By Andi Anderson
The Stine-Anderson Family Farm in Clinton County, Indiana, stands as a living example of how tradition and modern agriculture can grow together.
Recognized with the 2025 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation by Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Farm Bureau, the farm continues a family legacy that stretches back generations.
Stan and Lois Anderson manage an 800-acre corn and soybean operation southwest of Frankfort. Their historic 195-acre homestead, purchased in 1944 by Stan’s grandparents George and Delia Stine, anchors the farm.
The home, dating to the late 1800s and remodeled in the early 1900s, retains its original woodwork, pocket doors, and Craftsman-style features, carefully preserved during a major 2005 renovation.
Family involvement remains central. Stan’s brothers Don and Phil assist with farm operations and ownership, while historic buildings have been thoughtfully repurposed. A century-old three-bay timber frame barn, once used for hay storage and beef cattle, now houses modern equipment and supplies.
It earned designation as one of Indiana’s 200 Bicentennial Barns in 2016. Other structures, including a smokehouse turned office and a scale building showcasing a vintage Moline scale box, maintain the farm’s heritage while serving new purposes.
In 2020, Lois transformed former pastureland into the Anderson U-Pick Flower Farm, combining her love of gardening with Don’s landscaping expertise.
Launching during the COVID-19 pandemic, the flower enterprise quickly became a destination for agritourism, offering concerts, painting events, school tours, and seasonal activities that draw visitors from across the region.
Even after a 2023 tornado damaged roofs and doors across the property, the family used the setback to refresh the entire farmstead with a unified design. “A certain degree of creativity goes into maintaining and redoing these farm buildings,” Phil Anderson explained. “It’s about repurposing them to be used in a different way while maintaining the farm’s heritage and viability.”
Blending faith, family, and flowers with a strong grain operation, the Andersons demonstrate how preserving history and embracing new opportunities can keep a family farm thriving for generations to come.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-steve-baccon
Categories: Indiana, Rural Lifestyle