Pioneer Farms Honored at Tennessee Farmland Legacy Conference

NASHVILLE - Governor Phil Bredesen, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and the Middle Tennessee State University Center for Historic Preservation today honored Tennessee’s oldest farms at a luncheon during the Tennessee Farmland Legacy Conference. Pioneer farms are farms founded in or before 1796 that have remained in the same family and in continuous agricultural production.

“These farms are among Tennessee’s most significant rural landscapes and each generation, in its own way and time, has contributed to our prosperity and quality of life,” said Governor Bredesen. “The state is proud of its agricultural heritage, and these Century Farms give us an enduring link to the past and a rich legacy for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”

Pioneer farms are part of the Tennessee Century Farms Program administered by the MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and supported by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture. CFP was started in 1975 by the department in honor of the nation’s bicentennial celebration. The program identifies, documents and recognizes farms owned by the same family for at least 100 years. To date, there are more than 1200 certified Century Farms in Tennessee.

“It’s appropriate that we take time to honor our state’s oldest farms and recognize their contributions to the economy, environment and quality of life we enjoy in Tennessee,” said Givens. “Not only are we preserving the past, but we’re helping to ensure the future of these farms by keeping them profitable and giving farm owners options for keeping their farms.”

The first annual Tennessee Farmland Legacy Conference brought together a diverse group of stakeholders for presentations on farm estate planning, property taxes and conservation easements for landowners and planning techniques that protect farmland while not hindering economic growth for community leaders. Presenters explained how communities and farmers can both benefit from working together.

The conference was hosted by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, Tennessee Department of Tourism, The Lyndhurst Foundation, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Land Trust for Tennessee, Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation, USDA Rural Development, UT Center for Profitable Agriculture, MTSU Center for Historic Preservation and Cumberland Region Tomorrow.

Listing of Pioneer Farms by county attached

For more information, visit www.picktnproducts.org/legacy.