Smith family farm in Warren Twp. earns Hoosier Homestead Award

Thursday, August 17, 2017

INDIANAPOLIS -- A Putnam County farm owned by the Smith family for the last century has been honored with the Hoosier Homestead Award, which recognizes farms that have been owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.

The Smith farm near Putnamville in Warren Township, southwest of Greencastle, was originally owned and developed by Ernest C. Smith, a blacksmith who farmed on the side, his daughter Mary Heeke told the Banner Graphic.

Mary Heeke (center) holds the certificate presented in honor of the Smith Farm near Putnamville being designated a Hoosier Homestead Centennial Award winner for 2017. Also attending the recent ceremony at the Indiana State Fair are (from left) Ernest Sheldon, Trevor Sheldon, Brant Sheldon, Pat Sheldon, Kathy and Joe Heeke and Eddie Sheldon, along with Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney and ISDA Deputy Director Melissa Rekeweg.

The 80-acre section that qualified for the 100-year state centennial honor has seen general farming use over the years, she said.

Across the back fence of that property is an adjoining 500 acres, Heeke noted, that was the original ground her ancestors, the Sellers family, settled upon in 1823. That land, however, was sold out of the family after the original owners died.

Area legislators State Rep. Jim Baird (R-Greencastle) and State Sen. Rodric Bray (R-Martinsville) congratulated the Smith family heirs for being honored with a 2017 Centennial Award at the Indiana State Fair.

"Farming operations like these honored today provide jobs to hardworking Hoosiers and put food on our tables," said Baird, himself a farmer and former county ag agent. "Owning a farm for more than a century is a significant investment in Hoosier agriculture and deserving of recognition. I wish them continued success for years to come."

Sen. Bray wholeheartedly agreed.

"Our state has a long history of agricultural success," Bray said. "Farming is a key component of our state's economy, and family-owned farms are the backbone of the industry. I want to congratulate the Smith farm on its continued success and dedication to Indiana agriculture."

Indiana State Department of Agriculture (ISDA) Director Ted McKinney and ISDA Deputy Director Melissa Rekeweg presented 72 families, representing 38 counties, with Hoosier Homestead Awards in recognition of their commitment to 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 more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. The award distinctions recognized are Centennial (100 years), Sesquicentennial (150 years) and Bicentennial (200 years).

"There's a certain reverence when it comes to generational farming in Indiana -- it's a way of life," McKinney said. "These families produce the food, fuel and fiber we need to go about our daily lives, and it's important to recognize those that have been carrying on this noble and vital tradition."

The families honored join more than 5,000 Hoosier Homestead farms. Administered by ISDA and currently in its 41st year, semiannual recognition ceremonies are held in the spring at the Indiana Statehouse and in August at the Indiana State Fair.

"Our state's legacy has been shaped by our farming families, who continue to pass down their traditions and values from one generation to the next," said Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who also serves as Indiana's Secretary of Agriculture and Rural Development. "I would like to congratulate each and every family on receiving this prestigious award."

Two awards ceremonies are held each year, in spring and summer, to commemorate the achievements of farmers across the state. For more information on the Hoosier Homestead Award Program, visit www.in.gov/isda/2337.htm.

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