56 family farms honored with the Hoosier Homestead Award at the Indiana Statehouse

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56 family farms honored with the Hoosier Homestead Award at the Indiana Statehouse

INDIANAPOLIS (March 21, 2025) - At the Indiana Statehouse Friday, Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Don Lamb presented 56 farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

"Agriculture has always served as the foundation of Indiana's economy and way of life," said Lt. Gov. Beckwith, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. "It was a privilege to celebrate these longstanding farming families for their enduring legacies during today's ceremony."

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.

Since the program's inception in 1976, over 6,200 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award. Often, a Hoosier Homestead farm is easily recognized because most recipients proudly display their awarded sign on their property.

“Each year I look forward to honoring these long-standing farming families during the Hoosier Homestead ceremonies," said Lamb. "I know firsthand the amount of hard work, and grit required to ensure a family remains in the same family for 100 years or more. I commend each of this year’s awardees and thank them for their dedication to Indiana and our agriculture industry." 

During the ceremonies, two Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership: the Hamilton Batterton family and the McCoy family, both from Decatur County. 

Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the spring 2025 ceremony:
 County

Award Name, Award Year, Award Type

Adams

Krueckeberg Family, 1902, Centennial

Bartholomew

Bonnell, 1846, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Bartholomew

Clouse Family Farm, LLC, 1854, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Bartholomew

Kobbe, 1909, Centennial

Benton

Scherer, 1870, Sesquicentennial

Boone

Bowen, 1902, Centennial

Carroll

James R. Hodges, 1922, Centennial

Clark

Pooler, 1918, Centennial

Decatur

Hamilton Batterton, 1821, Bicentennial

Decatur

McCoy, 1824, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial

Decatur

Miller - Hahn, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Decatur

Miller, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Decatur

Schwering, 1918, Centennial

DeKalb

Hogue/Knott, 1900, Centennial

Dubois

Neuhoff Family, 1922, Centennial

Dubois

Bartelt-Klosterman, 1851, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Dubois

Bartelt-Klosterman, 1853, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Dubois

Bartelt-Klosterman, 1851, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Dubois

Vogler, 1888, Centennial

Fountain

Cunningham, 1829, Sesquicentennial

Fountain

Hesler & Gooding, 1920, Centennial

Franklin

Kirschner, 1874, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Fulton

Guise, 1924, Centennial

Fulton

Struckman-Smith - Shriver, 1864, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Greene

Reel, 1920, Centennial

Hancock

Cain, 1918, Centennial

Harrison

Geswein, 1922, Centennial

Harrison

Gunther, 1883, Centennial

Harrison

Kannapel/ Schilmiller, 1918, Centennial

Henry

Kellam Mercer, 1881, Centennial

Huntington

Warpup, 1915, Centennial

Jackson

Everett Duwe, 1888, Centennial

Jasper

Brusnahan, 1875, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Jasper

Kanne, 1910, Centennial

Johnson

Van Nuys, 1847, Sesquicentennial

Johnson

Yoke, 1841, Sesquicentennial

Kosciusko

E & M Hollar, 1919, Centennial

Marshall

Clindaniel / Clauss, 1919, Centennial

Montgomery

George W. Deer, 1924, Centennial

Montgomery

Peebles / Cox, 1917, Centennial

Newton

Romine, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Noble

Kimmell, 1924, Centennial

Randolph

Fisher, 1874, Sesquicentennial

Randolph

Georgi, 1924, Centennial

Shelby

Haehl, 1887, Centennial

Shelby

Wright/Bassett, 1860, Sesquicentennial

Starke

Charles E. Troike Family, 1924, Centennial

Tippecanoe

Dave & Donna Scanlon, 1873, Centennial & Sesquicentennial

Tipton

Guy Kirby, 1875, Sesquicentennial

Vanderbugh

Henry G. Wallis, 1904, Centennial

Vanderbugh

Henry G. Wallis, 1867, Sesquicentennial

Warren

James W. Orr, 1910, Centennial

Wayne

Smith, 1917, Centennial

Wells

Hedges (Wisner), 1840, Sesquicentennial

Wells

Kennedy, 1917, Centennial

Wells

Werling , 1873, Centennial & Sesquicentennial