Arkansas Century Farm program adds 41 new members

The Arkansas Century Farm program recently added 41 more farms. The program recognizes Arkansas farms of 10 acres or more owned by the same family for at least 100 years.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture established the program in 2012 to highlight these families’ contributions to the agriculture industry and our state. The program is voluntary, and there is no cost for participating families.

“Our family farmers are the backbone of our state and that’s especially true for our Century Farm families,” said Gov. Sarah Sanders. “We often talk about farming in terms of economics, which is absolutely critical and very important considering it’s one of Arkansas’ largest industries. But the importance of farming goes much deeper than that. It’s part of our heritage. It’s part of our history and it’s part of our basic survival. Thank you for keeping our country fed, our state growing and our communities strong.”

Agriculture is the largest industry in Arkansas and contributes more than $24.3 billion to the state’s economy annually. Arkansas has 38,000 farms, and 95% are family-owned.

There are 645 Arkansas Century Farms throughout the state. The 41 newly inducted farms are located in the following counties: Arkansas, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Clay, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Cross, Desha, Franklin, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jefferson, Johnson, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Logan, Madison, Marion, Mississippi, Ouachita, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Prairie, Pulaski, Searcy, Union, Van Buren, and White.

“The Arkansas Century Farm Program exists to recognize and honor the Arkansas farm families that, for generations, have dedicated their lives to serving others and providing the food, fiber, fuel, and shelter that we all depend on every single day of our lives,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.