Hoosier Homestead Awards For Three Ripley County Farms

Three Ripley County families were recently presented with awards at the Indiana Statehouse.

The Merkel family of Ripley County, shown here with Indiana Lieutenant Governor Suzanne Crouch and ISDA director Bruce Kettler, was awarded the Hoosier Homestead Award on Friday, March 15. Photo provided.

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - Three Ripley County farms are among 55 Indiana farms honored with Hoosier Homestead Awards for their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

In order to be named a Hoosier Homestead, a farm must consist of 20 acres or more, and produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year, with the same family owning the farm for more than 100 consecutive years.

“Agriculture is very much a family affair, with roughly 97 percent of farms family-owned and operated nationwide, for generations, these families have been foundational to the social and economic advancement of Indiana, and recognizing their legacy today was a tremendous honor,” Bruce Kettler, director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, said at an Indiana Statehouse ceremony for the award winners on Friday, March 15.

There are three different distinctions of the Hoosier Homestead Award based on the age of the farm that the families can receive. Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years, and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of family ownership. More than 5,500 families have received the award since the program’s inception in 1976.

Three Ripley County families were presented with awards.

The Merkel family has owned their farm since 1864 and the Jager family has operated their farm since 1866. They were both awarded with the centennial and sesquicentennial awards.

The Raab family was awarded with the sesquicentennial award for owning their farm since 1866.

“It takes hard work and perseverance to keep a family farm a continued success for so many years, this award is a testament to the resiliency of these farmers, as well as their longstanding commitment to Indiana, agriculture, and family,” said Kettler.