Fill - Free fillable FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM PDF form

FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

COMMISSIONER SID MILLER

The Texas Department of Agriculture’s (TDA) Family Land Heritage (FLH) Program honors

farms and ranches that have been in continuous agricultural production by the same family for

100, 150 and 200 years.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM:

 Read each rule on the following page carefully to ensure your property qualifies.

 This application may be submitted in either digital or hard copy form.

 Please answer all questions as completely as possible.

 PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE ALL ANSWERS. If additional space is needed, submit information

on a separate sheet, giving the section and item number to which it corresponds.

 Gather supporting land ownership documents and background material.

 If submitting a hard copy of the application, send copies of these supporting materials.

 DO NOT SEND ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS.

 Submit the completed application and supporting documents to the county judge for certification

in the county where the farm or ranch is located.

 If submitting a digital copy of the application, include a scan of the certification signed by the

county judge.

 Submit two photographs of the property and/or its owners. Please indicate which photo you prefer

to be used for FLH purposes. These photos may be reproduced for display or in the FLH registry.

 Hard copy photographs are acceptable if they are photographic-quality copies. Plain paper

copies of photographs are not acceptable.

 Digital photographs are acceptable if they are high resolution. Low resolution digital

photographs are not acceptable.

 Include a caption for all photographs. Include the date, location, and any names.

 For hard copy photographs, label each photo with your name and address (mailing labels

on the back of photographs work well). All hard copy photos will be returned.

 The FLH program shall assume all rights to publish and/or reproduce any photograph

submitted to TDA for the FLH Program.

 Mail hard copies of the completed application, copies of supporting documents and photographs to

TDA at the address below.

 Email digital copies of the completed application, copies of supporting documents and

photographs to: Justin.Rand@TexasAgriculture.gov.

 You will be notified whether the farm or ranch qualifies. If there are questions about the

application, you may be required to provide additional documentation to support the statements.

 There is no charge to apply for the program.

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM

P.O. BOX 12847, AUSTIN, TEXAS 78711-2847

Phone: (512) 463-9885 or (800) TELL-TDA

Internet Address: www.TexasAgriculture.gov

For the hearing impaired: Relay Texas (800) 735-2988 (voice) or (800) 735-2989 (TTY)

The information provided in this application may be subject to a public information request and thus may be made

available to the public. Not only does an individual have the right, with few exceptions, to be informed about the

information that a state agency collects about him and to receive and review such information, but the individual also has

the right to ask the state agency to correct any information possessed by the state agency about the individual that is

incorrect. (Texas Government Code sections 552.021, 552.023, 559.004)

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING RULES CAREFULLY.

DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

UNLESS ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE FULFILLED.

Applications are accepted Dec. 1 – May 1 of each year.

OWNERSHIP RULES

1. Farm or ranch owners must reside in Texas.

2. The line of ownership from the first family member owning the land to current owner(s) may be through wives,

husbands, children, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Adopted children will be recognized

equally with blood children. The line of ownership and dates must be clearly stated in the application and on

the line of ownership on the last page.

3. Any land that has been sold or is in the process of being sold or leased to a non-relative is ineligible.

4. Owner or co-owner must actively manage and direct the everyday agricultural operation of the farm or ranch.

Absentee ownership of land devoted only to hunting and timber leases or similar enterprise does not

qualify for this program.

AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION RULES

1. The land must meet the following old U.S. Census definition of a farm: 10 acres or more with agricultural sales

of $50 or more a year; or if less than 10 acres, sales of at least $250 a year.

2. The land must have been agriculturally productive and owned by family members for 100, 150 or 200

years or more.

3. If all the land has ever been rented or leased to someone outside the family, it does not qualify.

4. If only a portion of the land was leased, and as much as 10 acres retained in the family for agricultural

production with sales of at least $50 annually, it will qualify.

APPLICATION RULES

1. Please answer all questions on this application as applicable. If the application is unclear or incomplete, it

could be returned to you for clarification. Make copies of the appropriate pages for additional owners.

2. Applications must be certified by the county judge in which the property is located. Supporting documents

must be submitted with the application when appearing before the county judge. No notary is required. Final

verification of the applicant’s admission in the FLH Program will be made by TDA.

