Recognition and Tools: Century Farms

North Carolina State Fair officials began identifying families who had continuously owned or operated North Carolina farms for at least 100 years in 1970. Over 800 farms met the qualifications at that time, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture recognized Century Farm owners at that and subsequent fairs, as well as in a 1988 publication. The department still coordinates the Century Farm application process. In 2011, approximately 1,600 of North Carolina’s 52,000 farms, including 18 in Forsyth County, had been documented as Century Farms.