More than 100 farm and ranch families who have owned their land for a century or more were honored at the South Dakota State Fair, receiving a Century Farm or Quasquicentennial Farm award from the South Dakota Farm Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.

This year, 67 families were honored with the Century award for 100 years of ownership and 44 were honored with the Quasquicentennial award for 125 years of family ownership. More than 80 of the families were able to be in attendance for the awards ceremony, held at the fair on Sept. 3 on the Farm Bureau Dakotaland Stage. Each family had the opportunity to say a few words about their farm or ranch as they were presented their award by Lucas Lentsch, South Dakota Secretary of Agriculture, and Scott VanderWal, President of the South Dakota Farm Bureau.

“Agriculture might appear much different today than it did a century or 125 years ago, but the heart of agriculture has not changed—farmers and ranchers who are proud to care for the land and the livestock, their families and communities. South Dakota is built on the hard work, faith, and perseverance of these farm and ranch families. On behalf of Farm Bureau, I offer our congratulations to each and every one of these deserving people,” VanderWal commented.

Secretary Lentsch added, “It is a true honor to meet all of these families who’ve been able to keep farms in their family for 100 years, 125 years or even longer, and to hear their stories,” Secretary Lentsch added. “These families are the backbone of agriculture in South Dakota. It’s a privilege to serve them and all of South Dakota’s farm and ranch families.”

Since the program began in 1984, South Dakota Farm Bureau and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture have honored more than 2,880 farm and ranch families with these awards. To be recognized, at least 80 acres of the original land must have been continuously owned by the same family, and they must be able to provide proof of the original date of purchase.

 

View photos of all of the families on our Flickr page!

Century Farm Family photo album
Quasquicentennial Farm Family photo album




2015 Century Farm Awards

Farm name (if applicable) – Owner or Owners – Location of the land (town or county)

  1. Keith and Marie Andersen – Burdock
  2. Lowell and Marilyn Bach – Watertown
  3. Arvid and Elvina Boerger – Twin Brooks
  4. Bosse Farm (Dean Bosse) – Elk Point
  5. Armadale Farms, Inc. (LeRoy Braun and Doug Braun) – Mellette
  6. Milford and Gail Brock – Hitchcock
  7. Buchholz Ranch (Ramona Buchholz) – Philip
  8. Ferguson Farm (Wilma A. Ferguson Buffington) – Artesian
  9. Thomas Casper Cassutt – Ramona
  10. Loren Cole and Kelly Cole – Platte
  11. Danielson Farm (Ethelyn J. Fossum and David L. Danielson) – Canton
  12. Alicia M. Dickson-Boyd – Mission
  13. Shamrock Farms, Inc. (Louis Duffy) – Oldham
  14. Dutton Ranch (Mel Dutton, David Dutton, Daryle Dutton, Linda Anders) – Faith
  15. Connie L. Earley, B. Jean Eckmann, Ervin J. Eckmann – Beadle County
  16. Connie L. Earley, B. Jean Eckmann, Ervin J. Eckmann – Beadle County
  17. Richard Ensz and Bonnie Ensz DeNino – Bridgewater
  18. Ericsson Farm (Clyde Erisson, Anita Ericsson Cross, Joyce Ericsson Nimis) – Salem
  19. Evjen Ranch (Orville Evjen) – Prairie City
  20. The Henry Fauth Family Farm (Lynn Fauth) – Emery
  21. Milton and Elaine Freier – Dimock
  22. William G. Freimuth, Mary E. Cimperman, Alice A. Schmidt – Marion
  23. Thomas C. French, Randy and LeeAnn Freng – Mission Hill
  24. Margie Garner – Parker
  25. Robert and Roberta Gehlsen – Winner
  26. Douglas and Vicky (Crockett) Gerlach – Mt. Vernon
  27. Graf Family Farm (Robert W. Graf) – Houghton
  28. David L. Green – Meade County
  29. James D. Green – Meade County
  30. Hansen Family Estate (Steven Hansen) – Clear Lake
  31. Charles and Karen Harr – Zell
  32. Larry and Cynthia Heinz – Onaka
  33. Lillian Horton and Richard Horton – Wall
  34. Ralph and Carol Hurlbert – Raymond
  35. Perry Robert Johnson – Flandreau
  36. Kayser Farms (Gregory Kayser) – Alexandria
  37. KenBel, Inc. (Bruce, Dale & Neil Hoogestraat and Linda Bartels) – Chancellor
  38. Todd H. Koester – Redfield
  39. Gary E. and Nancy D. Krein – Eureka
  40. Larry and Karolyn Langerock – Marion
  41. Andrew and Rebecca Larson – Summit
  42. Rolfe Ludtke – Webster
  43. Lori and James Maher – Rutland
  44. Kevin and Crystal (Bachmann) Manthey – Bonesteel
  45. Larry and Fern Marie Mattke – Huron
  46. Raymond Metter – Beadle County
  47. Chris Nebelsick – Mitchell
  48. Daniel and Michele Neises – Carthage
  49. JoAnne Nelson and Norvin Brown Jr. – Meade County
  50. Joyce G. Nelson – Britton
  51. Larry Nelson – Lake Norden
  52. Kathy Niles – Revillo
  53. Dan Pease – Chamberlain
  54. Wemmering Century Farm (Ramona Pesek) – Goodwin
  55. Michael Raml and Robert F. Raml – Goodwin
  56. Richard L. Roeber – Tulare
  57. Lowell and Sharon Schwenn – Corona
  58. Sealey Farm (John and Agnes Sealey) – Clay County
  59. Ernst Schlueter Homestead (John A. Schlueter) – McCook County
  60. Richard, Brett and Lee Sinkie – Gann Valley
  61. John Smith – Burke
  62. John Smith – Hudson
  63. Verlin Tollefson – Hitchcock
  64. Richard Wagner – Tulare
  65. David and Jodi Wensing – Florence
  66. Robert and Jennifer Weyrich – Sturgis
  67. Dennis and Gwen Zelfer – Scenic

