[315] UNION COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 19, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947.

UNION COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS
Graves Farm Is 7th Farm in County to be Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)--The Graves Farm in Union County has been designated as a Tennessee Century Farm, reports Caneta S. Hankins, director of the Century Farms program at the Center for Historic Preservation, which is located on the MTSU campus,
On Feb. 28, 1882, Daniel Graves established a farm in Union County. Graves was a fourth-generation descendent of Johann Sebastian Graff, who came from Germany and lived in Pennsylvania and North Carolina before coming to Union County, Tenn., where he died in 1803.
Daniel married Betty Irwin and they were the parents of Twila Graves (Wallace), Nelle Graves (Lett) and Maynard Gipson Graves. Self-sufficient, the family raised garden vegetables, fruit trees, corn and small amounts of wheat. Chickens, swine, horses, mules and cattle were also produced on the farm. The farmhouse, located just off the road, was a stopping place for travelers to and from Knoxville. Here, they could get water for themselves and their horses, a meal, or perhaps stay overnight.
The second generation to own the farm was Maynard Gibson “M. G.” Graves. M. G., who acquired the farm in 1917, helped his father cut and sell tan bark to make payments for the farm. The family reports that the bark was used to tan leather for items such as shoes and saddles. M. G. used horses for plowing, cutting and hauling loose hay. During the mid-20th century, M. G. decided to modernize his farming operations by purchasing a tractor and other mechanical equipment. M. G. and wife Trula were the parents of Earl J., Mildred (Johnson), and Roy V. Graves Jr.
In 1987, Trula passed away and the farm was inherited by Roy V. Graves Sr. Under his ownership, Roy continued to raise cattle for marketing and produced hay for feed. In addition, vegetables and fruit were grown for the family to use. While managing the farm, Roy also served as office manager of Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation in Union County.
In 2005, Roy’s widow, Kathleen G. Graves, became the current owner of the property. Today, Roy and Kathleen’s son, Roy Vaughn Graves Jr., works the land, where both he and his mother manage the operation that produces cattle and hay. Kathleen is the author of Our Union County Heritage and co-author of a history of the Horace Maynard High School, 1923-1997.
Hankins said the Graves Farm is the seventh Century Farm to be certified in Union County.

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About the Century Farms Program

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, noting either 100, 150, or 200 years of “continuous agricultural production” to Century Farm families.
To be considered for eligibility, a farm must be owned by the same family for at least 100 years; must produce $1000 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,” Hankins says, “and their contributions to the economy, and to the social, cultural and agrarian vitality of the state, both past and present, are 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 farm’s current owners or secure a jpeg of the farm for editorial use, please contact Caneta Hankins at 615-898-2947.