Farm Bureau urges farm owners to apply for Centennial Farm award
Even though most Georgians are several generations removed from their family farm, many can trace their family history back to a farm and even still have relatives farming the family home place. The Walker County Farm Bureau encourages owners of farms continuously operating for 100 years or more to apply to be recognized by the Georgia Centennial Farm Program.
This program recognizes centennial farm owners through one of three distinguished awards. The Centennial Heritage Farm Award honors farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more that are also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Family Farm Award recognizes farms owned by members of the same family for 100 years or more that are not listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Farm Award does not require continual family ownership, but farms must be at least 100 years old and listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
“Farms play an important role in the heritage of Georgia as they formed the economic, family and cultural foundation for many Georgia communities,” said Mike Bunn, Walker County Farm Bureau president. “Since farmers make up only about one percent of our country’s population, a farm that has been in operation for at least 100 years deserves the recognition the Georgia Centennial Farm Program offers. Honoring the family farming tradition is important, and I encourage anyone whose farm meets the criteria for one of the three awards to apply.”
Applications for the 2017 awards must be postmarked by June 1. Anyone interested in nominating a farm for recognition in 2017, can visit http:// www.georgiacentennialfarms.org to download an application or contact Allison Asbrock at 770-389-7868 or allison.asbrock@dnr.ga.gov. .
The Georgia Centennial Farm Program has recognized 504 farms across Georgia since being established in 1993. The program is administered by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in partnership with the Georgia Farm Bureau, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, the Georgia Forestry Commission and the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter with support from Georgia EMC.
Each year, qualifying farms are recognized on the opening day of the Georgia National Fair held in early October in Perry, Ga. Farm owners receive a Georgia Centennial Farm certificate.
Georgia Farm Bureau is the state’s largest general farm organization. Its volunteer members actively participate in local, district and state activities that promote agriculture awareness to their non-farming neighbors. GFB also has 20 commodity advisory committees that give the organization input on issues pertinent to the major commodities grown in Georgia.