Area legislators are recognizing the latest local recipients of the Hoosier Homestead Award, which recognizes farms owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.
Represented by State Sen. Gary Byrne (R-Byrneville) and State Rep. Karen Engleman (R-Georgetown), three Harrison County farms honored at the Statehouse. The Geswein, the Gunther, and the Kannapel/Schilmiller farms each received a Centennial Award.
The Hoosier Homestead Award Program honors families who have made significant contributions to Indiana agriculture. Instituted in 1976, the program has recognized more than 6,000 family farms that have impacted Indiana’s economic, cultural and social advancement.
“Farmers are the backbone of Indiana’s economy,” Byrne said. “I appreciate the dedication to their craft these families have had for so many years, and I am thankful for the their efforts to preserve Indiana’s agricultural heritage.”
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.
“Farming takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” Engleman said. “Agriculture is a huge part of Indiana and I congratulate these families for keeping this tradition alive for multiple generations.”
