Area farms receive Century Farm and Heritage Farm honors at State Fair

To The Press

Several area farms were honored Thursday at the Iowa State Fair as Century Farms, for being in the same family for at least 100 years, and as Heritage Farms, in the same family for 150 years. One of those farms is being honored in both categories.

The day-long event took place in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion at the State Fair, with  Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig recognizing the farm families during the event and presenting them with certificates and a metal yard sign.

The new Heritage Farms (150 years in same family) are:

• Pet-Mar Inc., Pete and Marcia Vorhes, Ray Vorhes and the Vorhes Family Trust, Marble Rock, established 1869. This farm is also receiving its Century Farm certificate and metal yard marker.

• David and Karen Youngerman, Wilhelm A. Youngerman Trust, Charles City, established 1869.

The new Century Farms (100 years in same family) are:

• Marvin Enabnit and Dustin Enabnit, Marble Rock, established 1891.

• Elaine Mead, Charles City, established 1919.

• Stanley Schweizer, Rudd, established 1918.

• Stonecypher Revocable Trust, Raymond L. Stonecypher, Rudd, established 1906.

• David and Karen Youngerman, Charles City, established 1903.

• Miller Trust, Carlyle Miller, Ionia, established 1902.

A total of 485 Iowa farm families — 332 Century Farms and 154 Heritage Farms — joined the ranks of honored farm families at the event Thursday, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Including this year, there are currently nine Heritage Farms in Floyd County, and 12 in Chickasaw County. There are 171 Century Farms in Floyd County and 172 in Chickasaw County.

To date, more than 20,060 Century Farms and 1,360 Heritage Farms have been recognized across the state.

The honor is available to any family that has had consecutive ownership of at least 40 acres and the current owner or owners are related to the persons who owned the land 100 or 150 years ago.

The Century Farm program began in 1976 as part of the Nation’s bicentennial celebration. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation established the Heritage Farm program.