South Dakota 2012 Century Farm, Quasquicentennial applications sought

Families who have retained ownership of a farm or ranch for 100 years or more in South Dakota are encouraged to apply for the Century Farm recognition. Farms and ranches passed through the family generations for 125 years or more are eligible for the Quasquicentennial Farm recognition.

The recognition program is coordinated by the South Dakota Farm Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. This year’s application deadline is Aug. 15. To be eligible, farms must have ownership consecutively within the same family and consist of a minimum of 80 acres of the original farmland.

The recognition ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012, at 10:30 a.m. at the Dakotaland Stage on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds.

Application forms are available online at the South Dakota Farm Bureau Web site, http://www.sdfbf.org, or the South Dakota Department of Agriculture Web site, http://sdda.sd.gov/Secretary/Century-Farms/default.aspx, or by calling the SDFB office in Huron at 605-353-8052.

Editor’s note: Century Farms have been recognized at the State Fair since 1984 by the SD Department of Agriculture and SD Farm Bureau.

– Adapted from a South Dakota Farm Bureau release