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PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
95 family farms honored with the historic Hoosier Homestead Award
INDIANAPOLIS (August 14, 2025)
- Yesterday, August 13, at the Indiana State Fair, Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Don Lamb presented95farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.
“Indiana’s economy and heritage is built upon agriculture,” said Lt. Gov. Beckwith, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “It is an honor to be able to recognize these farming family and celebrate their enduring legacy.”
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.
“I am continually inspired by the long-established farming families that are recognized during the Hoosier Homestead ceremonies,” said Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Ag. “I personally know the amount of commitment and dedication needed to keep a farm in the family for 100 years or more. I thank each one for their devotion to the agriculture industry and their loyalty to the state of Indiana.”
During the ceremonies, eight Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership: the Spillman family from Decatur county, the Michael B. McConnell family from Gibson county, the Chastain family from Montgomery county, the Runyan family from Montgomery county, the Robert M. Stwalley Jr. family from Montgomery county, the Dobson family from Putnam county, the Meal family from Rush county and the Dennis and Sue Briggs family from Switzerland county.
Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the summer 2025 ceremony:
County
Award Name
Award Year
Award Type
Adams
Hirschy
1924
Centennial
Allen
Hille
1875
Sesquicentennial
Bartholomew
Donald D. Voelz
1875
Sesquicentennial
Bartholomew
Gary and Nancy Meyer
1871
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Bartholomew
Mensendiek
1868
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Bartholomew
C & M Arnholt Family Farm
1901
Centennial
Benton
Watkins - Center - Berenda
1892
Centennial
Benton
Watkins - Center - Berenda
1892
Centennial
Benton
Woodlock I Sparenberg
1875
Sesquicentennial
Blackford
Miles
1919
Centennial
Brown
John C. and Susan R. Parsley
1837
Sesquicentennial
Carroll
Sunnybrook Farm, George & Mary Flora
1875
Sesquicentennial
Clark
Hagest
1901
Centennial
Clay
Seymour
1885
Centennial
Daviess
Fuhrman
1909
Centennial
Dearborn
Connolly - Hartman
1924
Centennial
Decatur
Spillman
1825
Centennial, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
DeKalb
Carnahan
1917
Centennial
Delaware
Cary
1919
Centennial
Delaware
Cary
1919
Centennial
Delaware
Whitehead
1910
Centennial
Dubois
Hochgesang
1905
Centennial
Dubois
Neukam
1913
Centennial
Dubois
Verkamp
1871
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Fountain
Munson
1908
Centennial
Franklin
Meyer
1863
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Gibson
Michael B. McConnell
1819
Bicentennial
Gibson
Ballard-Reinbrecht
1839
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Gibson
Unfried
1906
Centennial
Grant
Leisure
1875
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Grant
Jarvis-Cox
1885
Centennial
Grant
Ferree
1920
Centennial
Hamilton
Klingensmith
1854
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Hamilton
H.C. 'Cad' Goff / Linda Kay Rockwell
1905
Centennial
Harrison
Leffler
1874
Sesquicentennial
Harrison
Martin
1914
Centennial
Huntington
Karst
1871
Sesquicentennial
Jackson
Duwe
1850
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Jackson
Holtman
1878
Centennial
Jackson
Holtman / Eggersman / Liggett
1890
Centennial
Jasper
Daugherty / Hayworth
1918
Centennial
Jay
Ezra Rines
1924
Centennial
Johnson
Jones I Norton
1871
Sesquicentennial
Kosciusko
Carlin
1838
Sesquicentennial
Kosciusko
Creighton
1870
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Kosciusko
Creighton
1922
Centennial
Lake
Oldendorf
1851
Sesquicentennial
LaPorte
Harder / Patek
1871
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
LaPorte
Gillham
1861
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Madison
Wolfgang
1880
Centennial
Marshall
Smith
1922
Centennial
Montgomery
Chastain
1824
Bicentennial
Montgomery
Robert D. Hayes & Bernice Hayes Farms, Inc.
1836
Sesquicentennial
Montgomery
Runyan
1831
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Montgomery
Runyan
1831
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Montgomery
Runyan
1920
Centennial
Montgomery
Runyan
1825
Centennial, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
Montgomery
Runyan
1845
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Montgomery
Robert M. Stwalley Jr.
1825
Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
Morgan
McGinnis
1898
Centennial
Morgan
Shumaker
1826
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Morgan
John Gregory
1897
Centennial
Noble
Simmons
1851
Sesquicentennial
Perry
Epple
1907
Centennial
Perry
Hanloh I Boerste I LaGrange
1858
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Pike
Meyer
1895
Centennial
Porter
Kuehl
1874
Sesquicentennial
Posey
Reibel
1919
Centennial
Posey
Ritzert
1875
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Pulaski
Malchow
1915
Centennial
Putnam
Dobson
1822
Centennial, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
Putnam
Keller
1924
Centennial
Ripley
Braunagel
1872
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Ripley
Rea
1923
Centennial
Rush
Ball
1924
Centennial
Rush
Harcourt I Boring I Carrigan
1857
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Rush
Meal
1825
Bicentennial
Spencer
Hurm
1915
Centennial
St. Joseph
Stuart Beehler
1889
Centennial
Starke
Sanders
1921
Centennial
Switzerland
Dennis & Sue Briggs
1825
Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
Tippecanoe
Byers
1865
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Tippecanoe
Lachmund
1892
Centennial
Tippecanoe
Steckel-Burkhalter-Miller-Dinges-Ruch
1875
Sesquicentennial
Vermillion
Helt Farms
1921
Centennial
Vigo
Hofmann (Cottom Corner)
1918
Centennial
Wabash
Blocher
1921
Centennial
Wabash
Wilcox
1913
Centennial
Warren
Fink / Beason
1893
Centennial
Warrick
Deller
1923
Centennial
Wells
Mike Gilbert I Vicki Haviland
1838
Sesquicentennial
Wells
Hedges (Stewart / Wisner)
1900
Centennial
Wells
Springer
1921
Centennial
Wells
Mary Lou Wilcock
1849
Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Whitley
Kile
1875
Sesquicentennial
To view photos from the August 2025 Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony at the Indiana State Fair, click here.
###
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]
