Century Farm
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]
State | Program | Founded | Min. acres | Oversight | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | |
California | CACenturyFarms | 2018 | N/A | Private entity | https://cacenturyfarms.org |
Colorado | Centennial Farms[1] | 1986 | 160 | History Colorado | |
Connecticut | Century Farm Award[8] | 2011 | Connecticut Agricultural Information Council | ||
Delaware | Century Farm Program | 1987 | 10 | Dept. of Ag. | |
Florida | Century Pioneer Family Farm Program[9] | 1985 | Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | To qualify, a farm must be owned by a family for at least 100 continuous years.[9] | |
Georgia | Centennial Farms[10] | 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[11] | 1972 | 40 | Idaho State Historical Society | |
Illinois | Centennial and Sesquicentennial Farms[12] | 1972 | Illinois Department of Agriculture | ||
Indiana | Hoosier Homestead Award Program[13] | 1976 | 20 | Indiana State Department of Agriculture | |
Iowa | Century Farms[14] | 1976 | Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship | ||
Kansas | Century Farms[15] | 2000 | 80 | Kansas Farm Bureau | |
Kentucky | Historic Farms Program[16] | 1992 | Kentucky Heritage Council and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture | ||
Louisiana | Louisiana Century Farm Program[17] | 20 | Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation, and Louisiana Land Bank | ||
Maryland | Century Farm Award[18] | 10 | Maryland Department of Agriculture | ||
Massachusetts | Massachusetts Century Farms [19] | 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.[19] | ||
Michigan | Centennial Farms[20] | 1948 | 10 | Historical Society of Michigan | |
Minnesota | Century and Sesquicentennial Farms[21] | 1976 | Minnesota Farm Bureau | ||
Mississippi | Centennial Farm Program[22] | Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce | |||
Missouri | Century Farm Program[23] | 1976 | 40 | University of Missouri Extension | |
Montana | Centennial Farm and Ranch Program[24] | 2009 | Montana Historical Society | ||
Nebraska | Pioneer Farm Family Awards[25] | 1961 (approx.) | Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation, Nebraska Farm Bureau | ||
Nevada | Centennial Ranch and Farm Awards Program | 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[27] | 2016 | New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation | ||
New Jersey | Century Farm Award[28] | 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[29] | 1937 | New York State Agricultural Society | ||
North Carolina | Century Farm Family Program[30] | 1970 | North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | ||
North Dakota | Centennial Farms[31] | 1988 | Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation | ||
Ohio | Century Farms[32] | 1993 | Ohio Department of Agriculture | Also has a Bicentennial Farm program.[32] Not to be confused with Ohio Bicentennial barns; see Barn advertisement. | |
Oklahoma | Centennial Farm and Ranch Program[33] | 1993 | 40 | Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture | |
Oregon | Century Farm and Ranch Program[34] | 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[35] | 1937 | 10 | Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture | |
South Carolina | South Carolina Century Farms Program[36] | 1974 | Pendleton District South Carolina | ||
South Dakota | Century Farms[37] | 2000 | 80 | South Dakota Department of Agriculture | Also has a Quasquicentennial (125 years) Farm program |
Tennessee | Century Farms[38] | 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[39] | 1974 | 10 | Texas Department of Agriculture | |
Utah | Century Farms & Ranches[40] | 1995 | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food | Nearly 500 farms have been recognized. | |
Vermont | Vermont Century Farms Program[41] | 1953 | Vermont State Grange and Vermont Farm Bureau | ||
Virginia | Virginia Century Farm Program[42] | 1997 | Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services | There are 1,332 Virginia Century Farms.[42] | |
West Virginia | West Virginia Century Farm Program[43] | 2015 | 10 | West Virginia Association of Conservation Districts | |
Wisconsin | Century and Sesquicentennial Farm and Home Program[44] | 1948 | 8,583 century farms or homes 616 sesquicentennial farms or homes[45] | ||
Wyoming | Centennial Farm and Ranch program[46] | 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
- "Colorado Centennial Farms". Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
- "The Century Farm Sign Project". Junior Farmers' Association of Ontario. Archived from the original on 2009-01-22. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
- Government of Alberta, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. "Alberta Century Farm & Ranch Award". gov.ab.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-04-20. Retrieved 2012-06-13.
- "Farm Family Awards". Archived from the original on 15 January 2013.
- "Congratulations to the 2009 Sesquicentennial Award honorees". Oregon Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2009-12-17. Retrieved 2010-01-12.
- "Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries". Archived from the original on 2011-10-01. Retrieved 2011-08-26.
- "AAD | Century Farm List". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Connecticut Agriculture Information Council - Century Farm Award". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Florida Century Pioneer Family Farms - Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Centennial Farms - Historic Preservation Division -- Georgia Department of Natural Resources". georgiashpo.org. Archived from the original on 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - "Idaho Century Farm & Ranch Program". Archived from the original on 2011-02-03. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
- "Marketing - Centennial & Sesquicentennial Farms Programs - Illinois Department of Agriculture". state.il.us. Archived from the original on 2010-11-10. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
- "ISDA: Hoosier Homestead". Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- "Century Farms Program". Archived from the original on 2011-03-19. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
- "Kansas Farm Bureau". Archived from the original on 2011-05-13. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
- "Kentucky: Heritage Council - Historic Farms Program". Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- "Century Farms Program - LSU AgCenter". Archived from the original on 2015-09-05. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-28. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Mass Farm Bureau". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Centennial Farm Application". hsmichigan.org. Archived from the original on 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
- "Home". fbmn.org. Archived from the original on 2010-10-06.
- Centennial Farm Program Archived September 28, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- "Missouri Century Farms". missouri.edu. Archived from the original on 2006-08-31. Retrieved 2006-10-04.
- "Montana Centennial Farm and Ranch Program". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Ak-Sar-Ben - Recognition Programs". Archived from the original on 2006-10-08. Retrieved 2006-10-04.
- "Nevada Centennial Awards Program". Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-08-30.
- "Century Farm Book | New Hampshire Farm Bureau Federation". Archived from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- "Century Farm Award - New Jersey Agricultural Society". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Cen Farms". Archived from the original on 2007-03-10. Retrieved 2006-10-04.
- "NCDA&CS - Public Affairs Century Farm Families". Archived from the original on 2011-08-11. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
- "Lewis & Clark Fort Mandan Foundation". Archived from the original on 2011-09-30. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
- "Ohio Department of Agriculture - Century Farm and Bicentennial Farm". ohio.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
- "Certified Local Governments - SHPO". okhistory.org. Archived from the original on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
- "Oregon Department of Agriculture". oregon.gov. Archived from the original on 2009-01-16.
- "Century and Bicentennial Farm Program". Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2011-08-23.
- "South Carolina Century Farms Program - Pendleton District Commission". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Century-Quasquicentennial Farm & Ranch Recognition Program". sd.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-11-24.
- "Tennessee Century Farms". Archived from the original on 2009-07-04. Retrieved 2009-11-14.
- "Home". state.tx.us. Archived from the original on 2011-02-19. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
- "HomeUtah Century Farms & Ranches Designation Program". Archived from the original on 2012-04-25.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "VDACS - Special Programs and Links - Virginia Century Farm Program". Archived from the original on 2015-11-19. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 2015-11-24. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "2015 Century Farm or Home Application" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-05.
- "Farm News: Sesquicentennial And Century Farms Apps Due," Farm Report with Pam Jahnke, February 16, 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2012.
- "Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office - Centennial Farm and Ranch". state.wy.us. Archived from the original on 2012-06-01. Retrieved 2011-08-23.