It's that time of the year again in Snohomish County, when local farming heritage gets its due respect and celebration. Officials have their eyes peeled for the next lineage of tillers of the soil to be inducted into their prestigious "Centennial Farm" club. This year marks the 23rd consecutive ceremony where one lucky family, whose ties to their land stretch back a century or more, will be spotlighted at the revered Evergreen State Fair.
Since inception, the county has dished out this honor to a diverse group of 41 farms. All of which, in keeping with the tradition, have been continuously yielding crops with the same bloodline calling the shots, as per the Snohomish County Office of Agriculture. Families big and small, tilling everything from petite parcels to sprawling acreages, have had their names etched in local legacy.
Linda Neunzig, Snohomish County Agricultural Coordinator, salutes the agricultural past pointing out that it's "an important aspect of our culture to celebrate". Through her statement to the county announcement, she narrated how the process isn't just about doling out recognition; it's about delving into and laying out the honorees' histories for all to see at the Fair.
Among those previously recognized, the Baileys, having grabbed the title back in 2013, voiced their pride. Don and Barbara Bailey underscored the county's gesture, asserting "it's really nice the County appreciates the farming community as an important part of what Snohomish County is all about," alluding to the evolving nature of agriculture. Ronnie Chew, honored in 2015 with his Chew Farm, reminisced about ancestral toils and cherished the assistance provided by the county in documenting their familial saga, according to a family history gathering helped by the county, according to the Snohomish County Office of Agriculture.
