Menu
Putnam County farm earns Hoosier Homestead Award
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Furr family of Putnam County was honored Friday with the Hoosier Homestead Centennial Award presented during a ceremony at the Indiana Statehouse.
The award was presented by Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and Agriculture Director Gina Sheets. The Furrs were one of 50 families recognized at the Indianapolis ceremony.
"The Furr family's long-term involvement in Hoosier farming is commendable and deserving of such recognition," District 44 State Rep. Jim Baird (R-Greencastle) said in congratulating the Furrs. "I extend my congratulations and best wishes to the Furr family, may they have another 100 years of farming success."
The Hoosier Homestead Award Program recognizes families with farms that have been owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must also consist of 20 acres or more or produce at least $1,000 worth of agricultural products per year.
"These families epitomize the reason we celebrate Indiana's Agriculture Appreciation Month," Hoosier Lt. Gov. Ellspermann said. "We honor their commitment to carry on the farming tradition, within their families on the same land, generations after they were first founded."
Located in Clover-dale, the Furr Farm has been owned and operated by the family since 1912. The Furr family was recognized for its hard work and commitment to agriculture.
The award was created in 1976 to recognize the contributions family farms have made to the economic, cultural and social advancements of Indiana.
Two awards ceremonies are held each year, in the spring and summer, to commemorate achievements of the many outstanding Hoosier farmers across the state. Nearly 5,000 farms have been recognized since the program was established.
Of the 50 Hoosier Homestead recipients honored Friday, the Furrs were one of 27 families receiving the Centennial Award for more than 100 years, while 22 earned the Sesquicentennial Award for more than 150 years of operation as a family farm.
One recipient family was honored with the Bicentennial Award for keeping its farm in the family for more than 200 years.
"The Hoosier Homestead Award recognizes our rich agricultural heritage," said Rep. Baird, who represents all of Putnam County and portions of Clay, Morgan, Owen and Parke counties.
"The hard work and enduring commitment of our Hoosier farmers, like the Furr family, keep Indiana's agricultural industry strong and makes it a major contributor to our nation's economy," Baird added.
For more information on the Hoosier Homestead Award Program, visit www.in.gov/isda/2337.