Area Farms Recognized with Hoosier Homestead Award

There were 95 Indiana farms recognized at the Indiana State Fair this week.

INDIANAPOLIS – On Wednesday, at the Indiana State Fair, Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Don Lamb presented 95 farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award.

To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres. If less than 20 acres, the farm must produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year.

Indiana farms may qualify for three honors: Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.

Local farms recognized were:

• Connolly-Hartman (Dearborn County), 1924, Centennial
• Meyer (Franklin County), 1863, Centennial & Sesquicentennial
• Braunagel (Ripley County), 1872, Centennial & Sesquicentennial
• Rea (Ripley County), 1923, Centennial
• Dennis and Sue Briggs (Switzerland County), 1825, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial

Dennis and Sue Briggs were among eight Indiana farms that received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership.

Indiana’s economy and heritage is built upon agriculture,” said Lt. Gov. Beckwith, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “It is an honor to be able to recognize these farming family and celebrate their enduring legacy.”

Since the program's inception in 1976, over 6,200 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award.