WASHINGTON—A website that celebrates U.S. farms operated by the same families for 100 years or more has launched at agricultureslastingheritage.org.

Created by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, America’s Lasting Heritage lets visitors access comprehensive lists of each state’s "century farms." Virginia has more than 1,100 such farms, and the Virginia Century Farm Program is administered by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

The site also includes video and written profiles of farming and ranching families and an interactive timeline of American history and agriculture. Additional century farm families can submit their own profiles for inclusion on the site.

"Farms and ranches that have been in the same family, and supporting family members and local communities, for generations stand as testament to the true sustainable character of American agriculture today," said AFBFA President Bob Stallman, also president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "Farmers and ranchers, by nature, are always committed to leaving the land in better condition for the next generation."

Virginia Century Farms must have been owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years; be lived on or farmed by a descendant of the original owner; and gross more than $2,500 annually from the sale of farm products or be recognized for a genuine silvicultural purpose at the discretion of VDACS. Details and an application are available at vdacs.virginia.gov/century/index.shtml.

Contact Tracy Taylor Grondine, 202-406-3642, or Mace Thornton, 202-406-3641, AFBF public relations