Farm Families Encouraged to Apply for Century and Heritage Awards

How long has your farm been in your family?

If it’s 100 years or more, you could earn recognition through the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Iowa Ag Secretary Mike Naig is inviting eligible Iowa farm owners to apply for Century or Heritage Farm recognition. The program was created by the Department and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to honor families who have owned their farms for 100 years and 150 years, respectively.

To be recognized this year, applications must be postmarked or received by the Department by June 1st. The ceremonies honoring the 2025 Century and Heritage Farm families will be held on August 14th in the historic Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair.

To apply, download and complete the application found on the Department’s website. Or you can request an application from Kelley Reece, coordinator of the Century and Heritage Farm Program, at 515-281-3645 or kelley.reece@iowaagriculture.gov.

This is the 49th year of the Century Farm Program, which started in 1976 as part of the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration. To date, more than 21,000 farms from across the state have received this distinction. This is the 18th year of the Heritage Farm Program and more than 2,000 farms have been recognized since this program began in 2006.