CARTHAGE, Mo. – The Missouri Century Farm Program annually recognizes Missouri farms that are still productive and have been in the same family for 100 years or more. The newest addition to the Century Farm Program includes one farm in Jasper County. Robert Evans and his wife Barbara, Jasper, own 80 acres that have been in his family since 1912. The farm was originally owned by Mr. Evan’s great-grandfather, John Buerge.
To qualify for the Missouri Century Farm designation, farms must have been family owned (direct descendants only) for 100 years or more and have at least 40 acres of the original land still making a financial contribution to the overall farm income.
The Missouri Century Farm Program was launched in 1976 as the Missouri Centennial Farm program at the University of Missouri-Columbia. In that first year, 2,850 Missouri farm owners were recognized as owning a centennial farm. The University of Missouri College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources and University of Missouri Extension renewed the Century Farm program in 1986. Since that time, over 4,190 additional farms have been added to the program. Fifty-seven Jasper County farms have been recognized as a Missouri Century Farm.
To learn more about the Century Farm program or additional details about these newly added Century Farms, visit your local University of Missouri Extension office or go online to http://extension.missouri.edu/centuryfarm.
