History Colorado and the state Department of Agriculture will honor eight more farms and ranches with the state’s Centennial honor, recognizing those that have engaged in agriculture for at least 100 years. An additional two agriculture organizations are also set to be honored with new Centennial designations.

The list of eight honorees includes the Sterling farm of Republican state Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg. The honorees will be feted at the opening day of the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo Friday.

The new additions to the Centennial designation, which denote farms and ranches that have belonged to the same family for at least 100 years, and are currently a working farm or ranch:

• Vermillion Farm in Elbert County, founded in 1914
• Sonnenberg Farm in Logan County, founded in 1919
• Schmeeckle Farm in Weld County, founded in 1917
• Koeller Farm in Kiowa County, founded in 1921
• Dorenkamp and Harper Ranches in Prowers County, founded in 1920
• Curtis Ranch in Morgan County, founded in 1914
• Blake Ranch in Routt County, founded in 1905
• Johnson Reaphook Ranch in Mesa County, founded in 1900

The state agencies also announced changes to the Centennial program, adding categories that recognize the cultural and commercial sides of agricultural heritage and a honoree in each of the new categories.

Hirakata Farm in Otero County is the honoree the new category of Centennial Families, which honor those with ag experience in Colorado that spans 100 years or more though not necessarily as land owners. The farm has been in operation since 1915,

The Colorado Farm Bureau Federation, an organization founded in 1919, is the honoree in the new category of Centennial Agribusiness. The category honors those who have been in operation for 100 or more years and primarily serves that ag community in Colorado.

The Centennial recognition program began in 1986 and has since granted that designation to hundreds of farms and ranches in every Colorado county except for Denver, Summit, Pitkin and San Juan.

Past honorees have included farms and ranches belonging to former commissioner of agriculture and state Sen. Don Ament of Iliff; the Salazar family of Mosca, who include U.S. Rep. John Salazar, also a former state commissioner of agriculture, and former U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar; and former commissioner of agriculture Don Brown.