Each summer, the state’s agricultural community pauses to honor multi-generational farms and ranches that have remained in the same family for 100 years or more. The South Dakota Farm Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources are accepting applications for the Century Farm program through Aug. 1, with recognition scheduled at the South Dakota State Fair.
Who qualifies and how to apply
To be eligible, the property must have been owned by a member of the same family for 100, 125 or 150 years, must encompass at least 80 acres, and applicants must provide documentation that shows the date of the original purchase. Applications and supporting records must be mailed to the South Dakota Farm Bureau office to be considered.
- Deadline for mailed applications: Aug. 1
- Mailing address: South Dakota Farm Bureau, 2225 S. Dakota Ave., Huron, SD 57350
- Application form: available online at sdfbf.org/Get-Involved/Century-Farms
- Questions or a mailed application: call 605-354-4885
Recognized families will be celebrated on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 10 a.m. on the South Dakota Farm Bureau’s Dakotaland Stage during the state fair in Huron.
Program history and scale
The Century Farm program has been running since 1984 and has identified thousands of long-standing family operations across South Dakota. As of this year:
| Designation | Minimum years in family | South Dakota count |
|---|---|---|
| Century Farm | 100 years | 3,218 |
| Quasquicentennial Farm | 125 years | 514 |
| Sesquicentennial Farm | 150 years | 24 |
Those numbers reflect the program’s role in documenting continuity and the deep agricultural roots many families maintain in the state.
Stories held in the paperwork
Program coordinator Julie King Fritzsche, who works with the Farm Bureau on Century Farms, said part of what makes the recognition meaningful is the chance to meet families and hear their accounts of change, hardship and persistence.
"It is so exciting to meet these families and hear their stories. I could talk to them forever."
Those personal histories often accompany the paperwork: original deeds, purchase receipts, or other documents that establish the date of acquisition. For some applicants, pulling those records together is straightforward; for others it can be a genealogical and archival project spanning county courthouses and old family trunks.
Why this matters locally
Recognizing Century Farms is more than ceremonial. The designations document continuity of land stewardship and contribute to local histories, county records and community identity. In counties across South Dakota, a Century Farm designation can become part of a family’s narrative at reunions, in school projects and in local museum exhibits.
For younger family members deciding whether to pursue agriculture as a career, the recognition can also serve as a prompt for conversation about succession planning, conservation practices and the financial realities of operating a modern farm on inherited land.
Practical tips for applicants
- Start with county deed records to confirm the date of original purchase.
- Gather a copy of the deed or equivalent documentation to include with the application.
- If records are scarce, contact the Farm Bureau office to request help or to have an application mailed.
Applicants who need a printed form or further assistance can call Fritzsche at 605-354-4885 to request materials. Completed applications and documentation must arrive at the Farm Bureau office by mail; digital submissions are not accepted.
Honorees will be invited to the South Dakota State Fair ceremony where families receive recognition and the state records another chapter of its agricultural heritage.
For many, the Century Farm title is a simple mark of endurance — proof that land, labor and family ties have sustained a way of life through changing times.
