Press release from Buncombe County:

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Century Farm Program is looking for farms that have been in continuous family ownership for 100 years or more to join the nearly 2,000 farms in the program. The program exists to honor farms for their longstanding contributions to North Carolina’s rich agricultural heritage. Every four years, N.C. State Fair hosts a reunion to recognize Century Farm families. Because the State Fair was canceled in 2020, the reunion has been moved to this year and will be held Oct. 18th and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Century Farm Program.  “Being part of our Century Farm program is something to be very proud of, as it speaks to the hard work and dedication families invest in keeping their farmland,” Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. “I encourage anyone who is eligible to apply to this program, and I encourage all members to plan to attend this year’s reunion. Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the Century Farm program and we were looking forward to that reunion. COVID only postponed the celebration, it didn’t cancel it. We will still celebrate 50 years, plus one, of this special program.” There are 1,950 member farms in the program, with 97 of the state’s 100 counties represented. Century Farms represent a small fraction of the total 52,000 farms in North Carolina. To be eligible for the program, the farm must be in continuous ownership by your family for 100 years or more. Applications can be found at the link below and are accepted continuously throughout the year. Proof of land ownership must be submitted with the application.  APPLICATION For questions regarding this program please contact Ariel Zijp at Ariel.Zijp@buncombecounty.org or 828-250-4794.