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 “Illinois is full of proud, hardworking farm families. The Brown
family is just one example of the dedication these families bring to
Illinois agriculture,” Rauner said. “We’re proud to honor them with
the first Bicentennial Farm designation in 2018, as we celebrate the
state’s 200th birthday.”
The journey for the Brown family started back in 1816 when Abraham
Brown II, his wife, and three children made the trek from Rowan
County, North Carolina all the way to Union County, Illinois. Many
others were traveling west to southern Illinois and since the land
that the Browns were farming was worn out, they decided to join the
others.
To leave everything and head to a new location at that time took a
tremendous amount of courage and survival skills as it was not a
short, nor easy, trip. After their arrival in Union County, Abraham
and his family took shelter in a hollow sycamore tree until their
cabin was finished. Shortly after that in 1817, Abraham registered
his cattle and land. That same land parcel has been passed down from
generation to generation with at least one of each generation
staying and farming that very same ground.
“The Illinois Bicentennial celebration pays great homage to our
state’s rich agricultural heritage with the theme, ‘Born, Built,
Grown,’” said Bicentennial Commissioner and IDOA Chief of Staff
Grant Hammer. “Agriculture has played a central role in our state’s
history. Illinois agriculture, much like the Brown family, will
continue to sustain our strong agricultural traditions for
generations to come.”
Gerald Brown currently owns the land and is the 5th generation.
His children and grandchildren will be the 6th and 7th
generations to be part of this great tradition. The Brown family
has also received sesquicentennial and centennial family farm
designations from the Department of Agriculture.
The Bicentennial Farm designation program was launched in 2016
when the General Assembly passed legislation to honor these
Illinois farm families. The program recognizes farms that have
been held by descendants of the same family for 200 years or
more.
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To quality for Bicentennial farm status, an agricultural property must have been
owned by the same family of lineal or collateral descendants for at least 200
years. A lineal descendant is a person in direct line of descent, such as a
child or grandchild. A collateral descendant is not a direct descendant, but is
otherwise closely related, such as a brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece
or cousin.
Agricultural Legislative Day at the Capitol is held annually to help spread
awareness and show the importance of the agriculture industry. State
agricultural associations and hundreds of FFA students from throughout the state
grace the Capitol on this day. Agricultural groups will advocate for issues
important to them, while FFA students will get the chance to tell their story to
legislators and how agriculture impacts them each day.
ABOUT ILLINOIS BICENTENNIAL
On Dec. 3, 1818, Illinois became the 21st state in the union. The Illinois
Bicentennial is a yearlong celebration of what has been BORN, BUILT & GROWN in
the state and a reminder of why we are #IllinoisProud.
Citizens are encouraged to participate in the celebration by visiting
www.illinois200.com and using the hashtag #IllinoisProud. Partners and event and
project managers planning activities between Dec. 3, 2017, and Dec. 3, 2018, can
apply for endorsement to become an official part of Illinois Bicentennial by
visiting the PARTICIPATE page at www.illinois200.com.
[Illinois Department of Agriculture] |
