Ten local farms receive historic awards from Indiana Department of Agriculture
MGN SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Over 100 Indiana families were given the Hoosier Homestead Award at the Indiana State Fair earlier this week for their longstanding commitment to agriculture and farming, ten of which were local properties.
“The Hoosier Homestead ceremony at the Indiana State Fair is a prestigious event for all involved,” said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “It is a true honor to celebrate these families for their work and commitment to bettering Indiana agriculture.”
State officials say that 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.
Based on the age of the farm, families are eligible for three different distinctions of the Hoosier Homestead Award. They can receive the Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years or Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
“Keeping a farm operational for 100 years or more is something these families can take great pride in,” Lamb said. “Each of the awarded family farms continues to adapt and evolve through each new generation on the farm to ensure their success.”
County Award Name Year Type
- Fulton Applegate-Crippen-Rock 1911 Centennial
- Fulton Heater 1874 Sesquicentennial
- Fulton Shewman 1918 Centennial
- Kosciusko Messmore-Werstler 1923 Centennial
- Kosciusko Shock 1866 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
- LaGrange Koon-Barroquillo 1918 Centennial
- Marshall Stuntz / Bollenbacher 1869 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
- Pulaski Bergdolt 1899 Centennial
- Pulaski Heater 1872 Sesquicentennial
- St. Joseph Michalski 1887 Centennial
According to state officials, since the program's inception in 1976, nearly 6,200 families have received the award.