Fourteen family farms in Georgia were recognized as the state’s newest Centennial Farms during a ceremony at the Georgia National Fair on October 8, 2025. The event honored farm owners and their historic properties from the 2023 application year.
The ceremony was organized by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and cohosted by several organizations, including the Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia EMC, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, and Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter.
Centennial Farms are recognized for their continuous operation for 100 years or more, reflecting their role in Georgia’s economic, cultural, and family history. Since 1993, over 630 farms have received recognition through the Georgia Centennial Farm Program.
The program offers three types of awards. The Centennial Heritage Farm Award is given to farms owned by the same family for at least a century and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Farm Award requires that the farm be at least 100 years old and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The Centennial Family Farm Award is for farms owned by the same family for a century or more that are not listed in the National Register.
The 2025 recipients include Ash Farms in Effingham County for the Centennial Heritage Farm Award. The Centennial Family Farm Awards went to Stanford Farm at the Martin Homeplace (Coweta County), Lil’ Slice o’ Paradise (Dade and Walker Counties), HD Bailey Family Partnership (Dawson County), Striplin Lands LLC (Gordon County), Pendergast Hay Farm (Grady County), Home Place Farms (Hancock County), Hays Farm (Jackson County), P.K. Moore Farm (Lowndes County), Beck Farm (Madison County), Jenkins Family Historic Farm (Talbot County), Fielding Tall Pines (Thomas County), Carl J. Ray Farm (Tift County), and Jordan Farm (Washington County).
“Centennial Farms hold a central role in the heritage of our state, having formed the economic, cultural, and family foundation for generations of Georgians. All farms earning this recognition have continuously operated for 100 years or more.”
The Historic Preservation Division of the DCA is responsible for promoting the preservation and use of historic places in Georgia. Its programs include archaeology protection, environmental review, grants, surveys, tax incentives, listing on the National Register of Historic Places, community planning, and technical assistance.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs works with communities to support neighborhood development, economic growth, local government assistance, and affordable housing initiatives.
Anyone interested in nominating a farm for future recognition can find more information and application materials at https://dca.georgia.gov/community-assistance/historic-preservation/centennial-farms-program.
