A total of 96 Indiana family farms, including nine from Northwest and Northcentral Indiana, were presented with Hoosier Homestead Awards Aug. 9 in recognition of operating as a farm for at least 100 consecutive years.
The Region and Northcentral Indiana farms recognized include (County, family, year established, award):
- Elkhart, Lutes, 1910, Centennial
- Elkhart, Umbaugh, 1874 , Centennial
- Jasper, Odom, 1878, Centennial
- Jasper, Roberts, 1919, Centennial
- Jasper, Streitmatter, 1919, Centennial
- Jasper, Zimmer – Steinke, 1910, Centennial
- Marshall, Norris, 1917, Centennial
- Marshall, Stanley Weiss, 1888, Centennial
- Pulaski, Kline, 1851, Centennial and Sesquicentennial
Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler presented the awards during the Indiana State Fair. The number awards presented for 2019 was the most ever in the since the program launched in 1976.
A Hoosier Homestead awards are presented to Indiana farms that kept in a family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products annually. More than 5,600 families have received the award since its inception.
“The vast majority of farms in Indiana are family owned and operated,” Crouch said. “They are the foundation we rely on as a society, which is something we must never take for granted. It was an honor to recognize these families at the great Indiana State Fair.”
Families were eligible for three different awards based on the age of the farm including the Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years or Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
The Bicentennial Award was presented to five Indiana families this year.
The complete list is available on the Indiana State Department of Agriculture’s website.
