The 2019 Iowa State Fair has officially kicked off, and one of the yearly events is the recognition of Century and Heritage Farm honorees.

This year, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation President Craig Hill, and Vice President Joe Heinrich will pay tribute to 485 farms around Iowa, including six from Dallas County. Each of the County’s honorees are being awarded the Century Farm designation, which means they’ve been owned and operated by one family for 100 years or more. Dallas doesn’t have any farms with the Heritage designation, which is for 150 years.

The six Dallas County Century Farm owners include: Robert and Carolyn Cornelison from Perry for 100 years; Linda (Eide) and Denis Ritzman from Perry for 136 years; Cheryl Hathaway from Minburn for 111 years; Killeen (Jensen) Spellman, Priscilla (Spellman) Dolch, and Joe and Samuel Spellman from Minburn for 119 years; Doris and Harold Snyder from Minburn for 118 years; and William, Bryan, and Cathrine Jennings from Van Meter for 103 years.

Honoring Century and Heritage Farms at the State Fair began in 1976 during the Nation’s Bicentennial celebration, and to date more than 21,000 farms have been given either designation. The ceremony to recognize this year’s honorees will be held Thursday, August 15th, starting at 8 a.m. and running throughout the day at the livestock pavilion.