Centennial Farms & Ranches to be Honored at State Fair for 100+ Years of Agricultural Resilience

Centennial Farms & Ranches is honoring the latest group of Coloradans who have supported and innovated the state's agriculture for 100 years or more at an awards ceremony at the upcoming Colorado State Fair.

The Centennial Farms & Ranches program is an initiative of History Colorado and the Colorado Department of Agriculture that recognizes the contributions of the state's ranching and farming families who have withstood the pressures of growth, changes in farming methods, as well as evolving environmental and economic conditions to preserve important pieces of Colorado's commercial and cultural history.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Centennial Farms & Ranches, which was started in 1986 by then-Governor Richard Lamm. Over the years, more than 700 farms, ranches and familieshave received this honor at ceremonies celebrated at the Colorado State Fair.

"It is especially meaningful in this year of America's 250^th and Colorado's 150^th anniversaries to recognize the vital role of farming and ranching families in our communities long before Colorado was a state," said Lindsey Flewelling, History Colorado's Preservation Planner and Coordinator for the Centennial Farms & Ranches program. "Over the forty years of the Centennial Farms & Ranches program, we have been privileged to honor the histories of perseverance, resilience, and community ties of our agricultural families, and all that they have contributed to Colorado."

Centennial Farms & Ranches will kick off this year's Colorado State Fair with an awards ceremony on August 28 from 11am to 1pm. The honorees will attend alongside their families, Colorado lawmakers, and History Colorado and Department of Agriculture staff. The celebration will also mark the once-in-a-generation commemoration of 250 years of American independence and 150 years of Colorado statehood.

Across Colorado - statewide from the Eastern plains to the Rocky Mountain peaks and Southern terrain - the Centennial Farms & Ranches program is celebrating 17 families and an agribusiness with this year's awards, including:

• Scott Ranch, owned by the Scott Family in Douglas County since 1874, is being recognized as a Centennial Ranch.
• Five Fridges Farm , serving the community of Wheat Ridge since the early 1900s, is being recognized as a Centennial Agribusiness.
• Wardell Ranch in Weld County, owned by the Wardell Family since 1909, is being recognized as a Centennial Ranch.
• Mason Farms in Washington County, farmed by the Georgia Mason family since 1917, is being recognized as a Centennial Farm.
• Bartee Land & Livestock and Bartee Ranch LLC in Saguache County, owned by the Bartee and Maurice families since 1926, is being recognized as a Centennial Ranch.
• Olander Farms in Larimer County, owned and farmed by the Olander/Saulcy family since 1926, is being recognized as a Centennial Farm.

Since 2022, Centennial Farms & Ranches has also awarded Agricultural Legacy Awards to people and organizations who have dedicated their lives to strengthening agriculture in Colorado. These awardees are selected by Colorado's State Historic Preservation Officer and Commissioner of Agriculture.

• Dawn DiPrince, History Colorado's President/CEO and State Historic Preservation Officer, is honoring the Colorado Wool Grower's Association, which has represented the state's sheep industry, for both wool and meat production, for exactly 100 years.
• Kate Greenberg, Colorado's Commissioner of Agriculture, is honoring the founders of the Colorado Cattlemen's Agricultural Land Trust, the first land trust formed by a state livestock association with a mission of conserving Colorado's working landscapes for the benefit of future generations.

Award recipients receive a certificate signed by Colorado's Governor and a sign or plaque to display on their property.

During the State Fair celebration, History Colorado's Rachael Storm will be signing copies of her newly released commemorative coffee table book, "Setting Colorado's Table: 150 Years of Agricultural Legacy." Storm traveled across the state for several years, gathering oral histories from farmers and ranchers to create this limited edition book in a partnership between History Colorado and the Department of Agriculture. The book's cover features a reproduction of a large traveling mural created by Colorado's Thomas "Detour" Evans, which will be on display at the fair.

Centennial Farms & Ranches expanded in 2022 to promote a more diverse and inclusive celebration of families, farmers, ranchers, and agricultural businesses with 100 or more years of experience contributing to the Centennial State's agriculture. To be recognized, potential honorees must submit an application and provide verification of eligibility. A complete list of eligibility requirements are included on the Centennial Farms & Ranches website. The next deadline for applications is May 1, 2027. To apply or learn more, please visit historycolorado.org/centennial-farms-ranches or call (303) 866-3392.