69 Farming Families Honored With the Hoosier Homestead Award

At the Indiana Statehouse, Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Bruce Kettler presented 69 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

“I always look forward to engaging with Indiana’s historic farming families during the Hoosier Homestead Award ceremonies,” Crouch said. “The longstanding values, dedication and resiliency of these families will ensure their farm and family’s legacy live on for many generations.”

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.

Today, the department awarded three farms for bicentennial ownership. They are the Williams farm from Madison County (est. 1822), the Hartman farm from Parke County (est. 1822) and the Arnold farm from Rush County (est. 1821).

Since the program’s inception in 1976, nearly 6,000 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.

“It is hard to put into words the value these farming families have provided to their communities, our state and the Indiana agricultural industry since the formation of their farms,” Kettler said. “It is my utmost pleasure to honor these longstanding families for their dedication to providing the feed, food and fuel necessary to sustain our state.”

Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the spring 2022 ceremony:

County Award name Award year Award type
Adams Verlin J. Bulmahn 1871 Sesquicentennial
Adams Sheets 1847 Sesquicentennial
Bartholomew Burbrink 1902 Centennial
Bartholomew Dallas & Hazel Kreinhagen 1839 Sesquicentennial
Benton McNeil 1921 Centennial
Benton Gilbert 1920 Centennial
Blackford Kitterman 1856 Sesquicentennial
Boone Turpin 1895 Centennial
Carroll North 1898 Centennial
Clay Fisher 1862 Sesquicentennial
Clinton Garrett 1919 Centennial
Clinton Douglass 1886 Centennial
Clinton Couden/Wilson 1918 Centennial
Dearborn Bulach 1909 Centennial
Dearborn Kuebel/McCarty 1855 Sesquicentennial
DeKalb Lautzenhiser 1864 Sesquicentennial
DeKalb Myers 1899 Centennial
Delaware Pursifull 1913 Centennial
Dubois Oscar Hochgesang 1910 Centennial
Dubois Mutchman 1872 Sesquicentennial
Dubois Stenftenagel 1918 Centennial
Franklin Fledderman 1922 Centennial
Franklin Joseph & Madaline Niedenthal 1919 Centennial
Franklin Middendorf-Goldsmith 1858 Sesquicentennial
Hamilton McClintick 1829 Sesquicentennial
Hancock Boyd 1851 Sesquicentennial
Harrison Wolfe 1889 Centennial
Harrison Bickel, Seitz, Stewart & Webster 1888 Centennial
Howard Kingseed 1848 Sesquicentennial
Huntington Detamore 1904 Centennial
Jackson Moenning 1851 Sesquicentennial
Kosciusko Clay 1913 Centennial
LaPorte Hagenow 1891 Centennial
Madison Williams 1822 Bicentennial
Madison Hodson 1837 Sesquicentennial
Marion Fredrick Wampner 1841 Sesquicentennial
Miami Yoars 1870 Sesquicentennial
Montgomery Larry Joe & Debra Ann Carter 1831 Sesquicentennial
Montgomery Bymaster 1837 Sesquicentennial
Montgomery Spitznagel 1920 Centennial
Ohio Vorbroker 1872 Sesquicentennial
Orange Emerson & Ella Bishop and Frentz 1919 Centennial
Owen Jordan 1869 Sesquicentennial
Owen Jordan 1869 Sesquicentennial
Parke Bryant 1852 Sesquicentennial
Parke Crooks 1848 Sesquicentennial
Parke Hartman 1822 Bicentennial
Posey Kenneth & Mary Seebode 1861 Sesquicentennial
Pulaski Selmer 1872 Sesquicentennial
Randolph Donald R. & Myrna L. Peacock 1837 Sesquicentennial
Ripley John W. & Emo Vestal 1902 Centennial
Ripley Simon 1915 Centennial
Rush Arnold 1821 Bicentennial
Rush Collins/Addison 1825 Sesquicentennial
Rush Daubenspeck 1830 Sesquicentennial
Scott Faris 1870 Sesquicentennial
Spencer Huppert-Geiss 1853 Sesquicentennial
Spencer Collins 1918 Centennial
Tippecanoe Osborn 1896 Centennial
Tippecanoe Shelle 1920 Centennial
Wabash Willcox-Stout 1914 Centennial
Warren Hunter 1886 Centennial
Warren George B. Clawson 1875 Centennial
Warrick Godeke 1920 Centennial
Wayne Jackson 1853 Sesquicentennial
Wells Bonham 1896 Centennial
Wells Reed 1871 Sesquicentennial
Wells Hatfield/Shutt 1871 Sesquicentennial
White McMullen/Thomas 1917 Centennial
Whitley Sauers 1872 Sesquicentennial
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