Century Farm

A century farm sign in Oregon, United States

A Century Farm or Centennial Farm is a farm or ranch in the United States or Canada that has been officially recognized by a regional program documenting the farm has been continuously owned by a single family for 100 years or more. Some regions also have Sesquicentennial Farm (150 years) and Bicentennial Farm (200 years) programs.

In most states and provinces, the essential requirement for the award is that the property must have remained in the same family continuously for 100 years or more and currently be a working farm or ranch.[1] Some states stipulate a minimum number of acres or annual agricultural sales.[1]

Background

Canada

In Canada, Century Farm recognition in the province of Ontario was initiated as a Canadian Centennial project of the Junior Farmers' Association of Ontario (JFAO) in 1967.[2] In Alberta the Alberta Century Farm & Ranch Award is administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development[3] and similar programs are run by individual counties and municipalities.[4]

United States

In the United States, one of the first organizations to begin officially recognizing the farms was the New York State Agricultural Society in 1937. Several states began their programs during the United States Bicentennial in 1976. Recognition from state to state varies. It is usually handled by the state's agriculture or natural resources department in conjunction with the American Farm Bureau Federation and the Cooperative extension service of the United States Department of Agriculture, or the state's historical society. In other states, civic groups such as the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben perform the function. The awards are frequently done at the state fair.

The award typically defines a farm as 40 acres (16 ha) or more and consists of a plaque and a sign as well as formal listing.

In Oregon, in addition to century farms and ranches, the Department of Agriculture began to recognize sesquicentennial farms and ranches in 2008.[5]

StateProgramFoundedMin. acresOversightNotes
Alabama Century and Heritage Farm Program[6] 1976 40 Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
Arkansas Arkansas Century Farm Program[7] 2012 10 Arkansas Agriculture Department
Colorado Centennial Farms[1] 1986 160 History Colorado
Connecticut Century Farm Award[8] 2011 Connecticut Agricultural Information Council
Delaware Century Farm Program[9] 1987 10 Delaware Department of Agriculture To qualify, a farm family must have owned the same farmland for one hundred years. The family does not have to currently live on the farm. As little as ten acres of the original parcel of land will qualify such a farm as long as the land is currently being farmed. It is not necessary for the landowner to farm the land; tenant farmers may currently be farming the land.[10]
Florida Century Pioneer Family Farm Program[11] 1985 Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services To qualify, a farm must be owned by a family for at least 100 continuous years.[12]
Georgia Centennial Farms[13] 1993 10 Historic Preservation Division, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the Georgia Farm Bureau Federation; the Georgia Department of Agriculture; the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences; the Georgia Forestry Commission; and the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter
Idaho Century Farm and Ranch Program[14] 1972 40 Idaho State Historical Society
Illinois Centennial and Sesquicentennial Farms[15] 1972 Illinois Department of Agriculture
Indiana Hoosier Homestead Award Program[16] 1976 20 Indiana State Department of Agriculture
Iowa Century Farms[17] 1976 Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Kansas Century Farms[18] 2000 80 Kansas Farm Bureau
Kentucky Historic Farms Program[19] 1992 Kentucky Heritage Council and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Louisiana Louisiana Century Farm Program[20] 20 Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, and Louisiana Land Bank
Maryland Century Farm Award[21] 10 Maryland Department of Agriculture
Massachusetts Massachusetts Century Farms [22] Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation To qualify, a farm must have been in the same family for 100 years or more and is currently being farmed.[23]
Michigan Centennial Farms[24] 1948 10 Historical Society of Michigan
Minnesota Century and Sesquicentennial Farms[25] 1976 Minnesota Farm Bureau
Mississippi Centennial Farm Program[26] Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce
Missouri Century Farm Program[27] 1976 40 University of Missouri Extension
Montana Centennial Farm and Ranch Program[28] 2009 Montana Historical Society
Nebraska Pioneer Farm Family Awards[29] 1961 (approx.) Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation, Nebraska Farm Bureau
Nevada Centennial Ranch and Farm Awards Program

[30]

 2004 160 Agricultural Council of Nevada, Nevada Agricultural Foundation, Cattlemen's Association, Nevada Farm Bureau, Heritage Foundation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
New Hampshire Century Farm Book[31] 2016 New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation
New Jersey Century Farm Award[32] New Jersey Agricultural Society To qualify, a farm must have been in the same family and been operational for at least 100 years.
New York Century Farm Award[33] 1937 New York State Agricultural Society
North Carolina Century Farm Family Program[34] 1970 North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
North Dakota Centennial Farms[35] 1988 Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation
Ohio Century Farms[36] 1993 Ohio Department of Agriculture Also has a Bicentennial Farm program.[36] Not to be confused with Ohio Bicentennial barns; see Barn advertisement.
Oklahoma Centennial Farm and Ranch Program[37] 1993 40 Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture
Oregon Century Farm and Ranch Program[38] 1958 Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation, Oregon Farm Bureau, Oregon State Historic Preservation Office, Oregon Department of Agriculture, Oregon Travel Information Council Also has a Sesquicentennial Farm program
Pennsylvania Century and Bicentennial Farm Program[39] 1937 10 Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
South Carolina South Carolina Century Farms Program[40] 1974 Pendleton District South Carolina
South Dakota Century Farms[41] 2000 80 South Dakota Department of Agriculture Also has a Quasquicentennial (125 years) Farm program
Tennessee Century Farms[42] 1975 10 Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University, formerly Tennessee Department of Agriculture Also recognizes Pioneer Century Farms (established in or before 1796), and African American Century Farms (farms founded by emancipated slaves and their children)
Texas Family Land Heritage Program[43] 1974 10 Texas Department of Agriculture
Utah Century Farms & Ranches[44] 1995 Utah Department of Agriculture and Food Nearly 500 farms have been recognized.
Vermont Vermont Century Farms Program[45] 1953 Vermont State Grange and Vermont Farm Bureau
Virginia Virginia Century Farm Program[46] 1997 Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services There are 1,332 Virginia Century Farms.[47]
West Virginia West Virginia Century Farm Program[48] 2015 10 West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts
Wisconsin Century and Sesquicentennial Farm and Home Program[49] 1948 8,583 century farms or homes
616 sesquicentennial farms or homes[50]
Wyoming Centennial Farm and Ranch program[51] 2006 (reestablished) 160 Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Wool Growers Association, Wyoming Rural Electric Association