2015 Quasquicentennial Farm Awards

Farm name (if applicable) – Owner or Owners – Location of the land (town or county)

  1. Hans T. Ablid Homestead (Vernon Ablid, Carlan Westre, Richard Ablid, Kari Stormo Dolge, Eric Stormo) – Wakonda
  2. Anderson Homestead (James and Diane Anderson) – Hayti
  3. Wayne and Susan Beatty – Volin
  4. Carsten M. Bergheim – Madison
  5. Bien Farm (Neil Bien) – Veblen
  6. V. Dean Brakke – Presho
  7. Caba Farms (Robert Caba) – Tabor
  8. Delmer J. Dooley – Ramona
  9. Brad and Skyla (Hofer) Dowden – Freeman
  10. David and Sandy Elofson – Minnehaha County
  11. Family of Paul Gross (Mary Ann, Mark, and Jeral Gross) – Bridgewater
  12. Doug and Jeanne Hanson – Elk Point
  13. Gloria Henglefelt – Alexandria
  14. L.M. Johnson Farm (Craig L. Johnson) – Volin
  15. Lynn and Dawn Johnsen – Wessington
  16. James and Debra Kokes – Tabor
  17. Ronald Krier – Emery
  18. Ron and Gail Larson – Gettysburg
  19. Russ and Pam Layton – Huron
  20. Layle Evans Family (Dianne Evans Lee) – Conde
  21. Richard, Douglas and Calvin Luebke – Parkston
  22. MTDH, LLC (David W. Hosley, Merritt Hosley, Timothy Hosley) – Groton
  23. Thomas H. Malloy – Union County
  24. Gulbrand Heggen Family (Barbara Heggen Marsh) – Garretson
  25. Joseph Morrison and Rose Mutziger – Armour
  26. Bruce and Rita Nelson – Carthage
  27. Art and Judy Ollila – Vale
  28. David W. Pitts and Gary D.H. Pitts – Ramona
  29. Gail and Leland Roe – Hazel
  30. Calvin L. Rosenbaum – Jefferson
  31. Rybak Family Farm (Daniel and Melissa Rybak, Michael and Rebecca Rybak) – Brule County
  32. Ronald and Geraldine Schauer – McPherson County
  33. Terrance J. and Carol M. Scheel – Alpena
  34. Dwain Scheetz – Mt. Vernon
  35. Polak Family Farm (Keith and Linda Polak Schroeder) – Tulare
  36. Richard R. Schwanke, Jr. – Bemis
  37. Larkin L. Lovejoy Homestead (Eric Stormo and Kari Stormo Dolge) – Wakonda
  38. Karen, Haven and Lauren Stuck – Spink County
  39. Karen, Haven and Lauren Stuck – Spink County
  40. Kenneth Vilhauer – Hosmer
  41. Troy Walraven – Meckling
  42. Margaret Schaefer Wedell – Wessington Springs
  43. James R. and Ruth Williams – Wakonda
  44. Mrs. Vincent T. Williams – Bath