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Illinois Heritage Farm Programs
The Illinois Heritage Farm Programs honor generations of farmers who have worked to maintain family farms in Illinois. To qualify as one of these farms, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal of collateral descendants for the required period. A centennial agribusiness must have been doing business under the same name or ownership for the required period.
A lineal descendant is a person in the direct line of descent, such as a child or a grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, or cousin.
Click on the sign below for more details on that program.
Centennial Farms
100 Years
Sesquicentennial Farms
150 Years
Bicentennial Farms
200 Years
Heritage Farms Commonly Asked Questions
Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair
For more information please contact:
Illinois Centennial / Sesquicentennial/Bicentennial Farms Program
Illinois Department of Agriculture Marketing and Promotions
State Fairgrounds
P. O. Box 19281
Springfield, Illinois 62794-9281
Phone: 217-557-6993
Email: AGR.CentFarms@illinois.gov
Centennial, Sesquicentennial & Bicentennial Farms
Centennial Farms
The Centennial Farms program honors generations of farmers who have worked to maintain family farms in Illinois. To qualify for Centennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 100 years. A lineal descendant is a person in the direct line of descent, such as a child or a grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin.
Sesquicentennial Farms
The Sesquicentennial Farms Program recognizes farms that have been held by descendants of the same family for 150 years or more. To qualify for Sesquicentennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 150 years. A lineal descendant is a person in the direct line of descent, such as a child or a grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin.
Bicentennial Farms
The Bicentennial Farms Program recognizes farms that have been held by descendants of the same family for 200 years or more. To qualify for Bicentennial Farm status, an agricultural property must have been owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 200 years. A lineal descendant is a person in the direct line of descent, such as a child or a grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece or cousin.