Hoosier Homestead Awards Reach Record

The most recent batch of honorees were celebrated Friday at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

The state is recognizing a record number of farm families through its Hoosier Homestead Award program. Ninety-two families, representing more than four dozen counties, are represented in the latest group of honorees.

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture honors those who have kept a farm in the same family for more than 100 years. The farms must also have more than 20 acres and produce over $1,000 in agricultural products annually. Awards are handed out twice a year and include three categories: Centennial (100 years), Sesquicentennial (150 years) and Bicentennial (200 years).

Lieutenant Governor Eric Holcomb, who also serves as Indiana secretary of agriculture says "agriculture has been our state’s calling card for the past 200 years, and we owe that to the tremendous contributions made by Indiana’s farming families. Their hard work, innovation and collaboration move our state forward each and every day."

A total of more than 5,000 farms in the state are considered Hoosier Homesteads. The program is in its 40th year.

You can connect to a full list of recent honorees by clicking here.