[156] Blount County Farm Joins State's Century Farms Program

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 21, 2009
CONTACT: Caneta Hankins, 615-898-2947

BLOUNT COUNTY FARM JOINS STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM
100-Year-Old Hillandale Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)—The Hillandale Farm in Blount 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. Just northeast of Maryville is a farm that was founded a 100 years ago this year by Albert Catlett Hitch and Emma Brakebill Hitch. The couple was the parents of Johnnie, George A., Jessie, Lester Caltett, Fred, James Ivan, Emma Marie, Grace and Walter.
On the 164 acres, the family raised horses, milk cows, and chickens and grew wheat, oats, corn and hay. The barn and the house that Albert and Emma built were constructed from lumber harvested from the property. During the construction of Tennessee Highway 33, the construction team stabled their horses in the Hitch’s barn.
In 1953, the Albert and Emma’s son, James Ivan Hitch, obtained the property. James married Irene Rule Hitch and they had one son, James Albert. James Ivan and his son raised heifers and grew corn and silage. In 1969, James Albert Hitch became the third owner of the land. He is married to Marion Haddox and their four children are Al, Jennie, Walt and Jane. The farm currently produces dairy cattle, wheat, silage and hay.
The Hitches began dairy farming with about 20 cattle and constructed a dairy barn that still stands. The Hitches were named farm family of the month in November 1979. They have been active members of the Farm Bureau. James served as Blount County Farm Bureau president from 1981 to 1987 and Marion is currently the president of Farm Bureau Women in Blount County.
Today, the dairy barn, silo, a smokehouse and a tenant house that existed on the property—and once served as to the Hitch family—still stand on the property.
“The Hillandale Farm is the 33rd Century Farm to be certified in Blount County,” Hankins said.
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 CHP 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 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 $1,000 revenue annually; must have at least 10 acres of the original farm; and one owner must be a resident of Tennessee.
“The Century Farmers represent all the farm families of Tennessee,” Hankins said, “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.”

—more—


BLOUNTCO
Add 1



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.


—30—


• ATTENTION, MEDIA: To interview the farm’s owners or request jpegs of the farm, please contact the CHP directly at 615-898-2947.





With three Nobel Prize winners among its alumni and former faculty, Middle Tennessee State University confers master’s degrees in 10 areas, the Specialist in Education degree, the Doctor of Arts degree and the Doctor of Philosophy degree. MTSU is ranked among the top 100 public universities in the nation in the Forbes “America’s Best Colleges” 2009 survey.