The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has two programs that recognize the long-standing farms in our state — the Century Farm Program and the Bicentennial Farm Program. Bicentennial Farms are Century Farms that have maintained continuous family ownership for 200 years or more. This is an incredible accomplishment within the agriculture community. It takes a lot of hard work and a dedicated family lineage to keep a farm flourishing for longer than the N.C. Department of Agriculture’s existence, having been established by the N.C. General Assembly in 1877. The oldest farm listed on the department’s directory dates back to 1733 when the United States was still the thirteen colonies of the British Empire, but that’s not the only one with such an impressive history. In celebration of the Fourth of July, we’re highlighting the following 28 farms that have been in North Carolina families since before the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776:
- Hill Taylor Farm: Elizabeth Anne Taylor (Duplin, 1733)
- Gilmore-Patterson: Russell Patterson (Robeson, 1735)
- Stalcup-Page-Jackson Farm: Gary L. Jackson (Caswell, 1743)
- John Sutton Family Farm: Joe P. Sutton, PhD, Connie J. Sutton (Lenoir, 1748)
- Foscue Family Farm: Brenda Foscue, John R. Foscue Jr. (Jones, 1750)
- The Bingham Homestead: Glenda B. Miller (Cleveland, 1751)
- Watson-Barnes Farm: Elvin Sanford Barnes (Wilson, 1751)
- Kendall W. Isley and Lisa R. Isley (Alamance, 1752)
- Hogan Family Farm: William Christopher Hogan (Orange, 1755)
- West Home Place: Wesley Hairr (Sampson, 1755)
- Burt Farms: John F. Burt (Wake, 1756)
- Mount View Farm: A. Gordon Neville (Orange, 1756)
- Historic Knox Farm: Ben Knox (Rowan, 1758)
- J.C. Rowland Farms, LLC: Martha Rowland Fish, Julia Rowland Yeargan, Virginia Rowland Miller (Wake, 1761)
- Egerton/Thornton/Davis: John William Davis Jr. (Warren, 1762)
- Ferguson Family: Sharon Carter Underwood (Wilkes, 1762)
- Frost Farm: Ina Kamenz, Donald Kamenz (Davie, 1762)
- Sandling Farm: Alta D. Sandling, Walter N. Sandling (Franklin, 1762)
- The Wendell Miller Farm: Danny James Harwood (Rowan, 1762)
- The Hinnant Family Farm: Willard P. Hinnant Jr. (Johnston, 1763)
- Oak Crest Farm: Lee Chandler and Laura Chandler (Vance, 1765)
- Shirley Schreiner Yetman and C.W. Vincent Homeplace: Deborah G. Yetman Larsen, Ashley P. Yetman (Northampton, 1766)
- Susan Elizabeth Baker (Jones, 1767)
- Sigmon Farms: John D. Sigmon (Catawba, 1768)
- Abner Nelson-Garland F. Purser Farm: Garland F. Purser (Craven, 1772)
- Glosson Family Farm: John Glosson (Chatham, 1774)
- O.D. Fountain Farm: Crandall L. Fountain (Duplin, 1774)
- Davis Double Century Farm: James G. Davis, Gerry G. Davis, Peggy D. Moseley, Nora D. Finch (Wayne, 1776)
For the full list of Bicentennial Farms in North Carolina, visit https://www.ncagr.gov/divisions/public-affairs/bicentennial-farm-program/public-affairs-bicentennial-farm-directory.