BackgroundIn 1986 the Colorado Centennial Farms program was created by Governor Richard D. Lamm, Colorado Historical Society and the Colorado Department of Agriculture to recognize the important role agriculture has played in our state's history and economic development. Today, the program is administered by the State Historical Fund, a program of the Colorado Historical Society. The Colorado Centennial Farms program was the first program of its kind in the nation to give a Historic Structures Award to families who have successfully preserved historic buildings on their farms and ranches. The National Trust for Historic Preservation provides this additional recognition. Why are Centennial Farms Important?Across the nation, family farms and ranches, historic barns and other agricultural sites are disappearing at an alarming rate. Yet in Colorado, the family farm and working cattle ranch serve as a reminder of how the West was settled. The contributions of Colorado's long-standing farm and ranch families are significant because generations of these families have withstood the pressures of growth, changes in farming methods, drought and economic conditions to preserve these important pieces of our state's commercial and cultural history. The Colorado Centennial Farms program not only illustrates the significance of agricultural sites to the development of Colorado, it also shows how vital these properties still are to the well-being of our state today. Colorado Centennial Farms provide open space and food, as well as support our state's economy and remind us of our past. 
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