Three more Century Farms recognized in Cape Girardeau County

Since the inception of the Missouri Century Farms program in 1976, 144 farms have been recognized in Cape Girardeau County for being owned by the same family for 100 or more consecutive years.

Other requirements necessary for the honor are the present farm must consist of no fewer than 40 acres of the original and the business of farming must make a financial contribution to overall farmstead income.

The information was included in a 14-page 2021 annual report presented by the University of Missouri Extension's Genevieve Mendoza to the Cape Girardeau County Commission on Monday.

Mendoza said three farms in the county are the newest to make the century list.

• Rohde Farm, Jim and Debbie Rohde of Friedheim.
• Heise-Vines Farm, Bob and Joyce (Heise) Vines of Cape Girardeau.
• Hitt Farm LLC, Frances Hitt and Verna Lancaster of Cape Girardeau.

More information may be found on the website www.extension.missouri.edu/programs/century-farms.

Another designation

Oliver Farms in Cape Girardeau has been recognized in the Missouri Extension report as being one of the Show Me State's Founding Farms, established in 1819, two years before Missouri gained statehood.

Current owners of the farmstead are Oliver Kuhnmuench, Barbara C. Oliver, David Oliver Jr. and Anne Bearden Oliver.

"As part of the Century Farm program in 2021, [the Extension] recognized a special category of 30 Founding Farms — Century Farms that have been in the same family continuously since 1821 or earlier," according to the website.