Dave and Donna Scanlon family receives Hoosier Homestead Award

CLARKS HILL, Ind. — The Dave and Donna Scanlon family was proud to receive the Hoosier Homestead Award in April in recognition of more than 100 years of agricultural heritage.

Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith and Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Don Lamb presented the Scanlons with centennial and sesquicentennial awards in recognition of their farm’s legacy.

The Scanlon family farm dates back to 1873, when Dave’s great-great-grandfather, Elijah Coe, purchased the original acreage in Lauramie Township.

Elijah was known as a prominent livestock producer, raising cattle, hogs and sheep. The farm was later passed down through generations — from Elijah’s son, Ennis Coe, to Dave’s grandmother, Grace Coe Scanlon, and eventually to Dave and Donna.

Dave and Donna began farming as seniors at Purdue University, starting small with a hog operation and rented acreage.

Over time, they grew their operation and continued the family tradition of raising corn and soybeans. For more than 25 years, they also maintained a farrow-to-finish hog operation.

Today, Dave continues to operate the farm with part-time help from Donna and their son-in-law, while their grandsons eagerly await their chance to join in the work.

“It gives you an immense sense of pride,” Dave said. “Pride and respect for each generation of farmers in my family that had to endure the inevitable hardships that all farmers face. Even with those difficulties, they persevered, enabling us to apply for the award.”

The Scanlons have many special memories from life on the farm — from the first litter of pigs to the first crops and tractors.

More than a job, farming has always been a way of life and a shared passion passed down through each generation.

When asked about the future of the family farm, Dave and Donna hope to stay active as long as they can and dream of one day seeing their grandsons carry on the tradition.

“We’re incredibly proud to have been recognized as a Hoosier Homestead,” Donna said. “It represents generations of commitment, faith and hard work — values we hope to pass on for years to come.”