Fourteen Oregon Farms and Ranches Recognized for 150 Years of Family Operation

State sesquicentennial celebration starts with agriculture.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - Oregon agriculture is history. No, the industry is not in decline nor is it an industry that has no future. But the state's farms and ranches certainly have a rich past that actually predates statehood.

This past week, 14 family operations were officially recognized as Oregon's first sesquicentennial farms and ranches.

For more than 150 years, these families have made it through bad weather, crop and livestock diseases, an unpredictable marketplace, and many other hardships that would probably wipe out a number of past and present business enterprises. The sesquicentennial farm families adapted to changes and challenges.

"I can't think of a better way to describe sustainability than to highlight family farms and ranches in Oregon that have been operating on the same land for 150 years," says Oregon Department of Agriculture Director Katy Coba, referring to the popular buzzword often heard today.

"I don't think there are very many companies in Oregon that are celebrating their 150th birthday and I think there is a much better chance that Oregon agriculture will still be around in another 150 than many other industries."

Senate Concurrent Resolution 23, approved by the Oregon Legislature last week, honors the 14 farms and ranches for being owned and operated by the same family for the past 150 years or longer.

Ever since 1958, when the Oregon Century Farm and Ranch Program was initiated, the longevity of these family operations has been celebrated. Currently, there are 1,076 recognized century farms and ranches in the state, located in every Oregon county except one– Deschutes County.

While there may be as many as 400 sesquicentennial farms and ranches in the state, the 14 honored last week were the first to apply for official recognition and met all the eligibility requirements.

Some of them were represented at a special ceremony in Salem by the family's seventh generation, now working on the farm of their ancestors. There was plenty of high praise at the ceremony, including comments from Dave Dillon, Executive Vice President of the Oregon Farm Bureau.

"We refer to these 14 inaugural families of the sesquicentennial program as honorees, but I believe it is the rest of Oregon that should feel honored to have families like these who have made the almost unimaginable personal investment over a 150 year time frame. As Oregonians, we all owe a great deal of gratitude to the generations that have come before, the generations that now carry that call forward, and the generations to follow."

While some of the families were represented by older farmers and ranchers, others brought young children to the celebration, signifying a future generation to keep the operations moving forward. There is every reason to believe these farms and ranches will take part in a bicentennial celebration in 2058.

The 14 inaugural sesquicentennial award families include:

• Jack Vaughan Farm of Clackamas County, established in 1844.

• Century Farm– Mark Hattan DLC of Clackamas County, established in 1847.

• Richardson Farm of Lane County, established in 1848.

• Guy and Mary Scott Farm of Marion County, established in 1849.

• Coon Family Farm of Linn County, established in 1850.

• Kow Kamp Ranch of Marion County, established in 1851.

• Ford Farms of Lane County, established in 1852.

• Heater Family Farm of Marion County, established in 1852.

• Gabriel Johnson Trullinger/Friedrich Farm of Clackamas County, established in 1852.

• Birdseye Ranch of Jackson County, established in 1853.

• Jackson-Martinak Farm of Linn County, established in 1853.

• Rice Ranch of Linn County, established in 1853.

• Herrling-Arnold-Brock Farm of Linn County, established in 1854.

• McKay Farms, Inc. of Marion County, established in 1856.

Among those accepting a certificate recognizing the sesquicentennial designation was Jim Heater, whose family farm originally raised cattle, sheep, and hay but now is primarily producing Christmas trees.

"It's an honor to be recognized, but the credit should go more to the first two or three generations," says Heater. "Those were some pretty hard times. We're just thankful they made it through."

Getting into farming a century and a half ago was perhaps easier than today, keeping it going was often more challenging. Oregon farms date back to the Donation Land Act of 1850, a federal law that allowed 640 acres of free land to married couples and 320 acres to single men. Most of the early homesteads were in the rich and fertile Willamette Valley with others established in the Rogue and Umpqua valleys of southern Oregon.

One of the constants from back then to now is that farms were based on families. Communities were built around clusters of these farm families in the 1800s. Today, those family farms are spread out among all kinds of urban and residential development. Most everyone associated with these historic operations feels it is important for the non-agriculture community to play a role in preserving a special way of life.

"Oregon agriculture, even after 150 years, is still very much about family farms and ranches," says Glenn Mason, Program Coordinator of the Oregon Century Farm and Ranch Program. "We need to do whatever we can as consumers to support agriculture and do our part to help these family farms continue into the future."

As a kickoff to Oregon's 150th birthday to be celebrated next year, the sesquicentennial farm and ranch ceremony has been one way to show that support.