Indiana honored 135 farming families with the Hoosier Homestead Award at the state fair, recognizing their commitment to agriculture spanning generations. Five farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous family ownership: the McClure family from Fountain County, the Stewart family from Johnson County, the Crooks family from Parke County, the Allyn family from Posey County, and the Wheeler family from Vanderburgh County, according to the Indiana State Department of Agriculture.
To qualify for the award, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years and consist of at least 20 acres. Farms with fewer than 20 acres must produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products annually. The program recognizes three levels: Centennial for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial for 150 years, and Bicentennial for 200 years.
The Hoosier Homestead Award program, established in 1976, has honored over 6,400 farming families. "Each of our Hoosier Homestead farms carries the same legacy, built by one generation for the next," Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb said.