State presents Cass County farms with Hoosier Homestead awards
Last Updated on September 4, 2024 by Cass County Communication Network
SOURCE: News release from Offices of State Senator Stacey Donato, State Representative Ethan Manning and State Representative Heath VanNatter
STATEHOUSE – Indiana recently honored local farms owned and operated by the same family for at least 100 years with Hoosier Homestead awards, according to area legislators.
“Our state’s agriculture industry is critical to our economy, and these farmers help contribute to our communities and food supply chains,” said State Rep. Ethan Manning (R-Logansport). “It’s encouraging to see these Hoosiers maintain and grow their family business for so long.”
The George E. Ferguson Farm, in operation since 1858, received the sesquicentennial award, and the VerBryck Farm, in operation since 1895, received the centennial award.
“Running a farm isn’t an easy job and to do so for more than 100 years takes a tremendous amount of hard work,” said State Rep. Heath VanNatter (R-Kokomo). “I’m grateful for these farmers who continue a tradition that makes our state one of the largest agricultural producers in the country.”
Farms owned and operated by the same family for 100, 150 and 200 years can qualify for centennial, sesquicentennial or bicentennial Hoosier Homestead awards.
“The George E. Ferguson and VerBryck farms deserve to be recognized for being a part of Indiana’s success for over a century,” said State Sen. Stacey Donato (R-Logansport). “I congratulate them on this amazing achievement and thank them for all they continue to do for our state.”
These farm families were among 104 awardees recently recognized at the Indiana State Fair for their dedication to the state’s agriculture industry. Hoosier Homestead ceremonies are conducted every spring and summer. The state has honored more than 6,000 farms since the award was established in 1976.
Visit in.gov/isda for more information on the Hoosier Homestead Award Program and to nominate a farm. Nominations for the March 2025 ceremony are due by Nov. 1.
103 historic farm families presented Hoosier Homestead
SOURCE: News release from Indiana Department of Agriculture
INDIANAPOLIS— Recognized for their families’ longstanding commitment to agriculture, 103 Indiana farm families were presented the Hoosier Homestead Award at the Indiana State Fair from Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb.
“The Hoosier Homestead ceremony at the Indiana State Fair is a prestigious event for all involved,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. “It is a true honor to celebrate these families for their work and commitment to bettering Indiana agriculture.”
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for more than 100 consecutive years, and consist of 20 acres or more, or produce more than $1,000 in agricultural products per year.
Based on the age of the farm, families are eligible for three different distinctions of the Hoosier Homestead Award. They can receive the Centennial Award for 100 years, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years or Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.
“Keeping a farm operational for 100 years or more is something these families can take great pride in,” Lamb said. “Each of the awarded family farms continues to adapt and evolve through each new generation on the farm to ensure their success.”
Since the program’s inception in 1976, nearly 6,200 families have received the award. Often, a Hoosier Homestead farm is easily recognized because most recipients proudly display their awarded sign on their property.
During the ceremonies, six Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership: the Thornburg-Caldwell-Slack family from Fayette County, the Hodges family from Morgan County, the Bridges-Royer family from Putnam County, the Dale & Donna Hartwell and Ricky W. Hartwell family from Rush County, the Bass-Rhodes family from Shelby County and the James W. Holmes, Jeffrey W. Holmes, Jason M. Davidson family from Tippecanoe County.
The following list includes the August 2024 Hoosier Homestead Award recipients.
| County | Award Name | Award Year | Award Type |
| Adams | Bohnke | 1897 | Centennial |
| Adams | Girod | 1906 | Centennial |
| Adams | Kent L. Steiner | 1890 | Centennial |
| Allen | Dafforn | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Bartholomew | Schroer | 1886 | Centennial |
| Benton | Pitts | 1880 | Centennial |
| Benton | Pitts | 1911 | Centennial |
| Blackford | Schwarzkopf | 1872 | Sesquicentennial |
| Blackford | Albert LeRoy Stallsmith | 1904 | Centennial |
| Carroll | Boyer-Garrigues | 1923 | Centennial |
| Carroll | George & Lois Wallace | 1914 | Centennial |
| Cass | Geroge E. Ferguson | 1858 | Sesquicentennial |
| Cass | VerBryck | 1895 | Centennial |
| Clay | Hofmann (Modesitt) | 1881 | Centennial |
| Clay | Hofmann (Unger) | 1865 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Clinton | Dean Walker | 1846 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Daviess | David L. Brown | 1896 | Centennial |
| Daviess | Joseph L. Disser | 1919 | Centennial |
| Daviess | Fuhrman | 1918 | Centennial |
| Dearborn | Murtaugh | 1855 | Sesquicentennial |
| Decatur | Manlief | 1873 | Sesquicentennial |
