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Legacies of the land
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Heritage Century SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020
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globegazette.com |
SECTION C
IN RECOGNITION OF FARMS Iowa Department of Agriculture and Iowa Farm Bureau celebrated families who have owned a farm for 100 years or 150 years
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he Iowa Department of Agriculture recognized Heritage and Century Farm families in a different way in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, including five Heritage Farms and 14 Century Farms in the Globe Gazette coverage area. To qualify, a family must have owned at least 40 acres for 100 years or more in the case of Century Farms and 150 years or more for a Heritage Farm. In 2019 in the state of Iowa, 148 Heritage Farms and 359 Century Farms were highlighted, and family members honored during a ceremony at the 2019 Iowa State Fair, including nine Heritage Farms and 11 Century Farms from the Globe coverage area. The ceremony wasn’t held in 2020 as the fair was canceled due to the pandemic. The Globe reached out to the 19 farms on the 2020 list with many presented in this special section, while the others are listed. “To keep a farm in the same family for 100 or 150 years is a testament to the passion and perseverance of these families and a true picture of sustainability,” says Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “These families inspire all of us to roll up our sleeves, identify innovative soil and water conservation solutions. and forge new public-private partnerships to ensure our agriculture industry remains strong for generations to come.”
2020 HERITAGE AND CENTURY FARMS Heritage Farms
Five Heritage and 14 Century Farms from Globe’s coverage area honored
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Many of the Heritage and Century Farms in the Globe Gazette’s coverage area grow corn, while others grow soybeans.
Century Farm program began in 1976 The Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship has partnered with the Iowa Farm Bureau since 1976 to recognize families who have owned and worked a farm for 100 years or more. Including this year’s recipients, more than 19,000 farms from across the state have been recognized as Century Farms. The Heritage Farm program was started in 2006, on the 30th anniversary of the Century Farm program, and more than 1,100 farms have been recognized.
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The 2019 Century and Heritage Farms Program ceremony was held at the Iowa State Fair in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion. Craig Hill, president of the Iowa Farm Bureau, and Joe Heinrich, vice president, joined Naig to recognize all award recipients. “It was a great honor to help present these awards and celebrate the rich history of these farms and farm families,” Naig said.
“Since the land of Iowa was opened to settlers in 1833, agriculture has been the heart of Iowa,” Hill said. “The family farm represents the traditions and heritage upon which our state was built. Today, those individuals and families, who followed in the footsteps of their ancestors, continue to produce crops and livestock on that same land.” Iowa Department of Agriculture
Floyd County Gabel Family Farm (Rockford) Mitchell County Dickson Family Farm (Osage) Winnebago County Johnson Family Farm (Lake Mills) Worth County Halvorson Family Farm Wright County McKinley Family Farm (Iowa Township)
Century Farms Cerro Gordo County Fischer Family Farm (Thornton) Martin Family Farm (Mason City) Midtgaard Family Farm (Fertile) Floyd County Dight Family Farm (Charles City) Wiebke Family Farm (Nashua) Hancock County Cunningham Family Farm (Goodell) Larson (Salcedo) Family Farm (Britt) Meyers Family Farm (Corwith) Yohn Family Farm Mitchell County Swann Family Farm (Osage) Winnebago County Pederson Family Farm (Thompson) Wright County Boyington Family Farm (Lincoln Township) Avery Family Farm (Rowan) Keppers (Wadle) Family Farm (Eagle Grove)
CHRIS ZOELLER, THE GLOBE GAZETTE 00 1