Indy Standard

On January 23, 2025, a proposal aimed at protecting agricultural land and supporting farm families in Indiana was announced. The initiative is centered around House Bill 1265, which focuses on the Hoosier Homestead Farm and seeks to provide legislative support for family-owned farms facing challenges from eminent domain.

The bill's proponent expressed concern over the loss of farmland in Indiana, referencing a report by the Indiana State Department of Agriculture that revealed a loss of 345,682 acres since 2010. This figure equates to approximately 1.7 times the size of Hoosier National Forests.

House Bill 1265 aims to integrate the Hoosier Homestead Award Program into state law. This program has recognized over 6,000 families for maintaining an unbroken chain-of-title to their farms through various awards since its inception in 1976.

A significant aspect of the bill is providing these families with a platform to contest eminent domain actions. The proposal allows for public hearings at local legislative bodies when negotiations reach an impasse or when families are unwilling to sell their heritage farms.

"My bill would take this program...and puts it into state code," said the author of the bill. They highlighted that this step is crucial for giving families "a voice to remonstrate against the use of eminent domain upon their Homestead Farm."

Numerous emails have been received from affected families sharing stories about losing their heritage farms due to economic development condemnations. One notable case involved a former state president of the Indiana Farm Bureau who lost his family's centennial farm.

The proposed legislation does not interfere with easements, leases, voluntary sales, or good-faith negotiations but instead ensures transparency and fairness when disagreements arise. It seeks "to balance competing views of time – the public projects...against a multigenerational family farm."

The author emphasized that this initiative aligns with conservative values by aiming to preserve something in its original state for future generations.