CORVALLIS, Ore. - Oregon State University has been selected to host the records and database of the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program, which contains century and sesquicentennial farm and ranch applications.

The Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program was established in 1958 to honor the state's rich agricultural heritage by awarding farm and ranch families with sesquicentennial and century-long connections to the land. To date, 1,117 families have formally received the "Century" designation and 22 families have received the "Sesquicentennial" award.  

Larry Landis, the university archivist at OSU, says the records paint a picture about the way agriculture has shaped Oregon.

"The Century Farm and Ranch Program applications offer vital information not only about the historical, but also the social and economic development of Oregon farms and ranches, which have helped shape Oregon's identity as a state," Landis said.

The collection will be made available to the public, something that meshes well with OSU's land grant mission and University Archives' efforts to digitize important Oregon documents and photographs. The database and the records are especially of interest to OSU because the information they contain support OSU's natural resources digital library, Oregon Explorer (see http://oregonexplorer.info/), which is a collaboration between the OSU Libraries and the Institute for Natural Resources.  

The materials also will enhance the Rural Communities Explorer portal (http://oregonexplorer.info/rural), and will support new portals to be developed in the near future, especially those pertaining to agriculture.  

University Archives at OSU is responsible for developing and managing unique collections of records, manuscripts, and photographs that provide the official documentation of the university. Among its holdings are significant collections documenting natural resources history and issues in Oregon, particularly in agriculture and forestry.  

For more information on accessing the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program records at OSU Libraries, contact the University Archives at 541-737-2761 or [email protected] or contact Sharon Leighty, Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program Coordinator at 503-400-7884 or [email protected].

Source: 

Larry Landis, 541-737-0540

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