3. TDA will provide one FLH certificate to each farm or ranch that is recognized. Additional certificates are

available upon request for a fee. (subject to availability)

4. Include information on all current owners and co-owners. Only the names of the current owners and co-owners

residing in Texas will be listed in the FLH Program. If a co-owner of a property was not registered on a

farm/ranch that qualifies, he or she may not re-apply.

5. Once a 100-year farm or ranch has been recognized, it will not qualify for another 100-year certificate even

though the land may have changed hands. If family members have developed separate farms or ranches from

the founder’s acreage and they meet all the program requirements, each property owner may apply separately

for the program. For example, Hiram Johnson willed each of his three children a portion of his land and their

descendants continue to farm or ranch separately. Each descendant’s farm or ranch can apply for the program.

6. If a farm or ranch has previously been recognized for 100 years and it still meets the requirements, owners can

apply for it to be recognized again for reaching 150 and 200 years. A farm or ranch does not have to be

recognized for 100 years to apply for the 150- and 200-year designation.

SECTION 1: HISTORY OF THE FOUNDER OF THE LAND

1. General location: primary county the land is located and direction from nearest city/town

(Example: "Travis County. Two miles northeast of Austin on FM 11")

_________________________________________________

2. Name of the firs

t family member to own the land (hereinafter to be referred to as "founder"). If both a husband and wife

founded the farm or ranch, they may both be listed as founders.

_________________________________________________

3. Where was the foun

der born?

_____________________________________

4. Reason for the founder coming to Texas, if known:

_________________________________________________

5. Date founder ac

quired title to the land:

_________________________________

(You must be able to

substantiate the date.)

6. From whom did t

he founder purchase or acquire the land:

_________________________________________________

7. If information

is available, trace land back to original grant holder who received land from the Texas or Mexican

government.

____________________________________________

8. Number of acres in founder’s original farm or ranch: _______________________________________________________

9. Number of acres added by founder and when? _____________________________________________________________

10. Number of acres sold by founder outside the family? _______________________________________________________

11. Crops or livestock raised by founder:

_________________________________________________

12. Name of the foun

der’s wife or husband, if married: _________________________________________________________

13. Full name and number of children, if any:

________________________________

_________________________________________________

SECTION II: HISTORY OF SUCCEEDING GENERATIONS/OWNERS

The following questions must be answered for EACH OWNER of the Heritage land between the founder and the current

owners. If we do not receive completed information on each succeeding owner, it will be necessary to return the

application for completion. Make extra copies of the pages, if necessary.

1. N

ame(s):

_____________________________________________

2. R

elationship to previous owner

:

____________________________________

3. Year(s) founder’s land was acquired by this owner:

____________________________

4. N

umber of acres acquired:

______________________________________

5. Number of acres added by this owner (other than founder’s land) and year(s):

__________________

6. N

umber of acres sold outside the family:

________________________________

7. Crops or livestock raised by this owner:

_________________________________________________

8. N

ame of the owner’s wife or husband, if married:

_____________________________

9. Full name and number of children, if any:

________________________________

____

_____________________________________________

Duplicate

SECTION III: INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRESENT OWNER/CO-OWNERS OF THE LAND

This page needs to be completed for each current owner and/or co-owner.

1. Name of current owner(s):

______________________________________

2. Number of acres of

land being farmed or ranched by you now:

________________________

3. Of the acreage you now own, how many acres can be traced to the founder that have been in continuous agricultural

production by your family for 100 years or more?

_____________________________

4. Year(s) you acqui

red any land that can be traced to the founder?

_______________________

5. What relation are y

ou to the founder?

__________________________________

6. What relation a

re you to the family member from whom you got the land?

___________________

7. What activities of the current owner and/or co-owners, and family members have contributed to the development of the

farm or ranch and to the agricultural progress of the state:

_________________________________________________

8. Who operates the l

and today?

_____________________________________

9. If you retain a manager, how are you actively engaged in the everyday operation of the farm or ranch?

_________________________________________________

10. Crops or livestock grown or produced on the land:

_________________________________________________

11. Name all the family members living on the land today, if any, and explain their relationship to each other. Please provide

first names and last names for all members listed.

_________________________________________________

12. Name(s) of spouse and children, if applicable.

_____________________________________________

13. Agricultural

associations and/or groups you and/or your family are involved in:

_____________________________________________

14. Are any buildings

constructed 100 years ago or earlier still standing? Please describe and tell if they are in use today.

