The Arkansas Agriculture Department (AAD) has opened the 2016 Century Farm program year to qualifying landowners. Century Farm families have owned and farmed the same land for at least 100 years. The Century Farm program honors Arkansas’ rich agricultural heritage; since its beginning in 2012 under the AAD, 297 farms and families have been certified.

To qualify as a certified Century Farm, farms must meet the following criteria:

There is no cost to apply for the Arkansas Century Farm program. Applications are open to any landowner that meets program qualifications. Landowners may submit 2016 applications electronically or by mail. Find application documents at aad.arkansas.gov, or call (501) 683-4851. Applications must be postmarked by May 31, 2016, to be eligible for designation in 2016.

Arkansas currently has over 44,000 farms on 13.8 million acres with the average farm size of 314 acres, according to the 2014 State Agriculture Overview from the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. Find a full list of all certified Century Farms from across Arkansas at aad.arkansas.gov.

The Arkansas Agriculture Department is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture and forestry to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation.