Farms in Lehigh, Montgomery, Perry, Union Counties Named Centennial and Bicentennial Farms
Harrisburg, PA – Today at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding honored six families whose farms had been in the same family for more than 100 years. Among the farms recognized was Robert F. Cochran's Chester County farm, only the second in the state to reach the Tricentennial Farm milestone. Other farms recognized were in Lehigh, Montgomery, Perry, and Union counties.
"These families represent the best in Pennsylvania agriculture," Secretary Redding said. "Reflecting the 2024 Farm Show theme, Connecting Our Communities, they have been uniting and feeding our communities for generations. They are connecting future generations to their legacy."
Since the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture started the Century Farm program in 1977 and the Bicentennial Farm program in 2004, over 2,300 Century and Bicentennial Farms have received the honor.
Farms recognized today include:
Chester County
Robert F. Cochran, Jr., Cochranville, established 1724
In a town named after their family, Robert Cochran's family farm endures as a significant tribute to 300 years of local history. Today, 120 acres of the original farm remain in the Cochran family, who preserved the farmland in 2003, ensuring that the farm will remain a farm and not be sold to developers.
Perry County
James William Stambaugh, Elliotsburg, established 1788
Initially purchased for 800 British pounds, the Stambaugh's 236-year-old family farm includes the original farmhouse, barn, springhouse, and wash house.
Perry County
Linda K. Smith-Gutshall-Young, Loysville, established 1794
Ten generations after the first purchase of farmland, Linda Smith-Gutshall-Young 's family raises goats and turkeys on 113 acres of the original plot.
Union County
Bret & Mary Moyer, Winfield, established 1797
Bret Moyer's six times great grandfather, a second lieutenant in the Revolutionary War, purchased 117 acres of farmland, 100 of which are still in use today.
Montgomery County
Scott & Sharon Melanson, Telford, established 1922
The Melanson family preserved all 52 original acres of their century farm in 2020. They grow corn, soybeans, and pumpkins.
Lehigh County
Klusaritz Family Farm, Slatington, established 1923
In addition to farming 65.8 of the original 75 acres of their farm, the Klusartiz family maintain many of the 100-year-old buildings for their hay and straw operation.
Farms owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years are eligible to be named a Pennsylvania Century Farm. A family member must live on the farm, and the property must include at least 10 acres of the original farm or earn more than $1,000 annually from sales of farm products.
In December 2023, the department announced that the Shapiro Administration had invested $46.3 million over the year to protect 166 farms forever from development For more on Pennsylvania's work to protect more 632,000 acres of prime farmland and the PA Department of Agriculture's investments in our $132.5 billion agriculture industry, visit agriculture.pa.gov.
For the latest Farm Show news, visit farmshow.pa.gov or follow PA Farm Show on Facebook and Instagram.
Note: Photos from today's event will be available at pacast.com and in the Farm Show photo gallery.
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