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.

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