Watts Ranch to be Honored in Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program at Oregon State Fair

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Press release from the Oregon Farm Bureau.

oregon century farm & Ranch Program 2018 Awards

Salem, OR – At the annual awards ceremony at the Oregon State Fair, families from across the state will receive recognition for operating as Century or Sesquicentennial (150-year) Farm or Ranch.  The 2018 ceremony will be held on Saturday, August 25, 2018, at 11:00 am at the Oregon State Fair.  The public recognition ceremony and awards celebration will be held in the Picnic Grove Area. Please join us for this special event that celebrates Oregon’s agricultural heritage.

Twelve farms and ranches from eight different counties will be honored this year as Century Farms or Ranches and two farms reached Sesquicentennial status, bringing the total number of Oregon Century Farms and Ranches to 1,212 & Sesquicentennial to 41. 

The Century Farm and Ranch families being honored in 2018 are:

  • J.G. Kuenzi Farm, H.M.K : Founded in Marion County in 1917 by Johann Gottlieb (J.G. Kuenzi) Applicant is Kuenzi Brothers Farms, LLC—Lyle & Nelson Kuenzi
  • Watts Ranch: Founded in Klamath County in 1910 by James O. Watts. Applicant is James C. Watts.
  • Brown Farm: Founded in Morrow County in 1912 by Chris P. Brown. Applicant is Chris E. Brown
  • Wilsonview Dairy Inc.: Founded in Tillamook County in 1918 by Alfred Josi. Applicant is Don & Desi Josi and Derrick & Kaycee Josi.
  • Henry W. Jones Farm: Founded in Yamhill County in 1918 by Henry W. Jones. Applicants are Steven and Gretchen Jones.
  • Howard-Allstott Ranch: Founded in Umatilla County in 1884 by William M. Howard. Applicant is Richard & Dorothy Howard Allstott
  • Rockwell-Doherty: Founded in Umatilla County in 1906 by Seth H. Rockwell and wife Sarah Rockwell. Applicant is Brand X Ranch LLC—Richard Doherty
  • Tilla-Bay Farms, Inc.: Founded in Tillamook County by Fred Josi in 1918. Applicant is Bart, Terry, and Kurt Mizee
  • DeLano Farms: Founded in Clackamas County in 1916 by Hatsil O. DeLano. Applicants are Karen DeLano, Sharon DeLano, and Renata Squier.
  • Sandoz Farm: Founded in Wasco County in 1880 by Alphonse, Arnold, & Charles Sandoz. Applicant is Ted Sandoz.
  • Beitel Farm: Founded in Marion County in 1915 by Alois & Cecilia Beitel. Applicant is John Beitel.
  • Tideman Johnson Farm: Founded in Multnomah County in 1880 by Tideman & Olava Johnson. Applicant is Steve Johnson.

The Sesquicentennial Award program began in 2008 in honor of Oregon’s 150th birthday celebration.  Sesquicentennial awards recognize Oregon families who have continuously farmed portions of their original family acreage for 150 years or more. Forty-one families have now received this prestigious sesquicentennial award.

This Sesquicentennial families being honored in 2018 are:

  • Robinson Stilwell Taggart: Founded in Yamhill County in 1844 by Benjamin Robinson and Elizabeth Chrisman. Applicants are John & Lois Taggart.
  • Mullen Farms: Founded in Marion County in 1852 by Robert Keaton & Mary Mullen. Applicant is Gerald & Kathleen and James and Nadine Mullen.

Every Oregon farm and ranch has a unique history and special family story. The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch program encourages agriculture families to share, with a broader audience, these stories. By promoting family stories, rich cultural heritage is passed down to future generations while educating Oregonians about the social and economic impact of Oregon agriculture.  

The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program began in 1958 to honor farm and ranch families with century-long connections to the land. To qualify for a century or sesquicentennial award, interested families must follow a formal application process. Members of the Application Review Committee review each application against the qualifications, which include continuous family operation of the farm or ranch; a gross income from farm use of not less than $1,000 per year for at least three years out of five prior to application; and family members must live on or actively manage the farm or ranch activities. Application documentation may include photos, original deeds, personal stories, or other historic records. These records help support Oregon’s agricultural history by providing valuable information about settlement patterns or statistics on livestock and crop cycles. All documents are archived for public access.

Award winners receive a certificate signed by the Governor and Director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Historic roadside signs are imprinted with the founder’s name and the year the ranch or farm was established.

The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program is administered by the Oregon Farm Bureau Foundation for Education.  It is supported by a partnership among the Oregon Farm Bureau, the

State Historic Preservation Office, OSU University Archives, and by generous donations of Oregonians.  

For information about the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program, contact Andréa Kuenzi, Program Coordinator, at 503-400-7884 or cfr@oregonfb.org.  

The application deadline for 2019 is May 1.