Press Release

Centennial Farms honors the strength, tenacity and endurance of 19 100-year-old Colorado farms and ranches

Denver—Nineteen Colorado families who have owned and operated their farm or ranch for 100 years or more will be celebrated at the 28th Annual Centennial Farms Celebration on Friday, August 22, at 4 p.m. at the State Fair in Pueblo. Honorees will receive a certificate signed by Gov. Hickenlooper, as well as a sign to display on their property. Families are available for interview after the ceremony.

The awards honor Colorado family farms and ranches that have persisted for a century, despite drought, economic conditions and changes in farming methods. Additionally, this year History Colorado will honor its first-ever Centennial Farmer, Lyman Edgar from Rocky Ford, whose family property was honored as a Centennial Farm in 2009. This year Governor Hickenlopper will be joining us to celebrate Lyman’s 100th birthday.

 

2014 Colorado Centennial Farm Awardees:

Farm/Ranch Name

Year Settled

Town/County

Ament Farm and Ranch

1914

Iiff/Logan

Ball Ranch

1914

Briggsdale/Weld

Brown Family Ranch

1914

Mosca/Alamosa

Carter Ranch

1909

Boone/Pueblo

Center Greenhouse

1889

Denver/Adams

Chavez Ranch

1906

Weston/Las Animas

Deterding Farm

1900

Vernon/Yuma

Gramm Homestead Ranch, LLC

1899

Stratton/Kit Carson

Hittle Cattle Company

1914

Collbran/Mesa

Kindvall Ranch

1912

New Raymer/Weld

Leafgren Farm

1914

Lucerne/Weld

Mekelburg Farms, LLC

1894

Yuma/Yuma

NB5, LLC

1912

Yuma/Yuma

Paulsen Farm

1901

Lamar/Prowers

RMR Ranch, Inc.

1902

Yuma/Yuma

Scott Family Farm

1914

Lindon/Washington

Smith Ranch

1914

Hasty/Bent

Walter Farm

1908

Sedgwick/Sedgwick

Wickstrom, Inc.

1914

Orchard/Morgan

 

Since 1986 History Colorado, the Colorado Department of Agriculture, the Colorado State Fair, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have partnered to administer the Centennial Farms program. On August 22, Ed Nichols, President and CEO of History Colorado, and John Salazar, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture, will present the awards. Properties with 50-year-old historic structures will receive a Historic Structures Award.

 

For more information, visit ColoradoCentennialFarms.org. Follow History Colorado on FacebookPinterest and Tumblr to see photos of the 2014 Centennial Farms.

###

History Colorado's mission is to inspire generations to find wonder and meaning in our past and to engage in creating a better Colorado. We serve as the state's memory, preserving the places, stories, and material culture of Colorado through our museums, educational programs, historic preservation grants, research library, collections, and outreach to Colorado communities. Find History Colorado on all major social media platforms. Visit HistoryColorado.org or call (303) HISTORY for more information.

Media Contact:
Shannon Haltiwanger, Preservation Communications Manager
(303) 866-2049, shannon.haltiwanger@state.co.us
Released issued March 11, 2014
Photos: Little Church of the Pines before and after.