| Decatur | Charles & Mary Torline | 1874 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Delaware | Abshire | 1864 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Delaware | C Clifford Green | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Dubois | Bartelt-Peters | 1913 | Centennial |
| Dubois | Bockting | 1839 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Dubois | Meyer | 1920 | Centennial |
| Fayette | Thornburg-Caldwell-Slack | 1824 | Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial |
| Franklin | Kuntz | 1916 | Centennial |
| Franklin | Miles Homestead Farms LLc | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Franklin | Wessel | 1858 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Fulton | Applegate-Crippen-Rock | 1911 | Centennial |
| Fulton | Heater | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Fulton | Shewman | 1918 | Centennial |
| Grant | Grindle | 1852 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Greene | Roudebush | 1918 | Centennial |
| Hamilton | Honnold-Muir | 1902 | Centennial |
| Henry | Kirklin | 1874 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Howard | Duncan Farm Legacy LLC | 1864 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Howard | J & B Family Farms LLC (53 acre) | 1899 | Centennial |
| Howard | J & B Family Farms LLC (80 acre) | 1849 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Huntington | Philip Shafer | 1923 | Centennial |
| Jackson | Bell-Alwes-Mellencamp | 1918 | Centennial |
| Jackson | Claycamp | 1869 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Jackson | Shoemaker | 1924 | Centennial |
| Jasper | Gilmore-Brandenburg | 1895 | Centennial |
| Jasper | Wilma Jean Lehe | 1922 | Centennial |
| Jasper | Walter | 1873 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Knox | Borgmeier | 1904 | Centennial |
| Kosciusko | Messmore-Werstler | 1923 | Centennial |
| Kosciusko | Shock | 1866 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| LaGrange | Koon-Barroquillo | 1918 | Centennial |
| Madison | Haines-Wood | 1854 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Madison | Sears | 1924 | Centennial |
| Madison | Thomas A. Tooley | 1913 | Centennial |
| Marshall | Stuntz / Bollenbacher | 1869 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Berglan | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Peter Fisher-John H. Balsbaugh-Raymond E. Mussleman | 1837 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Gahs | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Patricia Hardwick & Shirley Kerns | 1855 | Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Kranz | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Miami | Shewman | 1869 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Montgomery | Cowan | 1834 | Sesquicentennial |
| Morgan | Harmon & Nancy Crone | 1836 | Sesquicentennial |
| Morgan | Haase | 1905 | Centennial |
| Morgan | Hodges (1840) | 1840 | Sesquicentennial |
| Morgan | Hodges (1822) | 1822 | Bicentennial |
| Newton | Romine | 1874 | Sesquicentennial |
| Noble | Harvey and Simon | 1862 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Noble | Zimmerman | 1919 | Centennial |
| Posey | Papenmeier | 1923 | Centennial |
| Pulaski | Bergdolt | 1899 | Centennial |
| Pulaski | Heater | 1872 | Sesquicentennial |
| Putnam | Bridges-Royer | 1823 | Bicentennial |
| Ripley | Drockelman | 1860 | Sesquicentennial |
| Ripley | Miller | 1910 | Centennial |
| Ripley | Shorten-Volz-Miller | 1917 | Centennial |
| Ripley | Smith | 1868 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Ripley | Wilson | 1923 | Centennial |
| Rush | Gray-Eakin | 1835 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Rush | Dale & Donna Hartwell and Ricky W. Hartwell | 1821 | Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial |
| Shelby | Bass-Rhodes | 1823 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial |
| Shelby | Kolkmeier | 1905 | Centennial |
| Steuben | Libey | 1920 | Centennial |
| Steuben | Levi Pocock | 1868 | Sesquicentennial |
| St Joseph | Michalski | 1887 | Centennial |
| Sullivan | Shields | 1894 | Centennial |
| Tippecanoe | James W. Holmes, Jeffrey W. Holmes, Jason M. Davidson (Davidson) | 1824 | Bicentennial |
| Tippecanoe | Inskeep-McDole; Gilbert-Dilley; Tishler-Diem | 1877 | Centennial |
| Tipton | Meyncke | 1924 | Centennial |
| Union | Greenmeadow Farm Inc-Caldwell | 1923 | Centennial |
| Vanderburgh | Friedrich Schaefer | 1869 | Sesquicentennial |
| Vigo | Chickadaunce | 1913 | Centennial |
| Wabash | Daihl | 1873 | Centennial & Sesquicentennial |
| Wabash | Kirtlan | 1924 | Centennial |
| Wabash | Schuler | 1920 | Centennial |
| Warren | George K Kerner | 1872 | Sesquicentennial |
| Warrick | Zint | 1902 | Centennial |
| Wayne | F. Park Ammerman | 1919 | Centennial |
| Wells | Price | 1919 | Centennial |
| White | Diemer | 1895 | Centennial |
| White | George B. Kilmer | 1916 | Centennial |
| White | Otto Vieregge | 1915 | Centennial |
State Rep. Ethan Manning (R-Logansport) represents House District 23, which includes portions of Cass and Miami counties.
State Rep. Heath VanNatter (R-Kokomo) represents House District 38, which includes all of Carroll and Tipton counties, and portions of Cass, Clinton, Howard and Tippecanoe counties.
State Sen. Stacey Donato (R-Logansport) represents Senate District 18, which includes Cass, Fulton and Miami counties, and portions of Howard and Kosciusko counties.