Six Delaware families that have owned their farms for at least 100 years have been honored as Century Farms.
The six families recognized last week were: The Merriken family, which owns a 404-acre family farm in Harrington. The Mitchell family, which owns Fox Chase Farms in Millsboro. The Ross family started with 72 acres in Clayton in 1915 and grew to 185 acres by 1960. The Smith family, which has been farming in Bridgeville for nearly 200 years. The Webb family owns a 72-acre farm in Frederica. And the Wilkins family 80-acre farm in Georgetown was purchased in 1913.
The ceremony included tributes from state lawmakers presented to the families honored.
State Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse says Century Farm families represent the true spirit of the Delaware Ag industry, weathering the ups and downs of farming to help keep agriculture a key part of the First State economy.
Century Farms must have been worked by the same family for at least 100 years and must include at least 10 acres of the original parcel or gross more than $10,000 annually in agricultural sales.
The Century Farm Awards have been presented annually since 1987 with 139 farms currently recognized.
