INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 9, 2019) — Recently, at the Indiana State Fair, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler presented 96 farming families with the Hoosier Homestead Award, setting a new record in the program’s 40-year history. To be named a Hoosier Homestead, the farm had to be kept in the family for at least 100 consecutive years, and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year.
In Miami County two separate Butt Farms and the Kunkle Family Farm were all awarded the Centennial Award.
“The vast majority of farms in Indiana are family owned and operated,” Crouch said. “They are the foundation we rely on as a society, which is something we must never take for granted. It was an honor to recognize these families at the great Indiana State Fair.”
Families were eligible for three different award distinctions. Based on the age of the farm, they received the Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years or Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
“Seeing so many generational farming families all in one place was truly humbling,” Kettler said. “They are the lifeblood of our state, and recognizing their legacy and perseverance today was a tremendous honor.”