INDIANAPOLIS — A total of 88 families from around the state, including six from Northwest Indiana, were presented with the Hoosier Homestead Award for their longstanding commitment to Indiana agriculture.
The families were recognized at the Indiana State Fair by Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler on Aug. 10.
Families from Northwest Indiana include (county, name, year established, year celebrating):
- Jasper, Putt, 1902, Centennial
- Jasper, Guth/Waibel, 1899, Centennial
- LaPorte, Hickory Grove Farm/Mohlke Family, 1918, Centennial
- LaPorte, Thomas, 1918, Centennial
- Marshall, Sahlhoff, 1887, Centennial
- Pulaski, Jarman, 1901, Centennial
Hoosier Homestead farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years and consist of 20 acres or more in size or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products annually.
“I want to congratulate all of the recipients of this prestigious award,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “Our state, economically and socially, depends on our farming families, and we owe a great deal to the work they do.”
Families are eligible for three different distinctions of the Hoosier Homestead Award, based on age of the farm. They are Centennial (100 years), Sesquicentennial (150 years) and Bicentennial (200 years).
Since the program's inception in 1976, more than 5,500 families have received the award.
Kettler said keeping any business in operation for more than 100 years is no small accomplishment, let alone in the same family.
“There is something special about generational farming in Indiana, and it was an honor to recognize these families—their legacy—at the great Indiana State Fair,” he said.
Other honorees include (county, name, year established, year celebrating):
- Adams, Kruetzman, 1891, Centennial
- Allen, Bradtmueller, 1902, Centennial
- Allen, Yoder, 1918, Centennial
- Bartholomew, O'Neal, 1918, Centennial
- Bartholomew, Burbrink – Schroer, 1910, Centennial
- Bartholomew, Arnholt – Smith, 1890, Centennial
- Bartholomew, Reinking – Smith, 1856, Sesquicentennial
- Brown, Roark Brown County Family Farm, 1910, Centennial
- Cass, Cynthia Lynn (Smith) Beckom and Amanda Lynn Beckom, 1844, Sesquicentennial
- Cass, Green, 1918, Centennial
- Cass, Robert and Mary Apple Kitchel, 1917, Centennial
- Cass, McIntosh – McMillen, 1868, Sesquicentennial
- Clark, James A. Kruer, 1893, Centennial
- Clay, Groover, 1867, Sesquicentennial
- Clay, Schlegel, 1886, Centennial
- Clinton, Need Family Farms, 1916, Centennial
- Crawford, Perry Crecelius, 1918, Centennial
- Crawford, Crecelius, 1918, Centennial
- Daviess, Hunter – Nolan, 1818, Bicentennial
- Dearborn, Hartman, 1918, Centennial
- Decatur, Fry, 1887, Centennial
- Decatur, Jonathan C. and Sara A. Galbraith, 1848, Sesquicentennial
- DeKalb, Bowman and Bowman Farms Inc., 1873, Centennial
- DeKalb, Morr, 1900, Centennial
- DeKalb, Hines, 1836, Sesquicentennial
- DeKalb, Nelson Family LLC, 1868, Sesquicentennial
- Dubois, Victor A. Beckman, 1849, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Dubois, Joshua J. Himsel, 1887, Centennial
- Dubois, Weisman, 1866, Sesquicentennial
- Franklin, Burk, 1918, Centennial
- Franklin, Obermeyer, 1891, Centennial
- Franklin, Siefert, 1869, Centennial
- Franklin, Stenger, 1901, Centennial
- Fulton, Kline – Wagoner, 1876, Centennial
- Hamilton, Flanders/Sheller Farms, 1865, Sesquicentennial
- Hamilton, Joseph Wheeler, 1851, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Hamilton, Haughey, 1882, Centennial
- Hancock, Garst, 1918, Centennial
- Harrison, Chuck and Sandy Hess, 1854, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Harrison, Deatrick/Lind, 1915, Centennial
- Henry, Kautz – Query, 1918, Centennial
- Howard, Eller, 1905, Centennial
- Howard, Fisher, 1847, Sesquicentennial
- Howard, E. Wesley Smith, 1848, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Howard, Tarkington, 1918, Centennial
- Jackson, M and M Wischmeier, 1915, Centennial
- Jennings, Graham, 1815, Bicentennial
- Jennings, Horstman, 1878, Centennial
- Johnson, William O. Canary, 1898, Centennial
- Kosciusko, Whetstone, 1842, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- LaGrange, Robert Thompson, 1885, Centennial
- Lawrence, Robert G. Stipp, 1849, Sesquicentennial
- Madison, Ashton, 1864, Sesquicentennial
- Madison, James Steven Doty, 1868, Sesquicentennial
- Madison, Jarrell, 1917, Centennial
- Madison, Marshall and Margaret Gwinn Farm, 1917, Centennial
- Madison, Sandra S. Swindell — W.H.S. Farm, 1908, Centennial
- Marshall, Gottschalk, 1858, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Martin, Billings, 1918, Centennial
- Montgomery, Moser Farm, 1917, Centennial
- Noble, Frank E. and Evelyn J. Evers, 1854, Sesquicentennial
- Noble, The Scheurich, 1866, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Ohio, Dennis, 1868, Sesquicentennial
- Ohio, Sommer, 1918, Centennial
- Orange, David and Jessica Watts, 1860, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Randolph, Jordan, 1834, Sesquicentennial
- Ripley, Kegley, 1865, Sesquicentennial
- Ripley, Brunsman – Moster, 1905, Centennial
- Rush, Gray, 1863, Sesquicentennial
- Shelby, Weintraut, 1891, Centennial
- Spencer, Seger, 1915, Centennial
- Sullivan, Davis, 1918, Centennial
- Tipton, Achenbach, 1918, Centennial
- Union, Hawley – Brookbank, 1865, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
- Wayne, Alexander, 1897, Centennial
- Wayne, Martin, 1909, Centennial
- Wells, Minnich, 1872, Centennial
- Wells, Powell, 1916, Centennial
- Wells, David Werling, 1916, Centennial
- White, Lemming, 1894, Centennial
- White, Humphreys, 1883, Centennial
- White, Sheets, 1918, Centennial
Families are recognized semiannually — at the Indiana Statehouse in the spring and at the Indiana State Fair in the fall.
For more information about the Hoosier Homestead Award program visit www.isda.in.gov.
