Williams Family from Madison County who received a bicentennial award. (photo courtesy: ISDA)
Nearly 70 Hoosier farm families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture. The awards were presented by Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler.
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, the ISDA says farms must be kept in the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year.
The ISDA says farms are eligible for three different award distinctions; the Centennial Award for 100 years, the Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years or the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
“It is hard to put into words the value these farming families have provided to their communities, our state and the Indiana agricultural industry since the formation of their farms,” Kettler said. “It is my utmost pleasure to honor these longstanding families for their dedication to providing the feed, food and fuel necessary to sustain our state.”
Nearly 6,000 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award since its inception in 1976.