Longtime farming families honored at the Indiana State Fair

INDIANAPOLIS (Aug. 11, 2017) — Today at the Indiana State Fair, Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Ted McKinney and ISDA Deputy Director Melissa Rekeweg presented 72 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

“Our state’s legacy has been shaped by our farming families, who continue to pass down their traditions and values from one generation to the next,” said Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “I would like to congratulate each and every family on receiving this prestigious award.”

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 or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. The award distinctions recognized are Centennial (100 years), Sesquicentennial (150 years) and Bicentennial (200 years).

“There’s a certain reverence when it comes to generational farming in Indiana – it’s a way of life,” said Ted McKinney. “These families produce the food, fuel and fiber we need to go about our daily lives, and it’s important to recognize those that have been carrying on this noble and vital tradition.”

The families honored today join more than 5,000 Hoosier Homestead farms. Administered by ISDA and currently in its 41st year, semiannual recognition ceremonies are held in the spring at the Indiana Statehouse and in August at the Indiana State Fair.

Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the August 2017 ceremony:

For more information about the Hoosier Homestead Awards, please visit www.isda.in.gov. Photos from today’s ceremony will be posted to ISDA’s Flickr page by Wednesday, August 16, 2017.

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ABOUT ISDA 

The Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) was established as a separate state agency by the Legislature in 2005. The Director is appointed by the Governor and is a member of the Governor’s Cabinet. Administratively, ISDA reports to Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as 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.