485 Century and Heritage Farm Families Honored at Iowa State Fair
DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 29, 2019) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Craig Hill and Vice-President Joe Heinrich honored 485 Iowa farm families with Century or Heritage Farm designations at the Iowa State Fair. The program celebrates farms that have been owned by the same families for 100 and 150 years, respectively.
“When you consider the inherent risks that farmers assume every day, the 80s recession, and the current trade concerns, it is incredible to think of the challenges these families had to overcome to keep their farms for 100 or 150 years,” said Secretary Naig. “The Century and Heritage Farm program celebrates these families for their tenacity and dedication to agriculture.”
“Agriculture has long been the backbone of Iowa’s economy and critical to the vitality of rural communities across the state,” said Craig Hill, Iowa Farm Bureau President. “It’s an honor to co-sponsor the Century and Heritage Farm program which allows us to recognize the multi-generational farm families that have withstood countless challenges over 100 or 150 years to keep their farms in the family.”
The Century Farm program began in 1976 as part of the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration. This year, 332 Century Farms and 153 Heritage Farms were recognized. A full list of families who received Century and Heritage Farm designations at the 2019 Iowa State Fair is available at iowaagriculture.gov/century-
To date, more than 20,060 Century Farms and 1,360 Heritage Farms have been recognized across the state of Iowa.
