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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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
To view photos from the Spring 2025 Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse, click here. All family photos will be available online by March 28, 2025.
The 2025 Summer Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony will take place on Aug. 13, 2025 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
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ABOUT ISDA The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) reports to Lt. Governor Micah Beckwith
, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. Major responsibilities include advocacy for Indiana agriculture at the local, state and federal level, managing soil conservation programs, promoting economic development and agricultural innovation, serving as a regulatory ombudsman for agricultural businesses, and licensing grain firms throughout the state.
ISDA Media Contact:
Regan Herr
Phone: 317.552.9281
Email: [email protected]
