A Warren County farm and a Benton County farm were recently honored with Hoosier Homestead Awards recently during a ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse.
The James W. Orr farm in Warren County earned the Centennial Award while the Scherer farm in Benton County received the Sesquicentennial Award.
Other area farms that received awards include: the Deer farm in Montgomery County received a Centennial Award, the Cunningham farm in Fountain County received the Sesquicentennial Award and the Hesler & Gooding farm received the Centennial Award.
At the Indiana Statehouse March 21, Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Don Lamb presented 56 farming families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.
“Agriculture has always served as the foundation of Indiana’s economy and way of life,” said Lt. Gov. Beckwith, Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development, in a news release. “It was a privilege to celebrate these longstanding farming families for their enduring legacies during today’s ceremony.”
According to a news release, 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.
More than 6,200 families have earned the Hoosier Homestead Award since it was first introduced in 1976. Award recipients often proudly display their awarded sign on their property.
“Each year I look forward to honoring these long-standing farming families during the Hoosier Homestead ceremonies,” said Lamb in a news release. “I know firsthand the amount of hard work, and grit required to ensure a family remains in the same family for 100 years or more. I commend each of this year’s awardees and thank them for their dedication to Indiana and our agriculture industry.”
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. The award distinctions are centennial, sesquicentennial and bicentennial – for 100, 150 and 200 years, respectively.
During the ceremonies, two Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership: the Hamilton Batterton family and the McCoy family, both from Decatur County.
Several area legislators recognized the winners from area counties.
State Sen. Spencer Deery (R-West Lafayette) and State Reps. Beau Baird (R-Greencastle), Matt Commons (R-Williamsport), and Tim Yocum (R-Clinton) commented on the awards.
“It’s a pleasure to honor these dedicated Hoosier families and their contributions to our state’s farming heritage,” Deery said in a news release. “The milestone deserves all the celebration we can give, and the families deserve all the gratitude we can extend for their many years of contribution to Indiana’s agriculture industry.”
“Generations of Hoosier farm families have built the foundation of our state’s agriculture success,” Baird said in a news release. “Their dedication to preserving this way of life is remarkable, and the Hoosier Homestead Award is a well-earned tribute to their enduring legacies.”
“Family farms are the heart of our state’s agricultural industry, and it’s incredible to see so many of them continue to thrive,” Yocum said in a news release. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to celebrate these hardworking Hoosiers with this recognition.”
“Through floods and droughts, storms and sleet, Hoosier farming families face challenges and risks like no other to keep food on our tables,” Commons said in news release. “It is an honor to celebrate those who have stuck with it and preserved our farming traditions.”
Below is a list of the Hoosier Homestead Award recipients honored during the spring 2025 ceremony:
Adams Krueckeberg Family 1902 Centennial
Bartholomew Bonnell 1846 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Bartholomew Clouse Family Farm, LLC 1854 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Bartholomew Kobbe 1909 Centennial
Benton Scherer 1870 Sesquicentennial
Boone Bowen 1902 Centennial
Carroll James R. Hodges 1922 Centennial
Clark Pooler 1918 Centennial
Decatur Hamilton Batterton 1821 Bicentennial
Decatur McCoy 1824 Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial
Decatur Miller — Hahn 1874 Sesquicentennial
Decatur Miller 1874 Sesquicentennial
Decatur Schwering 1918 Centennial
DeKalb Hogue/Knott 1900 Centennial
Dubois Neuhoff Family 1922 Centennial
Dubois Bartelt-Klosterman 1851 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Dubois Bartelt-Klosterman 1853 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Dubois Bartelt-Klosterman 1851 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Dubois Vogler 1888 Centennial
Fountain Cunningham 1829 Sesquicentennial
Fountain Hesler & Gooding 1920 Centennial
Franklin Kirschner 1874 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Fulton Guise 1924 Centennial
Fulton Struckman-Smith — Shriver 1864 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Greene Reel 1920 Centennial
Hancock Cain 1918 Centennial
Harrison Geswein 1922 Centennial
Harrison Gunther 1883 Centennial
Harrison Kannapel/ Schilmiller 1918 Centennial
Henry Kellam Mercer 1881 Centennial
Huntington Warpup 1915 Centennial
Jackson Everett Duwe 1888 Centennial
Jasper Brusnahan 1875 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Jasper Kanne 1910 Centennial
Johnson Van Nuys 1847 Sesquicentennial
Johnson Yoke 1841 Sesquicentennial
Kosciusko E & M Hollar 1919 Centennial
Marshall Clindaniel / Clauss 1919 Centennial
Montgomery George W. Deer 1924 Centennial
Montgomery Peebles / Cox 1917 Centennial
Newton Romine 1874 Sesquicentennial
Noble Kimmell 1924 Centennial
Randolph Fisher 1874 Sesquicentennial
Randolph Georgi 1924 Centennial
Shelby Haehl 1887 Centennial
Shelby Wright/Bassett 1860 Sesquicentennial
Starke Charles E. Troike Family 1924 Centennial
Tippecanoe Dave & Donna Scanlon 1873 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
Tipton Guy Kirby 1875 Sesquicentennial
Vanderbugh Henry G. Wallis 1904 Centennial
Vanderbugh Henry G. Wallis 1867 Sesquicentennial
Warren James W. Orr 1910 Centennial
Wayne Smith 1917 Centennial
Wells Hedges (Wisner) 1840 Sesquicentennial
Wells Kennedy 1917 Centennial
Wells Werling 1873 Centennial & Sesquicentennial
To learn more about the program or to apply for a Hoosier Homestead Award, visit www.in.gov/isda.
The 2025 Summer Hoosier Homestead Award Ceremony will take place on Aug. 13, 2025 at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
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.
