DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig last week encouraged eligible farm owners to apply for the 2019 Century and Heritage Farm Program. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. It recognizes families that have owned their farm for 100 years in the case of Century Farms and 150 years for Heritage Farms.
“The Century and Heritage Farm Program recognizes the hard work that is necessary to keep a farm in the same family for 100 or 150 years,” Naig said. “The awards ceremony at the Iowa State Fair is a great celebration of Iowa agriculture and the families that care for the land and produce our food. I look forward to recognizing Iowa’s Century and Heritage awardees at the upcoming state fair and encourage those families to apply before June 1, 2019.
Applications are available on the department’s website at by clicking on the Century Farm or Heritage Farm link under “Programs”.
Applications may also be requested from Becky Lorenz, Coordinator of the Century and Heritage Farm Program via phone at 515-281-3645, email at Becky.Lorenz@IowaAgriculture.gov or by writing to Century or Heritage Farms Program, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Henry A. Wallace Building, 502 E. 9th St., Des Moines, IA 50319.
Farm families seeking to qualify for the Century or Heritage Farms Program must submit an application to the department no later than June 1, 2019.
The Century Farm program was started in 1976 as part of the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration. To date, more than 19,000 farms from across the state have received this 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. Last year 359 Century Farms and 148 Heritage Farms were recognized.
A full list of all past Century Farm recipients is available at www.iowacenturyfarms.com.
The ceremony to recognize the 2019 Century and Heritage Farms will be held at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 15, in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion.
