In the story of Virginia’s rural heritage, every historical farm is a setting for life’s dramas. Those farms encompass births and deaths, new ventures, failures, economic gain and loss, and changes—to the land, the industry and the family. A lot can happen in 100-plus years.

A state program was established by the General Assembly in 1997 to recognize those properties in the official record. Over 1,500 farms today are officially designated as Virginia Century Farms, though Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Office officials say more qualify.

Jennifer Perkins, coordinator of the VDACS Office of Farmland Preservation, said there are more farms that qualify.

“Agriculture is such an essential part of who we are as Virginians,” Perkins said. “If you’ve made it 100 years or more, it’s a huge accomplishment that ties into our history.”

Spring Garden Farm, Louisa County

Spring Garden Farm was the site of a corn, grain and produce operation and where Richard Anderson “Dickie” Trice III was born in its stately historic house in August 1938.

Perhaps named for freshwater springs on its original 180 acres in Louisa County, Spring Garden Farm has been inhabited by six generations of the same family since 1807.

Trice had cancer and died at home in April 2020.

“His circle of life began and ended at Spring Garden Farm,” said Trice’s wife of almost 55 years, Charlotte. “We put his bed next to the windows where he could see the barn, fields and lake. I’m so glad we kept him here, especially when the nursing homes closed to visitors. He loved this farm.”

Charlotte didn’t leave his side. And even in his absence, she’s staying in the Spring Garden Farm house, which the couple renovated years ago. The home is a historical show piece enhanced with all the modern comforts.

The farm was honored with a Virginia Century Farm designation about 10 years ago.

Spring Garden became a waterfront farm in 1972 with Dominion Energy’s creation of Lake Anna—a decision that Richard Trice II and other nearby farmers publicly opposed. Spring Garden Farm was a 200-head dairy at the time, and 40 acres of it was lost in the new lake, splitting its grazing land and creating a 13-mile detour. That parcel of land eventually was sold to a developer.

“The older generations didn’t like the lake so much, but we got a boat and enjoyed it,” Charlotte recalled. “I’ve always loved the water. I often asked Dickie, ‘Why don’t we buy a place at Nag’s Head?’ We lucked out. All of a sudden the water came to us.”

Trice stopped farming about five years before his health declined. A tenant farmer now plants corn and soybeans on the land overlooking Lake Anna’s glittering Elk Creek.

“I told him he can’t ever plant corn between me and the lake,” Charlotte said. “He’ll tease me and say, ‘I’ve got some short corn I can plant.’ And I say, ‘No, it wouldn’t be short enough!’”

Greenfields Farm, Isle of Wight County

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

After 121 years, members of the Butler family are still farming on Greenfields Farm in Isle of Wight County. John Thomas “Johnny” Butler Jr.’s great-grandfather, Stephen Thomas Butler, started the 333-acre farm in 1900, using a grubbing hoe to clear the land.

Today, Johnny and his sons, Thomas and Gregory, and his grandson, Samuel, use modern machinery to plant, grow and harvest corn, cotton, hay, peanuts, soybeans and wheat, and raise over 200 head of cattle.

On this Virginia Century Farm, the work may not look the same as it did at the turn of the century, but the dedication to the land and the passion for farming does.

“Either we love what we’re doing or we haven’t learned to do anything else,” quipped Thomas Butler, the fourth generation working on the farm. “But I haven’t found anywhere else I’d rather be.”

Johnny noted that the farm was different at the turn of the century because the family couldn’t run to a grocery store for food. There were orchards on the land, and they raised hogs for their own consumption. Much of the farm was forestland, which has since been cleared for row crops.

A cypress barn cut from trees near the town’s courthouse is still on-site, as is a tin barn and smokehouse. Several barns that were originally located on the front lawn have been removed.

The Butler men share the bulk of responsibility for planting and harvesting the crops and raising the cattle, and Lynn is the bookkeeper, errand runner and farm chef. “What she does is very important to this operation,” Johnny noted.

She also managed the campground that they operated on the property until 2012.

The family read about the Century Farm program when it began in 1997. When they were eligible in 2000, Lynn applied for the designation. A sign is now proudly displayed at the entrance to the farm.

Thomas Butler said the designation can be a conversation piece and often leads to people requesting more information about the farm. “They are usually in shock that our family has been here this long.”