For those area families who have a long, proud history of farming the land, it is not too early to think about the 2023 Century Farm and Heritage Farm awards.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is encouraging eligible farm owners to apply for the 2023 Century and Heritage Farm Program. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation and recognizes families that have owned their farm for 100 years in the case of Century Farms and 150 years for Heritage Farms.

It has been more than 187 years since land that is now the state of Iowa was opened for settlers. The America of the 21st century is far different from the nation led by President Andrew Jackson in 1833. There is, however, one constant feature for Iowans — agriculture is at the very heart of economic life in the Hawkeye State.

Consequently, it was a fitting celebration of agriculture and the generations of Iowans who have farmed here that in 1976, as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration, the Century Farms Program was established. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation created the recognition program. It had the endorsement of the Iowa American Revolution Bicentennial Commission. Since its inception, more than 20,000 farms have been designated as Century Farms,

The Heritage Farm program recognizes those family farms that have had consecutive ownership within the same family for 150 years or more, and was started in 2006, on the 30th anniversary of the Century Farm program. More than 1,000 farms have been recognized.

To be eligible for a Century or Heritage Farm award, a farm must constitute at least 40 acres and have been owned by the same family for 100 or 150 years respectively.

Each year at the Iowa State Fair, which is itself a celebration of Iowa agriculture, there is a ceremony honoring that year’s additions to the Century Farm and Heritage Farm honor rolls.

For those owners who are eligible to seek Century Farm or Heritage Farm status, it is time to prepare their applications, which must be notarized and postmarked by June 1.

Applications are available on the department’s website at www.iowaagriculture.gov by clicking on the Century Farm or Heritage Farm link under “Programs.”

Applications may also be requested from Kelley Reece, coordinator of the Century and Heritage Farm Program via phone at 515-281-3645 or email at Kelley.Reece@IowaAgriculture.gov.

Completed applications should be mailed to Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, IA 50319. Mark the envelope to the attention of either the Century Farm program or the Heritage Farm program.

The Century Farm and Heritage Farm honors will be presented Aug. 17 during the Iowa State Fair.

We encourage area farm families to consider these two unique honorary programs and submit applications if they are eligible.