Arkansas Agriculture Department Ready For 2015 Century Farm Program

The Arkansas Agriculture Department is accepting applications for the 2015 Arkansas Century Farm program. The program recognizes Arkansas’s agricultural heritage and honors families who have owned and farmed the same land for at least 100 years.

The program is voluntary and places no restrictions on the land. Since the program’s inception in 2012, 240 farms have been certified as Arkansas Century Farms.

To qualify, farms must meet the following criteria:

· The same family must have owned the farm for 100 years by December 31, 2015. The line of ownership from the original settler or buyer may be through children, grandchildren, siblings, and nephews or nieces, including through marriage and adoption.
· The farm must be at least 10 acres of the original land acquisition and make a financial contribution to the overall farm income.

The program helps to honor farmers and their sacrifice, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement through the agriculture department.

“The family farm is an Arkansas tradition — a way of life for generations of hard-working folks and a precious resource for all. In honoring those families who are part of this great tradition, the Arkansas Century Farm Program recognizes the historical relevance of the family farm and its important place in Arkansas’s future.”

Nationally, over 96% of all agricultural operations are family farms.

Arkansas currently has over 44,600 farms on 13.8 million acres with the average farm size of 309 acres.

Qualified applicants will be presented with a personalized metal sign and a certificate. Only the legal owners of the land may apply.

There is no cost to apply for the Arkansas Century Farm program.

Applications can be obtained from the Arkansas Agriculture Department by calling 501-683-4851 or from the department’s website at: www.aad.arkansas.gov/Pages/programs.aspx

Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2015 to be eligible for designation in 2015.