Caneta Skelley Hankins
Century Farms of Williamson County: Challenges, Changes, and Choices is an account of the significance of agriculture, in the past and present, in one of the fastest growing areas of Tennessee. This publication focuses on the stories of 44 farms that have been owned by the same family for at least 100 years, some for 150 and others 200 years or more. These historic properties represent every farm and farm family in Tennessee and its number one industry-agriculture. Designated as Tennessee Century Farms, these remarkable places are part of a fifty-year-old program begun by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture and administered by the Center for Historic Preservation at Middle Tennessee State University. The program, now in its fiftieth year, includes more than 2000 farms across the state. The Williamson County farms, dating from 1785 to 1922, are Illustrated with nearly 400 images of people, buildings, crops, livestock, and landscapes, both historic and contemporary. The narratives follow the farm families from those individuals who established the farms to the current owners. Today’s farmers offer their perspective on some of the challenges of farming in the rapidly developing county and share how they hope to ensure their farm remains in family. Through these stories, readers, including those removed from agriculture by one or more generations, are offered compelling reasons to intentionally work towards preserving farmland and supporting farmers who contribute daily to the economy and a local and safe food supply.
