Area legislators recently announced the latest local recipient of the Hoosier Homestead Award, which recognizes farms that have been owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.
Represented by State Sen. Michael Crider (R-Greenfield) and State Rep. Sean Eberhart (R-Shelbyville), the Shelton farm in Shelby County received a Sesquicentennial Award from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture last week.
“It is family farms like this that make Indiana a strong competitor in the agricultural circuit," Crider said. "I commend the Shelton farm for their historic accomplishments and for all they do to better Indiana and our local communities.”
"Maintaining a family farm through generations helps preserve our state's rich agricultural history," Eberhart said. "I congratulate the Shelton farm for the many years they have dedicated to agriculture and look forward to seeing their continued success."
The Hoosier Homestead Award Program honors families that have made significant contributions to Indiana agriculture. The program, instituted in 1976, recognizes the impact these family farms have made on the economic, cultural and social advancements of Indiana. In the past 45 years, more than 5,800 farms have received the honor.
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.
