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]

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.^[3]

State	Program	Founded	Min. acres	Oversight	Notes
Alabama	Century and Heritage Farm Program[4]	1976	40 acres (0.16 km2) and some current agricultural activity	Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries
Colorado	Centennial Farms	1993	160 acres (0.65 km2) or gross at least $1,000 in annual sales	Colorado Historical Society Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation[1]
Delaware	Century Farm Program
Florida	Century Pioneer Family Farm Program[5]			Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Georgia	Centennial Farms[6]	1993	N/A	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[7]	1972	40 acres (160,000 m2) plus proof of $1000 agricultural related gross income for the 5 years prior to application	Idaho State Historical Society
Illinois	Centennial and Sesquicentennial Farms[8]	1972	N/A	Illinois Department of Agriculture
Iowa	Century Farms[9]	1976	40	Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
Kansas	Century Farms[10]	2000	80	Kansas Farm Bureau
Massachusetts
Maryland
Michigan	Centennial Farms[11]	1948	10	Historical Society of Michigan
Minnesota	Century and Sesquicentennial Farms[12]	1976	50	Minnesota Farm Bureau
Mississippi	Centennial Farm Program[13]			Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce
Missouri	Century Farm Program[14]	1976	40	University of Missouri Extension
Montana
Nebraska	Pioneer Farm Family Awards[15]	1961 (approx.)	N/A	Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben Foundation, Nebraska Farm Bureau
Nevada	Centennial Ranch and Farm Awards Program [16]	2004	Must currently be a working ranch or farm with a minimum of 160 acres, or if less than 160 acres, must have gross yearly sales of at least $1,000.	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 York	Century Farm Award[17]	1937	N/A	New York State Agricultural Society	Also has Bicentennial Farm program[17]
North Carolina	Century Farm Family Program[18]	1970	N/A	North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
North Dakota	Centennial Farms[19]	1988	N/A	Lewis and Clark Fort Mandan Foundation
Ohio	Century Farms[20]	1993	At least $1,000 in agricultural revenues each year[20]	Ohio Department of Agriculture	Also has a Bicentennial Farm program[20]
Oklahoma	Centennial Farm and Ranch Program[21]	1993	40 acres (160,000 m2) and gross at least $1,000 in annual sales, plus the property must be operated by or lived on by a family member, or be leased by a family member over age 65. Historic structures awards are given if four or more buildings or structures remain on the land that are at least 50 years old.	Oklahoma State Historic Preservation Office, Oklahoma Historical Society, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture
Oregon	Century Farm and Ranch Program[22]	1958	Gross income from farming or ranching activities of not less than $1,000 per year for three out of the five years immediately preceding the application[22]	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[23]	1937	10 acres (40,000 m2) or gross at least $1,000 in annual sales	Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
South Carolina
South Dakota	Century Farms[24]	2000	80	South Dakota Department of Agriculture	Also has a Quasquicentennial (125 years) Farm program
Tennessee	Century Farms[25]	1975	10 acres and at least $1000 in farm income annually	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[26]	1974	10 acres in continuous agricultural production with annual sales of $50 or more	Texas Department of Agriculture
Utah
Virginia
Vermont
Wisconsin
Wyoming	Centennial Farm and Ranch program[27]	2006 (reestablished)	160 acres (0.65 km2) or gross at least $1,000 in annual sales	Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office, Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Wyoming Stock Growers Association, Wyoming Wool Growers Association, Wyoming Rural Electric Association

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.historycolorado.org/archaeologists/centennial-farms Colorado Centennial Farms
2. ^ "The Century Farm Sign Project". Junior Farmers' Association of Ontario. http://www.jfao.on.ca/centuryfarmsigns/. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
3. ^ "Congratulations to the 2009 Sesquicentennial Award honorees". Oregon Department of Agriculture. http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/cfr.shtml#Congratulations_to_the_2009_Sesquicentennial_Award_honorees. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
4. ^ http://www.agi.alabama.gov/chfarms
5. ^ http://www.florida-agriculture.com/marketing/century_pioneers.htm
6. ^ http://georgiashpo.org/historic/centennial_farms
7. ^ http://history.idaho.gov/centuryfarm.html
8. ^ http://www.agr.state.il.us/marketing/centfarms
9. ^ http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/centuryFarmsProgram.asp
10. ^ http://www.kfb.org/CenturyFarm/default.htm
11. ^ http://www.hsmichigan.org/centennial/
12. ^ http://www.fbmn.org/page/1064/century/farms.html?inet=aD1wcmFnaGVsLXNuZXpmLXlheCZyaD11YnpyLXlheA
13. ^ Centennial Farm Program
14. ^ http://extension.missouri.edu/centuryfarm/index.html
15. ^ http://www.aksarben.org/Programs-and-Events/recognition.htm
16. ^ http://www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov/centennial_awards.html
17. ^ ^{a b} http://www.nysagsociety.org/cen_farms/index.htm
18. ^ http://www.ncagr.gov/paffairs/century/index.htm
19. ^ http://www.fortmandan.com/news/featured.asp?ID=88
20. ^ ^{a b c} http://www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/cent_farms/
21. ^ http://www.okhistory.org/shpo/historyfr.htm
22. ^ ^{a b} http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/cfr.shtml
23. ^ Century and Bicentennial Farm Program
24. ^ http://sdda.sd.gov/Secretary/Century-Farms/default.aspx
25. ^ http://www.tncenturyfarms.org/
26. ^ Family Land Heritage Program
27. ^ http://wyoshpo.state.wy.us/CFR/Index.aspx