103 historic farm families presented Hoosier Homestead

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 14, 2024) - Recognized for their families' longstanding commitment to agriculture, 103 Indiana farm families were presented the Hoosier Homestead Award at the Indiana State Fair from Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb.

"The Hoosier Homestead ceremony at the Indiana State Fair is a prestigious event for all involved," said Lt. Gov. 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."

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."

Since the program's inception in 1976, nearly 6,200 families have received the award. Often, a Hoosier Homestead farm is easily recognized because most recipients proudly display their awarded sign on their property.

During the ceremonies, six Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership: the Thornburg-Caldwell-Slack family from Fayette County, the Hodges family from Morgan County, the Bridges-Royer family from Putnam County, the Dale & Donna Hartwell and Ricky W. Hartwell family from Rush County, the Bass-Rhodes family from Shelby County and the James W. Holmes, Jeffrey W. Holmes, Jason M. Davidson family from Tippecanoe County.

The following list includes the August 2024 Hoosier Homestead Award recipients.

County

Adams County

Bohnke, 1897, Centennial

Adams County

Girod, 1906, Centennial

Adams County

Kent L. Steiner, 1890, Centennial

Allen County

Dafforn, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Bartholomew County

Schroer, 1886, Centennial

Benton County

Pitts, 1880, Centennial

Benton County

Pitts, 1911, Centennial

Blackford County

Schwarzkopf, 1872, Sesquicentennial

Blackford County

Albert LeRoy Stallsmith, 1904, Centennial

Carroll County

Boyer-Garrigues, 1923, Centennial

Carroll County

George & Lois Wallace, 1914, Centennial

Cass County

Geroge E. Ferguson, 1858, Sesquicentennial

Cass County

VerBryck, 1895, Centennial

Clay County

Hofmann (Modesitt), 1881, Centennial

Clay County

Hofmann (Unger), 1865, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Clinton County

Dean Walker, 1846, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Daviess County

David L. Brown, 1896, Centennial

Daviess County

Joseph L. Disser, 1919, Centennial

Daviess County

Fuhrman, 1918, Centennial

Dearborn County

Murtaugh, 1855, Sesquicentennial

Decatur County

Manlief, 1873, Sesquicentennial

Decatur County

Charles & Mary Torline, 1874, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Delaware County

Abshire, 1864, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Delaware County

C Clifford Green, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Dubois County

Bartelt-Peters, 1913, Centennial

Dubois County

Bockting, 1839, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Dubois County

Meyer, 1920, Centennial

Fayette County

Thornburg-Caldwell-Slack, 1824, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial

Franklin County

Kuntz, 1916, Centennial

Franklin County

Miles Homestead Farms LLC, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Franklin County

Wessel, 1858, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Fulton County

Applegate-Crippen-Rock, 1911, Centennial

Fulton County

Heater, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Fulton County

Shewman, 1918, Centennial

Grant County

Grindle, 1852, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Greene County

Roudebush, 1918, Centennial

Hamilton County

Honnold-Muir, 1902, Centennial

Henry County

Kirklin, 1874, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Howard County

Duncan Farm Legacy LLC, 1864, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Howard County

J & B Family Farms LLC (53 acre), 1899, Centennial

Howard County

J & B Family Farms LLC (80 acre), 1849, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Huntington County

Philip Shafer, 1923, Centennial

Jackson County

Bell-Alwes-Mellencamp, 1918, Centennial

Jackson County

Claycamp, 1869, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Jackson County

Shoemaker, 1924, Centennial

Jasper County

Gilmore-Brandenburg, 1895, Centennial

Jasper County

Wilma Jean Lehe, 1922, Centennial

Jasper County

Walter, 1873, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Knox County

Borgmeier, 1904, Centennial

Kosciusko County

Messmore-Werstler, 1923, Centennial

Kosciusko County

Shock, 1866, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

LaGrange County

Koon-Barroquillo, 1918, Centennial

Madison County

Haines-Wood, 1854, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Madison County

Sears, 1924, Centennial

Madison County

Thomas A. Tooley, 1913, Centennial

Marshall County

Stuntz / Bollenbacher, 1869, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Miami County

Berglan, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Miami County

Peter Fisher-John H. Balsbaugh-Raymond E. Mussleman, 1837, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Miami County

Gahs, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Miami County

Patricia Hardwick & Shirley Kerns, 1855, Sesquicentennial

Miami County

Kranz, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Miami County

Shewman, 1869, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Montgomery County

Cowan, 1834, Sesquicentennial

Morgan County

Harmon & Nancy Crone, 1836, Sesquicentennial

Morgan County

Haase, 1905, Centennial

Morgan County

Hodges (1840), 1840, Sesquicentennial

Morgan County

Hodges (1822), 1822, Bicentennial

Newton County

Romine, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Noble County

Harvey and Simon, 1862, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Noble County

Zimmerman, 1919, Centennial

Posey County

Papenmeier, 1923, Centennial

Pulaski County

Bergdolt, 1899, Centennial

Pulaski County

Heater, 1872, Sesquicentennial

Putnam County

Bridges-Royer, 1823, Bicentennial

Ripley County

Drockelman, 1860, Sesquicentennial

Ripley County

Miller, 1910, Centennial

Ripley County

Shorten, 1917, Centennial

Ripley County

Smith, 1868, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Ripley County

Wilson, 1923, Centennial

Rush County

Gray-Eakin, 1835, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Rush County

Dale & Donna Hartwell and Ricky W. Hartwell, 1821, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial

Shelby County

Bass-Rhodes, 1823, Centennial & Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial

Shelby County

Kolkmeier, 1905, Centennial

Steuben County

Libey, 1920, Centennial

Steuben County

Levi Pocock, 1868, Sesquicentennial

St Joseph County

Michalski, 1887, Centennial

Sullivan County

Shields, 1894, Centennial

Tippecanoe County

James W. Holmes, Jeffrey W. Holmes, Jason M. Davidson (Davidson), 1824, Bicentennial

Tippecanoe County

Inskeep-McDole; Gilbert-Dilley; Tishler-Diem, 1877, Centennial

Tipton County

Meyncke, 1924, Centennial

Union County

Greenmeadow Farm Inc-Caldwell, 1923, Centennial

Vanderburgh County

Friedrich Schaefer, 1869, Sesquicentennial

Vigo County

Chickadaunce, 1913, Centennial

Wabash County

Daihl, 1873, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Wabash County

Kirtlan, 1924, Centennial

Wabash County

Schuler, 1920, Centennial

Warren County

George K Kerner, 1872, Sesquicentennial

Warrick County

Zint, 1902, Centennial

Wayne County

F. Park Ammerman, 1919, Centennial

Wells County

Price, 1919, Centennial

White County

Diemer, 1895, Centennial

White County

George B. Kilmer, 1916, Centennial

White County

Otto Vieregge, 1915, Centennial

For more information about the Hoosier Homestead Award program, please visit isda.in.gov. Photos from the ceremony are available here.

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