Charles Wayne & Barbara J. Satkamp farm honored with Hoosier Homestead Award

Local Sources- Area legislators are recognizing the latest local recipient of the Hoosier Homestead Award, which recognizes farms owned and maintained by the same family for 100 years or more.

Represented by State Sen. Mark Messmer (R-Jasper) and State Rep. Cindy Ledbetter (R-Newburgh), the Charles Wayne & Barbara J. Satkamp farm in Pike County received a Centennial Award.

The Hoosier Homestead Award Program honors families who have made significant contributions to Indiana agriculture. Instituted in 1976, the program recognizes the impact these family farms have made on the economic, cultural and social advancements of Indiana. In the past 47 years, more than 5,800 farms have received the honor.

"The agriculture industry contributes about $35 billion each year to the state's economy, thanks in large part to family farms," Messmer said. "I would like to congratulate the Charles Wayne & Barbara J. Satkamp farm for this impressive achievement."

"Operating a farm for over a century takes a great deal of hard work, knowledge and perseverance," Ledbetter said. "This award is a great achievement, and I want to thank the Charles Wayne & Barbara J. Satkamp farm for their impact on our communities."

To be named a Hoosier Homestead, farms must be owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years and consist of more than 20 acres or produce more than $1,000 of agricultural products per year. The award distinctions are Centennial, Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial – for 100, 150 and 200 years, respectively.