008 DICKSON COUNTY FARM JOIN RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 24, 2006
EDITORIAL CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947


Loggins Farm 17th in County to be Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—The Loggins Farm in Dickson County recently was designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation (CHP), which is located on the MTSU campus.
Thomas Jefferson Loggins and Annie Daniel Loggins founded the Loggins Farm in 1898. Located north of Burns, the 100 acres produced corn, wheat, hay, cotton, cattle and hogs. The couple had three children, Richard, Dorie and Clarence.
In 1950, Clarence acquired the land. During his ownership, he raised much the same livestock and crops as his parents. Clarence married Irene Estes, and the couple had two children.
In 1993, Jewell Loggins, the grandson of the founders, became the third generation to own the farm. Today, Jewell works the land and produces hay, timber, corn and truck farming. In addition to managing the farm, Jewell has been a member of the Dickson County Farm Bureau since 1959 and served as the director for two years.
At present, Jewell lives on the farm with his wife, Madolyn Johnson Loggins. Daughter Laura Loggins Travis, her husband Brian Travis and their sons also live on the farm, which has many structures such as a barn, a corncrib, a grain building, a woodshed, a chicken house and the farm house—all of which were built by previous generations of the Loggins family.
Hankins said the Loggins Farm joins 17 other historic properties in Dickson County that are certified Century Farms.
The Century Farm Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have continuously owned, and kept in production, family land for at least 100 years. Since 1984, the Center for Historic Preservation at MTSU has been a leader in the important work of documenting Tennessee’s agricultural heritage and history through the Tennessee Century Farm Program, and continues to administer this program.
The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) began the Tennessee Century Farm Program in 1976 as part of the nation’s bicentennial. Today, the TDA provides a metal outdoor sign to Century Farm families, noting either 100, 150 or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production.”


To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee. There are more than 1,000 Century Farms across the state and all 95 counties are represented.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” said Hankins, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, is immeasurable. Each farm is a Tennessee treasure.”
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit its Web site at http://histpres.mtsu.edu/histpres. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted via mail at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132, or by telephone at 615-898-2947.



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• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To request an interview with the owners of this farm, or to obtain jpegs of the farm for editorial use, please contact the Center for Historic Preservation at 615-898-2947.