References

  1. 1 2 3 Colorado Centennial Farms
  2. ↑ "The Century Farm Sign Project". Junior Farmers' Association of Ontario. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
  3. ↑ Government of Alberta, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. "Alberta Century Farm & Ranch Award". gov.ab.ca.
  4. ↑ http://www.mdwainwright.ca/asb/farmfamilyawards.html
  5. ↑ "Congratulations to the 2009 Sesquicentennial Award honorees". Oregon Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
  6. ↑ http://www.agi.alabama.gov/chfarms
  7. ↑ >http://aad.arkansas.gov/Pages/CenturyFarmList.aspx
  8. ↑ http://www.ctaginfocouncil.org/
  9. ↑ http://dda.delaware.gov/aglands/century_farms.shtml
  10. ↑ http://dda.delaware.gov/aglands/century_farms.shtml
  11. ↑ http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Agriculture-Industry/Agricultural-Awards-and-Honors/Century-Pioneer-Family-Farms
  12. ↑ http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Agriculture-Industry/Agricultural-Awards-and-Honors/Century-Pioneer-Family-Farms
  13. ↑ "Centennial Farms - Historic Preservation Division -- Georgia Department of Natural Resources". georgiashpo.org.
  14. ↑ http://history.idaho.gov/centuryfarm.html
  15. ↑ "Marketing - Centennial & Sesquicentennial Farms Programs - Illinois Department of Agriculture". state.il.us.
  16. ↑ http://www.in.gov/isda/2337.htm
  17. ↑ http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/centuryFarmsProgram.asp
  18. ↑ http://www.kfb.org/CenturyFarm/default.htm
  19. ↑ http://heritage.ky.gov/natreg/histbldgsurv/historic+farms+program.htm
  20. ↑ http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/administration/about_us/chancellors_office/Centennial-Farms/
  21. ↑ http://www.agricultureslastingheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Maryland_Century_Farms_Application.pdf
  22. ↑ http://mfbf.net/MACenturyFarms/tabid/335/Default.aspx
  23. ↑ http://mfbf.net/MACenturyFarms/tabid/335/Default.aspx
  24. ↑ "Centennial Farm Application". hsmichigan.org.
  25. ↑ "Home". fbmn.org.
  26. ↑ Centennial Farm Program
  27. ↑ "Missouri Century Farms". missouri.edu.
  28. ↑ https://mhs.mt.gov/education/MTCentFarmRanchProg
  29. ↑ http://www.aksarben.org/Programs-and-Events/recognition.htm
  30. ↑ http://www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov/centennial_awards.html
  31. ↑ https://nhfarmbureau.org/century-farm-book/
  32. ↑ http://www.njagsociety.org/century-farm-award.html
  33. ↑ http://www.nysagsociety.org/cen_farms/index.htm
  34. ↑ http://www.ncagr.gov/paffairs/century/index.htm
  35. ↑ http://www.fortmandan.com/news/featured.asp?ID=88
  36. 1 2 "Ohio Department of Agriculture - Century Farm and Bicentennial Farm". ohio.gov.
  37. ↑ "Certified Local Governments - SHPO". okhistory.org.
  38. ↑ "Oregon Department of Agriculture". oregon.gov.
  39. ↑ Century and Bicentennial Farm Program
  40. ↑ http://www.pendletondistrict.org/services/centuryfarms.php
  41. ↑ "Century-Quasquicentennial Farm & Ranch Recognition Program". sd.gov.
  42. ↑ "Tennessee Century Farms". Tennessee Century Farms.
  43. ↑ "Home". state.tx.us.
  44. ↑ "HomeUtah Century Farms & Ranches Designation Program".
  45. ↑ http://www.vtfb.org/documents/VermontCenturyFarmsexpl.pdf
  46. ↑ http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/century/
  47. ↑ http://www.vdacs.virginia.gov/century/
  48. ↑ http://www.wvca.us/districts/upload/2578.pdf
  49. ↑ "2015 Century Farm or Home Application" (PDF).
  50. ↑ "Farm News: Sesquicentennial And Century Farms Apps Due," Farm Report with Pam Jahnke, February 16, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
  51. ↑ "Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office - Centennial Farm and Ranch". state.wy.us.

External links

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