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Putnam farm family earns Hoosier Homestead Award
INDIANAPOLIS -- A northeastern Putnam County farm that has been in the same family for more than 150 years is a 2015 recipient of the Hoosier Homestead Award.
The Hanson and Strietelmeier Farm, located just west of the Putnam-Hendricks county line, has been in operation since 1856. The family received the sesquincentennial award during the recent celebration of the Year of the Farmer at the Indiana State Fair, being honored for more than 150 years of ownership.
Indiana Lt. Gov. Sue Ellspermann and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney presented 67 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture during a ceremony in the Farm Bureau Building at State Fairgrounds.
To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and must consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year.
The Hanson and Strietelmeier Farm, according to the Putnam County platbook, consists of 91.2 acres and is located south of Barnard in Jackson Township. The property was originally platted to Mildred Strietelmeier.
State Rep. Jim Baird (R-Greencastle), a former Putnam County ag agent, congratulated the Hanson-Strietelmeier family for receiving the Hoosier Homestead Award.
"The hard work and dedication of this family is invaluable to our community and to the agriculture industry," Rep. Baird praised. "The expertise of these farming families helps us maintain a strong economy and agricultural reputation both in west-central Indiana and across the state."
Sixty-seven farm families were honored at Tuesday's ceremony. Administered by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture, semiannual recognition ceremonies are held in March during National Agriculture Month at the Indiana Statehouse and in August at the Indiana State Fair.
The award distinctions recognized are Centennial, Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial. The 2015 ceremony saw three families receiving the 200-year Bicentennial Award.
In 1976, the program was first established to acknowledge Indiana's farming families that have made contributions to the economy, culture and the state's overall advancement. Since the program's inception, roughly 5,000 farms have been recognized for their dedication to Hoosier agriculture.
"For nearly 40 years, the Hoosier Homestead program has provided a wonderful opportunity for our state to recognize the rich heritage of farming in Indiana and how Hoosier family farms have been passed down from generation to generation," Lt. Gov. Ellspermann noted. "It is even more fitting that we are celebrating the Year of the Farmer at the Indiana State Fair as a way to honor and thank Hoosier farmers for being an integral part of our state's legacy and future."
Indiana Agriculture Director McKinney agreed.
"What better way to honor our Hoosier Homestead families than during the Year of the Farmer," McKinney said. "We salute their determination, dedication and innovation which have allowed them to succeed for more than 100 years."
For more information on the Hoosier Homestead Award Program or to nominate a family for the award, visit www.in.gov/isda/2337