Iowans who live on farms that’ve been in the family for ten decades or more are invited to apply for the Century and Heritage Farm program.
Becky Lorenz is the coordinator of the program for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. “Our requirements are at least 40 acres of the original piece of ground,” Lorenz says. “We include any kind of relationship, aunts, uncles, cousins, besides the traditional grandfather, father, son, daughter, that type of relationship.”
For family farms that have even more history in Iowa, there’s a step beyond Century Farms. “We have Heritage Farm Awards also for 150 years of continuous ownership in the same family,” Lorenz says. “Applications are due June 1st to qualify for the program which will be August 16th at the fair.”
Last year, 354 Century Farms and 119 Heritage Farms were recognized at the Iowa State Fair. Since the inception of the Century Farm program in 1976, more than 19,000 farms statewide have received the recognition. The Heritage Farm program was started in 2006 on the 30th anniversary of the Century Farm program and more than 1,000 farms have been recognized.
For details, contact Lorenz by phone at 515-281-3645 or by e-mail at [email protected].
(Thanks to Pat Powers, KQWC, Webster City)