Centennial Farms Program Honors Legacy and LongevityOriginally published in Colorado History NOW, September/October 2007 
The annual Centennial Farms award ceremony is a simple affair. Awardees—the latest generation of families who have owned and operated farms or ranches for more than a century—gather on a stage at the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo. They receive certificates and listen to speeches made by representatives of the award’s backers, including the Colorado Historical Society, Colorado Department of Agriculture, Colorado State Fair, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation–Mountain Plains Office. Every year there is an understanding among those present that gives this low-key presentation special meaning. Sometimes it is spoken; sometimes it’s expressed only through applause. Running a family farm or ranch through boom and bust years, through drought and deluge, and through depressions and low prices is not just a praiseworthy accomplishment. It’s well-nigh heroic. Nineteen families received the award this year. Today’s economic pressures make the award even more significant. All over the state, agricultural properties are being converted to other uses. Our agricultural heritage is disappearing. The loss is particularly evident along the Front Range, but it’s happening everywhere. A few local governments have taken steps to preserve remnants of our agricultural history. One example can be found at the Harney-Lastoka Open Space in unincorporated Boulder County and next to the Mayhoffer Centennial Farm. Serving as a buffer between the growing communities of Louisville and Lafayette, the site embodies the area’s agricultural and mining heritage. Homesteaded in 1863, the land has been farmed ever since. But the land had value below ground as well. Coal was mined for several years at the Rex Mine No. 1. Understanding the property’s significance, the two cities and the county combined resources to acquire and manage the property. Historic Structure Assessments of the remaining structures supported by the State Historical Fund are helping the partners produce a preservation master plan. Future uses, in part, call for a community garden on the site. As changing land-use priorities and population growth are becoming the norm, the significance of the Centennial Farms program and related preservation efforts will become more evident. The work that local governments are doing to incorporate open space into their plans is helping to save a sense of place that preserves their agricultural identity—an identity established by the families of those few people who receive awards at a low-key event at the Colorado State Fair.
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