News Releases

Garten: Local farms honored with Hoosier Homestead Award

STATEHOUSE (Aug. 7, 2020) – Area legislators recently announced the latest recipients of the Hoosier Homestead Award, which recognizes farms owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.

The Hoosier Homestead Award Program honors families who have made significant contributions to Indiana agriculture. Instituted in 1976, the program recognizes the impact these family farms have made on the economic, cultural and social advancements of Indiana. In the past 40 years, more than 5,800 farms have received the honor.

Represented by State Sen. Chris Garten (R-Charlestown) and State Reps. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) and Terry Goodin (D-Austin), three locally owned farms were recently honored with a Centennial Award:

  • The Donohue farm in Scott County;
  • The Konkle farm in Jefferson County; and
  • The Lohide farm in Switzerland County.

β€œIt’s a tremendous feat to be honored with a Hoosier Homestead Award," Garten said. "These families have sacrificed their blood, sweat and tears for more than a century and have given so much to our state. Farms like these have contributed greatly to Indiana's economy, culture and history, and for that I offer my congratulations."

"These families exemplify Hoosiers' perseverance through tough work that is passed on generation to generation," Frye said. "Farmers are some of our most resilient workers, proving time and time again they can overcome difficulties, including challenges we haven't seen before this year."

"For generations, families like the Donohue's have made an outstanding impact on our state," Goodin said. "Every day, they have rolled up their sleeves and done the incredibly hard work of sustaining a farm and I'm proud to see them get the recognition they deserve. I'm sure our communities will be reaping what they sow for another hundred years."

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.

To learn more about the program or to apply for a Hoosier Homestead Award, visit www.in.gov/isda/2337.htm. Once made available, photos of the event can be found here.

-30-

State Sen. Chris Garten represents Senate District 45, which includes all of Jefferson, Scott and Switzerland counties as well as portions of Clark and Jackson counties.

State Rep. Randy Frye (R-Greensburg) represents House District 67, which includes all of Ohio and Switzerland counties, as well as portions of Dearborn, Decatur, Jefferson, Jennings and Ripley counties.

State Rep. Terry Goodin represents House District 66, which includes portions of Clark, Jefferson and Scott counties.