Local families among the Century and Heritage Farms recognized during the 2016 Iowa State Fair


Members of the Blake Family Partnership LLP were present at the Iowa State Fair August 18 to receive the recognition of the family’s farm located at 487 Bear Creek Drive, Dorchester as a Heritage Farm. Submitted photo.

Members of the Gail E. Dunning family were present at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines August 18 to receive the recognition of the family’s farm located at 985 Forest Mills Road, Waukon as a Century Farm. Submitted photo.

Members of the Evelyn Wild family were present at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines August 18 to receive the recognition of the family’s farm located at 1147 Hartley Drive, Lansing as a Century Farm. Submitted photo.

Members of the Duane and Joanne Leppert family were present at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines August 18 to receive recognition of the family’s farm at 2223 Lycurgus Road, Lansing as a Century Farm. Submitted photo.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recognized Century and Heritage Farm families during a ceremony at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines again this year. 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.

Among those farms recognized this year were four Allamakee County farms. Those farms included the Heritage Farm owned by the Blake Family Partnership, LLP of Dorchester and three Century Farms owned by the Gail E. Dunning family of Waukon, the Duane and Joann Leppert family of Lansing, and the Evelyn Wild family of Lansing.

This year, 320 Century Farms and 103 Heritage Farms were recognized. This year was the 40-year anniversary of the Century Farms program and the 10-year anniversary of the Heritage Farms program.

“Being able to recognize these farm families is one of my favorite days of the year.  This award is a tremendous celebration of the families who have cared for the land and raised the crops and livestock that helped build our state and feed the world. To own a farm for 100 or 150 years is a testament to the values of land stewardship, hard work, patience, dedication and perseverance that are found in Iowa’s farm families,” Northey said.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship has partnered with the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation since 1976 to recognize families that 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.

The Heritage Farm program was started in 2006, on the 30th anniversary of the Century Farm program, and now 940 farms have been recognized.

The 2016 Century and Heritage Farms Program ceremony was held at the Iowa State Fair in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion Thursday, August 18. Craig Hill, President of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, or Joe Heinrich, Vice President of the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, joined Northey to recognize all award recipients.

“The program acknowledges the deep roots of Iowa agriculture and the special bond that exists between Iowa families and the land they farm,” Northey said.  “The Iowa State Fair is a celebration of Iowa and Iowa agriculture, so it’s a great place to recognize the Century Farm and Heritage Farm recipients.”