morgan | Rawlins | 1917 | Centennial |
| Noble | Raymond & Karen Parker | 1917 | Centennial |
| Parke | Lennie C. Pyle | 1920 | Centennial |
| Pulaski | Theodore & Lowell Podell | 1900 | Centennial |
| Pulaski | William Meyer | 1899 | Centennial |
| Putnam | Jeffries | 1885 | Centennial |
| Randolph | Fogle | 1919 | Centennial |
| Randolph | Harry & Florence Smith | 1920 | Centennial |
| Shelby | Clark – Rehme | 1866 | Sesquicentennial |
| Shelby | Harrod | 1899 | Centennial |
| St. Joseph | Beehler | 1860 | Sesquicentennial |
| Union | Brattain | 1871 | Sesquicentennial |
| Vanderburgh | Henry Schlensker | 1870 | Sesquicentennial |
| Vanderburgh | Niederhaus/Karch | 1839 | Sesquicentennial |
| Vigo | Tryon | 1844 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| Wabash | Chamberlain | 1920 | Centennial |
| Wells | Steiner | 1863 | Centennial and Sesquicentennial |
| White | Johnson – Barnhart | 1916 | Centennial |
| White | Milton & Emma Marshall | 1917 | Centennial |
Photos from today’s ceremony will be posted to ISDA’s Flickr page by Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021. For more information about the Hoosier Homestead Award program, click here or visit isda.in.gov.
