March 7, 2019 Episode.

As you have driven along the backroads of Oregon, you've probably seen a sign similar to the one pictured here standing off the roadway. Did you wonder what it signified or how it came to be posted in that location?  We have seen several such signs along the rural roadsides in Marion and Polk Counties. As we are showcasing our agricultural heritage this year, we thought we would see if we could find the answers to these questions. Lo and behold, not only did we discover a lot of information about this program sponsored by the Oregon Farm Bureau, but we learned that a friend of our show would be most happy to come and talk with our listeners about this special heritage award.

Andy Zimmerman of the Oregon Department of Agriculture arrived at our studio to represent this program that annually recognizes farms and ranches that have been in continuous family ownership and operation for at least 100 years, hence the Centennial tag. Additionally, the program has begun recognizing some in operation even longer, the Sesquicentennial farms in family ownership for 150 years! You may remember Andy from a 2018 episode regarding his newspaper articles about Salem's history, "Statesman-Journal Time Capsules."  Same guy, different hat.

Instituted in 1958 in preparation for the 1959 Oregon State Centennial observance, this program was designed to recognize the importance of agriculture in our history as well as current times. Over the years since that first Centennial focus, some 1,212 farms have been designated as a Centennial Farm-Ranch, and 40 have been designated as Sesquicentennial Farms-Ranches. Thirty-five of Oregon's 36 counties have at least one farm officially designated. Deschutes County in eastern Oregon is the lone holdout, and Andy hinted that this just may be remedied this year.

There are specific criteria to be addressed and considered when reviewing an application for designation.  The family must prove legal ownership of the property, document that it was under the same family ownership for at least 100 years, and demonstrate that the farm produced a gross profit of at least $1000 per year. A committee made up of folks from across the state reviews the applications, with an average of 12 farms receiving the award each year.  Andy explained that there are several similar programs across the nation, each with its own character--some are ongoing, like Oregon's, and others honored farms for specific events. ​

So why would a family want to be named as a Century Farm/Ranch? There are no tax incentives, as there are with certain historic property designations. What it does do is recognize the planning, determination and hard work that is required to survive in this form of business over these many years, all the while building a family's legacy and living its history.  At the award presentation held at the State Fair in August each year, whole extended families come together to receive the award and celebrate the "grit" gene that flows through their bloodlines. 

If you would like to learn more about this program, check out the Century Farms website. There you can find a list of the farms and ranches throughout the state and, better yet, the narratives submitted by the families who have been recognized over the last several years. 

~~Posted by Deb Meaghers

February 7 & 15, 2019 Episodes.

The vast majority of the folks who desired to settle in the West were looking for opportunities to own their own land and raise crops to support their families. The fertile Willamette Valley with its mild climate and ample water supply drew many from the eastern United States as well as those from much farther away.  Recently we spoke with Greg & Judy (Ditchen) Bennett whose family has been farming onions and other crops in the Lake Labish/Labish Center area of northeast of Salem for five generations. 

Greg accounts that his family moved from Wisconsin c1900 after hearing about this amazingly fertile valley. His great-grandparents, Irving "I.D." & Antoinette "Jim" Bennett first raised loganberries on acreage on Savage Road, north of Asylum Avenue (now Center Street). They later moved to the Labish Center area to grow the latest trend in food crops, onions.  As once typical with farming families, each succeeding generation continued working and expanding the family farm, and now Greg & Judy's two sons are farming with them, as well as establishing independent farms raising blueberries and hazelnuts. Their family has been recognized for their efficient farming practices and longevity. You might want to check out this video about their family and business.

Judy is also well experienced in farm life. Her family, the Ditchens, came to the Gervais area north of Salem from Romania in the 1800s. Other family members immigrated and joined them to farm in the surrounding area. Each son received a portion of the farmland at marriage. Judy's immediate family still farms in the North Howell area east of Salem.

When asked how farming had changed since his childhood, Greg explained that crop rotation and soil quality were major change factors. Initially crops were repeatedly replanted until all the nutrients in the soil were exhausted; then the farmer would seek different acreage to plant the same crop again. Now they plan years in advance which fields will be planted with which crop so that the nutrients are being replaced for the future. Additionally, there are now efficient ways to test soil quality and determine what amendments might benefit soil health.  Farm equipment like tractors and harvesters have become fuel efficient and computer-assisted. Even the weekly chore of moving irrigation pipes to new areas has been superseded by permanent drip-line systems that are managed from a computer hub.

Family farms have grown into modern businesses, "manufacturing plants without walls," as Greg puts it, utilizing all the management and marketing skills of any other industry. Trade organizations focusing on specific crops have developed, providing support in many forms for their members. The Bennetts are very active in the National Onion Association, as well as Future Farmers of America (FFA) and other local organizations promoting agricultural opportunities for youth.

The picture to the left showing I.D. and Antoinette "Jim" Bennett (the first generation) with their grandchildren (the third generation), was most likely taken by their son (the second generation). The picture below shows the fourth and fifth, and probably the sixth, generations of Bennetts who still follow in the footsteps and tractor ruts made so many years ago.  We are all indebted to their dedication to provide food for the people of Oregon, and the larger world.

As we've found with other long-time area residents, Judy & Greg are friendly folks, eager to tell a humorous family story or share a personal recollection. You only have to ask one question to get them started, but you'll learn so much more than just the answer.