Martha Hoffman (center) with her daughters Michele (left) and Kathy (right). (Photo provided)
A Kosciusko County farm recently received the “100 Year Farm Award” from the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. The award recognizes farms around the state that have been in the same family for 100 years or more. The O.W. Ford Farm, located just east of Claypool, is owned by Martha Hoffman and her husband, Ed, and will now be one of the few around the state that has earned the right to post the sign at its entrance marking it as a “Hoosier Homestead Farm.”
Hoffman concedes that, “It is nice to receive because there are not going to be many more like it in the future.” Hoffman’s grandfather, the farm’s namesake, owned and operated Warsaw Plumbing & Heating before moving his family to the farm. Hoffman explained that her farm is now primarily rented to soybean and corn farmers, but that her grandfather raised registered Jersey cattle and Leghorn chickens in the past, showing them in competitions.
Martha Hoffman (center) with her daughters Michelle (left) and Kathy (right) in front of some of the corn grown on the farm. (Photo provided)
As a child Hoffman did not technically live on the farm, but still spent the majority of her time there, and stated, “It’s the place where I grew up, a lot of times we were out here and raised a big garden and I helped my grandparents with the work. It has meant a lot to us.” The Hoffmans also raised two daughters of their own, Kathy and Michele, on the farm and it was Kathy who went down to Indianapolis to collect the award.
According to the ISDA website the state recognizes farms for reaching the 100-, 150- and 200-year milestones.