For many Ohio families, farming is more than a profession—it’s a legacy passed down from one generation to the next.
Through the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Historic Family Farms Program, farms that have remained in the same family for 100 years or more can receive official recognition for their contributions to Ohio’s agricultural history.
The program was established in 1993 and honors families whose dedication has helped shape the state’s farming heritage.
The program recognizes three categories of historic farms:
- Century Farms, owned by the same family for 100 to 149 years
- Sesquicentennial Farms, owned for 150 to 199 years
- Bicentennial Farms, owned for 200 years or more
To qualify, a farm must generally consist of at least 10 acres devoted to agricultural use. Smaller farms may also qualify if they generate at least $2,500 in annual agricultural income.
Ownership must remain within the same family for a minimum of 100 consecutive years, and the land must continue to be farmed.
Today, more than 2,000 farms across Ohio have earned Historic Family Farm status, with at least one recognized farm located in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.
The recognition is more than a certificate. For many families, it serves as a reminder of the generations who worked the land before them and the responsibility to preserve it for future generations.
As Ohio continues to grow and develop, programs like Historic Family Farms help ensure that the state’s agricultural roots are not forgotten.
Some of the recognized farms date back to the earliest days of Ohio’s settlement, with a handful tracing their family ownership to before Ohio became a state in 1803.
Champaign County Century Farms:
- Johnson, Johnson Mingo Valley Maple Farm, LLC, 1808
- Evans, Powhaton Farm, 1812
- Woodruff, Wesleywood Farm, 1825
- Loudenback, 1832
- Luckett, 1838
- Wing, Woodland Farms, Inc., 1863
- Putnam, 1863
- Evans, Shafer Family Farm, 1865
- Johnson, 1873
- Groeber, Brigner Farms, LLC, 1890
- Dagger, Cable Acres Farm, 1891
- Zirkle, Zirkle Farms, 1892
- Crabtree, Crabtree Knot Post Farms Inc, 1896
- Gentis, Gentis Family Farm, 1900
- Virts, 1904
- Detwiler, 1904
- Kimball, Dachenbach Farm, 1908
- Broshes, 1909
- Pence, 1909
- Yoder, 1910
- Searcy, Calland-Searcy Farm, 1910
- Oelker, Oelker Farms, 1913
- Rooney, 1917
- Miller, Miller Irrevocable Heritage Trust, 1918
Sunday, Bob Stoll and Bruce Smith joined 98.3 WPKO’s show, Listen Up!, to talk about the Logan County Land Trust and their role in recognizing Century Farms:
Logan County Century Farms:
- Bates, Bates Family, 1830
- Harman, 1831
- Smith, Jacob Smith Family Farm LLC, 1835
- Berry, Gwynn Family, 1835
- Moore, 1837
- Key, Keys Homestead Properties, 1839
- Borchers, Sugar Knoll Farm, LLC, 1844
- Elliot, Elliot Family Trust, 1852
- Minnich, 1855
- Painter, 1867
- O’Connor, O’Connor Farms Inc., 1870
- Plank, The Plank Farm, 1876
- Tighe, 1877
- Forsythe, 1879
- Emerine, Kreglow Family Farms, LTD, 1891
- Jones, 1901
- Kreglow, Kreglow Family Partnership, 1904
- Hudson, Porter Farm,1908
- Core, Core Family Ltd. Partnership, 1909
- Wish, Wishwell Farms, 1913
- Smith, Longbrake-Smith Family, 1914
- King, Clover Meade Farms, 1915
- LeVan, J. Marion LeVan Farm, 1917
- Antram, Antram Family Farm, 1920
Families interested in learning whether their farm qualifies can find application information through the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation Office OR the Logan County Land Trust HERE.
