Long-Standing Farming Families Honored with the Hoosier Homestead Award

Monday, March 25, 2024 at 11:07 AM

Families from Dearborn, Franklin, and Ripley counties were recognized.

INDIANAPOLIS – On Friday, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) presented 59 farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to 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 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 honorees at the 2024 ceremony included:

County	Award Name	Award Year	Award Type
Dearborn	Andrews-Probst	1916	Centennial
Dearborn	Gaynor	1924	Centennial
Franklin	Elmer & May Brock	1919	Centennial
Franklin	Werner	1923	Centennial
Ripley	Amy & Edward Rodriguez	1852	Sesquicentennial

"These long-standing Hoosier farming families are the backbone of our state's rich agricultural history," said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. "They have dedicated their lives to supporting our strong agricultural economy, and it was a pleasure to honor them today.

Since the program's inception in 1976, over 6,100 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award. Many past awardees can be identified by the sign proudly displayed in front of the family farm or field.

To view photos from the Spring 2024 Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse, click here. All family photos will be available online by March 27.