At the Indiana State Fair, 103 Indiana farm families received the prestigious Hoosier Homestead Award from Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb. Among the recipients were three farms located in Franklin County. The families were honored for their enduring dedication to agriculture, passed down through generations.

Two Rush County Farms were honored: The Gray-Eakin Farm, established in 1835, received the Centennial and Sesquicentennial Award. The Dale and Donna Hartwell and Ricky W. Hartwell Farm, established in 1821, was honored with the Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial Award. Receiving the bicentennial award is quite an accomplishment, as only six Indiana farms received the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of continuous ownership.

“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.