"In 1976, former Lieutenant Governor 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 family for one hundred 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 farm for over 150 years. The oldest homestead farm belongs to Edward J. Jordan, Wheatland, Indiana. It has been in the family since 1797. In order to be recognized as a Hoosier Homestead Farm, the farm owner must complete an application provided by the Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture (OCA). 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 along 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."