Jefferson County farm honored with Hoosier Homestead Award

The farm in Jefferson County has been in the family for nearly 150 years

Area legislators are recognizing the latest local recipient of the Hoosier Homestead Award, which recognizes farms owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.

Represented by State Sen. Randy Maxwell (R-Guilford) and State Rep Alex Zimmerman (R-North Vernon), the Waltz farm in Jefferson County 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.

"Indiana is the seventh-largest agricultural exporter in the nation," Maxwell said. "It's thanks to family farms like the Waltz farm that have made Indiana one of the top farming states in the nation. I thank them for their hard work and dedication to our state."

"Farming has been and continues to be one of our state's greatest economic boons, but it is also a longstanding Hoosier tradition," Zimmerman said. "These families have shown tremendous dedication and grit to earn this award, and the whole state congratulates and thanks them."

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.