Did you know 97 percent of all Indiana farms are family owned? And many of them have been handed down and taken care of for generations.
At the Glass Barn, visitors have the chance to meet five local Indiana farmers. Learn about these Indiana farm families below.
Elaine Gillis
Elaine and her husband Craig help manage Gillis Farms in Dunkirk, Indiana. The Gillis family grows enough acres of soybeans to create 107 million soy crayons. Third-generation farmers, Elaine and her husband work alongside his dad and brother to grow soybeans and corn. Elaine has a B.S. from Purdue University and enjoys researching and incorporating new technologies into her family’s farm operations. In her free time, Elaine enjoys running, being active in her church, travelling and volunteering at her son’s school.
Follow Elaine on Twitter: @ElaineGillis
Heather Hill
The Hill family raises so many pigs, they could provide 70,000 people each week with two pounds of pork chops. Hill Farms in Greenfield, Indiana has been in Heather’s husband’s family for four generations and she and her husband Marc share management duties with her in-laws. At Hill Farms, they raise 13,000 pigs and 1,300 acres of corn, soybeans and wheat. The corn and soybeans they raise are used to feed the pigs, and the manure from the pigs is used to fertilize their crops – a true circle of life. Heather has a B.S. from Purdue University and enjoys sharing her insights about pig farming and parenthood on her farming blog: 3kidsandlotsofpigs.com.
Follow the Hill Family at Heather’s blog 3 Kids and Lots of Pigs, or on Twitter @proudporkmom.
Joe Tuholski
Regal Movie Theaters pop every kernel of popcorn the Tuholski family grows. Joe is a soybean and corn farmer in Mill Creek, Indiana, where he also grows alfalfa and wheat. In addition, he raises feeder steers and 500 dairy cows. Joe is a third generation farmer and works the land with his dad, two uncles and a cousin. Maintaining their land is important to Joe and his family so they employ many different conservation practices. In fact, the Tuholski family was awarded the prestigious Conservation Farmer of the Year award by the State of Indiana in 2008. An interesting fact about the farm is that Joe’s grandfather bought the land from Peter Scholl, the founder of Dr. Scholl’s® the footwear products company. When he’s not farming, Joe likes camping, canoeing and riding four wheelers.
Lucas Dull
More than 54,000 Christmas trees grow on the Dull’s family farm. Lucas, his wife Dana and his parents Tom and Kerry, own and operate Dulls Tree Farm and Pumpkin Harvest in Thorntown, Indiana. The Dull family began as corn and soybean farmers before Tom and Kerry started selling Christmas trees as a side business. The choose-and-cut Christmas tree business quickly grew into a thriving business. During the fall, the Dulls offer more than 30 activities for families to enjoy as they pick their pumpkins.
John Feutz
From cattle to cats – the Fuetz family cares for animals of all sizes. John and his wife Marybeth own and operate a cow/calf farm in Princeton, Indiana. Both John and Marybeth are veterinarians at the Princeton Animal Hospital, which was founded by John’s father, Jim. In addition to the vet practice and cattle operation, Marybeth runs a website called My Fearless Kitchen.
Follow the Feutz family at Marybeth’s blog My Fearless Kitchen, on Twitter and Instagram.