Georgia recognized fourteen family farms as the newest Centennial Farms at the annual Centennial Farm Awards Ceremony, which took place at the Georgia National Fair on October 8, 2025. The event was organized by the Historic Preservation Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, with support from the Georgia Farm Bureau, Georgia Department of Agriculture, Georgia EMC, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, and the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter.
The Centennial Farm Program honors farms that have been in operation for at least 100 years. Since its start in 1993, more than 630 farms have received recognition through the program. There are three types of awards: the Centennial Heritage Farm Award for family-owned farms over a century old that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places; the Centennial Farm Award for 100-year-old farms listed in the National Register; and the Centennial Family Farm Award for family-owned farms over a century old that are not listed in the National Register.
The 2025 Centennial Heritage Farm Award was presented to Ash Farms in Effingham County. The Centennial Family Farm Awards were given 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).
Anyone interested in nominating a farm for next year’s recognition can download an application from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs website or contact the Historic Preservation Division by email. The deadline for applications is May 1 each year.
The Historic Preservation Division serves as the state historic preservation office and works to promote the preservation and use of historic places across Georgia. Its programs include archaeology protection, environmental review, grants, surveys, tax incentives, and technical assistance.
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs supports communities through economic development, local government assistance, affordable housing programs, and other initiatives aimed at building strong neighborhoods and commercial areas. More information is available on their website: https://dca.georgia.gov.
