Farm Families Encouraged to Apply for Century & Heritage Farm Awards

How long has your farm been in your family?

If it’s a century or longer, Iowa Secretary of Ag Mike Naig would like to present your family with a special honor.

Every year, farm families across the state are honored with Century and Heritage Farm Awards. The Century Farm Award honors families who have owned their farms for 100 years and the Heritage Farm Award honors families who have owned their farms for 150 years.

The program was created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. Naig says it recognizes families who represent the very best of our state and are remarkable examples of the ingenuity, strength and resilience of Iowa agriculture.

Applications are due June 1st – they can be found on the website for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. You may also request an application from Kelley Reece, coordinator of the Century and Heritage Farm Program, by calling 515-281-3645 or emailing kelley.reece@iowaagriculture.gov.

The ceremonies honoring the 2024 Century and Heritage Farm families will be held during the Iowa State Fair on August 15th. 

Since the program started, more than 21,000 farms from across the state have been named Century Farms and nearly two thousand Iowa farms have received the distinction of a Heritage Farm.