DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey last week reminded eligible farm owners that the deadline to apply for the 2015 Century and Heritage Farm Program is June 1. The program recognizes families that have owned their farm for 100 years in the case of Century Farms and 150 years for Heritage Farms.
Farm families with a Century or Heritage farm must submit an application to the Department no later than June 1 to qualify for recognition this year.
Applications are available on the Department’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov by clicking on the Century Farm or Heritage Farm link under “Hot Topics.”
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.
The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. The ceremony to recognize the 2015 Century and Heritage Farms is scheduled to be held at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday, Aug. 20.
The Century Farm program began in 1976 as part of the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration and 18,328 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 736 farms have been recognized.
Last year 344 Century Farms and 86 Heritage Farms were recognized.
