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 edit
Canada edit
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 edit
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 (16Â 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 |