[474] McMinn County Farm Joins Ranks of State's Century Farms Program

For Release: May 24, 2011
Contact: Caneta Hankins, Center for Historic Preservation, 615-898-2947


McMINN COUNTY FARM JOINS RANKS OF STATE’S CENTURY FARMS PROGRAM

Mason Dairy Farm Recognized for Agricultural Contributions

(MURFREESBORO)— The Mason Dairy Farm, located in McMinn 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 at MTSU.
The Century Farms Program recognizes the contributions of Tennessee residents who have owned and kept family land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years.
As the 20th century began, the Mason brothers—William Newton, Henry Jacob and John Rufus—began farming together in McMinn County just east of Niota. These enterprising young men raised wheat, tobacco, cotton, corn, barley and dairy cows on their farm. They also operated a threshing business in the community. Pulled by a Waterloo tractor, their threshing machine was taken to various farms in the area to thresh wheat, oats, rye and barley. One of the earliest ledger entries from the brothers’ business dates to 1903, the year after the farm was founded, where the rate was 70.5 bushels of wheat at 10 cents per bushel for a total of $7.05. The thresher is still owned by the Mason family and is still used on the farm for special events.
McMinn County’s dairy industry is an important part of its history and economy, and Henry Jacob Mason added to this tradition when he began milking 10 Jersey cows in 1908. That milk, cream and butter were sold in Niota. The Henry J. Mason home also was the first to have electricity in the community. In 1927, a Delco generator was installed and families would gather at the house to listen to the radio on Saturday nights. In 1935, Henry and his son Roy R. Mason also built a grist mill and crusher run by a Model T Ford. The grist mill is still in operation.
In 1941, Roy R. Mason assumed operations of the family farm. Roy R. continued the dairy operation and sold bottled milk in Niota—50 quarts every day at 17 cents per bottle. He also raised corn, tobacco, wheat, hogs, turkeys and guineas. He was married to Lillian Hicks, and the couple’s three children were Mary, Hazel and Roy J. Mason.
In 1970, Roy J. Mason became the owner of the Mason Dairy Farm and milked 85 cows. He also started a dairy—supply-company that is now owned by the Valley Co-Op. Roy J. Mason was a member of the McMinn Soil Conservation Board from 1974 to 2007 and served on the State Soil Conservation Committee from 1980 to 1990. He was president of the McMinn County Farm Bureau for four years in the 1980s and was selected as McMinn Farmer of the Year in 1978. Roy J. Mason also was an active member of the Mt. Harmony Baptist Church and was a 4-H volunteer leader. Roy J. Mason and his wife, Pauline Roberson Mason, are the parents of Gary L. and Roy E. Mason.
In 1999, Gary L. and Roy E. Mason became the owners of the Mason Dairy Farm. Gary and his wife, Janette Mason, operate the dairy farm, where 150 Holstein cows are milked and corn, wheat, rye, soybeans, pumpkins and chickens are produced. Gary Mason was McMinn Farmer of the Year in 1989 and has served as a McMinn County Commissioner since 1994. Gary also has served as chairman of the McMinn Agriculture Committee since 2000. Janette serves on the McMinn County Farm Bureau, and their children, Shelby and Matthew, were active in 4-H during their youth. The family also operated the agritourism business of a corn maze from 1999 to 2007, which was sponsored by their neighbor, Mayfield Dairy, also a Tennessee Century Farm. Several farm buildings remain from earlier years, including two farm houses dating from 1903, a log smokehouse and a chicken house. Four generations of Masons live on the farm today, continuing the tradition of the family working together that was begun by the Mason brothers more than 100 years ago.
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.
For more information about the Century Farms Program, please visit www.tncenturyfarms.org. The Center for Historic Preservation also may be contacted at Box 80, MTSU, Murfreesboro, Tenn., 37132 or 615-898-2947.

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


Founded in 1911, Middle Tennessee State University is a Tennessee Board of Regents institution located in Murfreesboro and is the state’s largest public undergraduate institution. In September 2011, MTSU will celebrate its 100th year anniversary with special events and activities throughout the year kicked off by a Blue-Tie Centennial Gala on Friday, Sept. 9.