Three Delaware families who have owned their farms for at least 100 years were honored as Century Farms on Tuesday.
With the inductions Tuesday, Delaware has 133 Century Farms, according to Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee.
“Our children and grandchildren depend upon farm families such as these to ensure that we are producing enough food to feed our nation,” said Kee. “These farms are a shining example of how our heritage, ingenuity and family spirit can truly make a difference in our culture and economy.”
The three families recognized Tuesday at the Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village were:
The Joseph family (Harry E. and Cheryl Joseph), which owns a 162-acre farm near Milton, in the family since 1915 and now producing grain, baby lima beans, sweet peas, and other products.
The Warfel family (Everett and Marlene Warfel), which owns an 115-acre farm near Greenwood, in the family since 1915 that is now producing timber.
The O’Neill family (Francis “Bud” and Linda O’Neill), which owns an 183-acre farm near Smyrna, in the family since 1916 and now producing corn, soybeans, wheat and barley. The O’Neill family also received the Historic Structures Award for buildings built before the 1916 purchase, including the main farmhouse, a milkhouse, smokehouse, and storage building. The original dinner bell is still in use today.
Tributes were also presented from local state legislators.
Century Farms must have been farmed 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.
