KOSCIUSKO — The Waldbeser farm in Kosciusko County received a Centennial Hoosier Homestead Award in recognition of their commitment to Indiana agriculture.

At the Indiana Statehouse, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Bruce Kettler presented 65 families with a Hoosier Homestead Award.

“Indiana agriculture keeps our economy thriving, and each year we are reminded of how rich our history is by the long list of award recipients,” Crouch said. “Because we have such a thriving farming community, Indiana is at the top of the nation for production and these long-standing farms keep us moving forward.”

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. Indiana farms may qualify for three honors: Centennial Award for 100 years of ownership, Sesquicentennial Award for 150 years of ownership and the Bicentennial Award for 200 years of ownership.

Since the program’s inception in 1976, more than 5,000 families have received the Hoosier Homestead Award.

“For more than a century, these farming families have been providing Hoosiers and Americans with the food, fuel and fiber they need for their everyday lives,” Kettler said. “Each generation has learned to adapt and evaluate how to keep their farm successful with changing times and technology. It was an honor to celebrate them at the Statehouse.”