TN HJR1039

Honors Tennessee's fifteen African-American-owned Century Farms for their contributions to state history, culture, and economy

Tennessee Department of Agriculture's Century Farm program has recognized families who have owned and cultivated farmland for 100+ years for fifty years

African-American farming peaked in Tennessee in 1910 with nearly 11,000 farmers (28% of total), but African Americans lost approximately 90% of their farmland between 1910 and 1997

African-American-owned Century Farms represent less than 0.5% of total Century Farms in Tennessee today, reflecting impacts of racial discrimination, USDA mismanagement, and the Great Migration

The fifteen recognized farms span from 1870 to 1918, located across twelve Tennessee counties including Benton, Perry, Sumner, Rutherford, Montgomery, Haywood, Hardeman, Giles, Williamson, Lauderdale, Trousdale, and Fayette