Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
In 1976, former Lt. Gov. Robert D. Orr, along with the Indiana Department of Commerce's Division of Agriculture (now the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture), created a statewide program called the Hoosier Homestead Award.
This program recognizes farms that have been owned by the same families for 100 years or more. It stresses the contributions these family farms have made to the economic, cultural and social advancement of Indiana.
To date, 3,427 farms have been certified as Hoosier Homesteads. Eight hundred and sixty-one families have retained ownership of their farms for more than 150 years. The oldest homestead farm belongs to Edward J. Jordan, Wheatland. It has been in the family since 1797.
There have been 59 homestead farms identified in Kosciusko County since 1976. The Teeple farm was established in July 26, 1851, and recognized Jan. 12, 1982.
There are 16 farms older than the Teeple property: Robert Bishop, est. 1837, recognized in 1983; William Caldwell, est. 1836, recognized in 1992; Winburn Carlin, est. 1838, recognized in 1976; Gerald L. Crowl Sr., est. 1837, recognized in 1987; Hazel Mock Gray, est. 1843, recognized in 1977; Ethel Hite, est. 1849, recognized in 1980; Merrill Hostetler, est. 1848, recognized in 1991; Richard E. Kistler, est. 1836, recognized 1989; Gilbert Knoop, est. 1845, recognized in 1985; Wilber McSherry, est. 1838, recognized 1976; Genevieve Metzger, est. 1847, recognized in 1988; Donovon Sellers, est. 1837, recognized in 1978; Emra Stookey, est. 1835, recognized in 1983 and Maurice C. Walther, est. 1837, recognized in 1988; and J. Stanley Weaver, est. 1848 and established in 1976.
To be recognized as a Hoosier Homestead Farm, the farm owner must complete an application provided by the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture. While completing the application, the following guidelines must be met:
• The farm property must be a minimum size of 20 acres or produce at least $1,000 in agricultural products in a fiscal year.
• Ownership must have been within the same family for at least 100 years and a direct family relationship has to be established between the present owner and the owner of 100 years ago.
• Documentation of family ownership must be included with the application. These documents may include an abstract showing conveyance of title, the original deed, tax records or other verification for the transfer of ownership from one relative to the next. Only copies of the documentation should be submitted to the OCA and not the original documents.
All applications for the Hoosier Homestead Award are reviewed by the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture. Those who qualify for the Hoosier Homestead Award travel to Indianapolis to be recognized at an awards ceremony held in the Statehouse.
This ceremony is held bi-annually. Each family will receive a commemorative certificate signed by the governor and lieutenant governor, who also serves as the Indiana Commissioner of Agriculture. The certificate will carry the name of the farm family, the date of original purchase, the county of residence and the official seal of the state of Indiana.
Upon certification as a Hoosier Homestead Farm, the award recipients will be eligible to purchase a yard sign indicating that the farm has remained within the same family for more than 100 years. Information of historical value on each Hoosier Homestead farm is then deposited with the Indiana State Archives for future reference.
This information was taken from the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture literature and documents stored at the State Archives Division.
