In 2014, the Ohio Department of Agriculture recognized 104 new century or bicentennial farms, including several in counties surrounding Marion, owned by the same family for at least 100 or 200 consecutive years. There are now more than 1,100 historic farms registered across the state.
Each family received a certificate signed by Governor John R. Kasich and Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David T. Daniels to keep with their historic documents and pass down to future generations.
“These historic farms are the foundation of Ohio’s agriculture industry,” said Daniels. “The families have withstood the test of time, often through adversity, to provide us with life’s essentials. We owe them a debt of gratitude.”
Area farms recognized included Baughman, 1908, Lautenschlager/Sidener, 1835, and Willeke, 1914, in Hardin County, Schimpf , 1864, in Crawford County, and Skinner, 1912, in Delaware County.
You can view the entire list of 2014 inductees by clicking here. For a complete list of Ohio’s bicentennial and century farms, visit www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/cent_farms.
The Ohio Bicentennial and Century Farms program is a voluntary program administered by the Ohio Department of Agriculture. The department has recognized families who have owned their farms for at least 100 years since 1993. In 2013, the department began officially recognizing bicentennial farms in acknowledgment of the growing number of century farms that had reached their 200-year anniversary of same-family ownership.
Anyone who can verify that a currently owned farm has remained in their family for at least 100 years may register.
For more information, visit www.agri.ohio.gov/divs/cent_farms, or contact Cindy Shy in the Office of Communication at 614-752-9817 or [email protected].
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