***Press Release***
Celebrating 25 years of honoring farms and ranches owned by the same family for 100 years!
DENVER — Families who have owned and operated their farm or ranch for 100 years or more are encourage to submit a nomination to receive a Colorado Centennial Farms award. Selected nominees will be honored at the 25th Annual Centennial Farms celebration at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, Colo., in August 2011. Farmers and ranchers nominating their property for this award must submit an application providing information about the history of their farm and its buildings by end of day on Monday, May 16, 2011.
Nominees must meet the following requirements to be honored as a Colorado Centennial Farms:
• Farming or ranching properties must have remained in the same family continuously for at least 100 years
• Each property must still be a working farm or ranch
• Farms or ranches must have a minimum of 160 acres
• However, properties with fewer than 160 acres can qualify if they gross at least $1,000 in annual sales
History Colorado and the Colorado Department of Agriculture created the Colorado Centennial Farms Program in 1986 to recognize the important role that agriculture has played in the state’s history and economic development.
According to Steve Turner, Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer, the awards are intended to honor families who have maintained the integrity of their historic properties for over a century despite the economic challenges of modern farming. “Historic agricultural sites around the nation are disappearing at an alarming rate,” said Turner, who also directs the State Historical Fund, the historic preservation grants program of History Colorado. “But these families have withstood the pressures of growth, changes in farming methods, drought and economic conditions to keep their way of life. These historic farms contribute immeasurably to the sense of place and pride Coloradans feel about their state.”
How to nominate: Download a Colorado Centennial Farms application at http://www.historycolorado.org/archaeologists/centennial-farms, or call Lyle Miller at 303-866-2779.
Due Date: May 16, 2011
Centennial Farms Awards:
The 2011 Colorado Centennial Farms awards will be presented at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo in August. At the ceremony, award recipients will receive a certificate signed by the Governor and a sign to display on their property. In addition, the National Trust for Historic Preservation will recognize families who have maintained the historic buildings on their property that are 50 years old or older.
To date, more than 350 Colorado farms and ranches representing 61 counties across the state have received the Centennial Farms award. The majority of these farms were established between 1880 and 1895.
Following are a few Colorado Centennial Farms facts:
• The Colorado Centennial Farms program has designated 354 farms and ranches
• Colorado Centennial Farms have been designated in 61 of our state’s 64 counties
• Weld County has 45 designated Centennial Farms – the most in Colorado
• Established in 1851, the Ortega Farm in San Luis is Colorado’s oldest Centennial Farm
• Gallegos Ranch in Costilla County holds the state’s oldest water rights with decrees dated 1855 and 1856
Questions: Lyle Miller, 303-866-2779 or email lyle.miller@chs.state.co.us
Press inquiries, Shannon Haltiwanger at 303-866-2049 or email shannon.haltiwanger@chs.state.co.us
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History Colorado, the Colorado Historical Society, engages people in our State’s heritage through collecting, preserving, and discovering the past and providing perspectives for the future. Established in 1879, History Colorado is headquartered in Denver. This educational institution contains statewide historical museums and sites, educational programs, volunteer and membership opportunities, the Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation, the Stephen H. Hart Research Library, and administers the State Historical Fund—a preservation-based grants program funded by limited stakes gaming tax revenues. Visit www.historycolorado.org or call (303) 866-3682. Become a History Colorado fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/HistoryColorado.
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