________________________________________________

Duplicate

INFORMATION FOR THE FLH CERTIFICATE:

1. Check one of the following for the designation of your operation: Farm Ranch

2. Name of Farm or Ranch: _

__

_______________________

____________

Exactly as you want it to appear on the certificate and in the ceremony program.

(Examples: Mulberry Farm, Smith Ranch, Hillview Acres, McDonald Farm and Ranch)

Some previous honorees have named the farm or ranch after the founder of the land; however, if someone already

has the same property name, we may request you to modify the name.

3. Phonetic pronunciation of the farm or ranch name:

___________________________

PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION:

Please complete the information below for the person who will be the primary contact to receive all

correspondence regarding FLH. It is this person’s responsibility to disseminate the information from TDA

to the property’s co-owners.

Full Name:

_____________________________________________

Phonetic pronunciation:

________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________

(Route, P.O. Box or Street) (City, State) (Zip Code)

County:

________________ Phone (from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m): ________________

(In which you resid

e) (Area Code and Number)

E-mail:

______________________ Home or Cell: __________________

What is the primar

y contact’s relationship to the property? Please specify: (i.e., owner, son, daughter, etc.)

___________________________________________________

FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM

TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

COMMISSIONER SID MILLER

LAND OWNERSHIP

TIMELINE

Please outline history of the land, beginning with founder and ending with current owner. For example:

Dates of Ownership

Name

Relationship to Current Owner

1887-1918

Charles John Johnson

Great-grandfather

1918-1946

Edward and Clara (Johnson) Albers

Grandfather and Grandmother

1946-1986

Susan (Albers) Smith

Mother

1986-Present

Bill and Valerie (Smith) Brown

Owner

Dates of Ownership

Name

Relationship to Current Owner

__________________________

_____________________________

__________________________

_____________________________

__________________________

_____________________________

__________________________

_____________________________

__________________________

_____________________________

__________________________

_____________________________

__________________________

_____________________________

The above entry will appear in the Family Land Heritage Registry.

Please make sure that it is completed correctly and that dates correspond to the application.

CERTIFICATION

OWNER: I declare that the statements made in this application are accurate and correct to the best of my

knowledge. I have also verified that the farm or ranch cited in this application has not previously been

registered in the Family Land Heritage Program.

___________________________________________________________S

ignature of the Current Owner

COUNTY JUDGE: I declare that _______________________________________________ (Owner’s name)

appeared before me on __________________________(Date) with substantiating evidence that the land now in

his or her possession has met the qualifications of the Family Land Heritage Program of the Texas Department

of Agriculture.

Signature of the County Judge

Address City, State Zip

Phone Number

For Internal Office Use:

Date Received: ______________________ Date Processed: _____________________________

Photographs: Yes No

2020 FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM

Thank you for applying for the 2020 Family Land Heritage Program. Please complete and return this

form for the application review process.

Has the farm/ranch for which you are applying ever been rented or leased outside your family for

agricultural production? Yes No

Is the farm/ranch for which you are applying in the process of being sold in 2020? Yes No

Please list all the current owners and co-owners who are on the deed as of today:

___________________________________________________

Program Story Form

Requirements:

• For inclusion in the commemorative program, please provide a brief history of your FLH property and its owners

• Due to space considerations, maximum length is 200 words

• Please ensure all information matches that provided on the application

• A sample story has been included on the last page

• TDA will edit all stories for spelling, grammar and proper word count. Every effort will be made to preserve your original

story, but in some cases changes will be necessary

• Stories may typed or handwritten on this form

o If writing your story on this form, please print clearly in black ink

o If typing your story, please follow the format below as close as possible

• Stories may be submitted either in hard copy form via the U.S. mail or via e-mail. Please indicate your selection below

Please Check One:

My story is provided below or on an enclosed sheet

I have e-mailed an electronic copy of my story to TDA at Justin.Rand@TexasAgriculture.gov

P

roperty name:

____________________________________________

Primary county in which property is located:

________________________________

Year founded:

_____________________________________________

Founders name(s):

___________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Current owners name(s):

________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Acres in original parcel:

_________________________________________

Physical location of parcel:

_______________________________________

Crops/Livestock raised by founders:

____________________________________

Crops/Livestock raised today:

______________________________________

(Continued)

Story:

___________________________________________________

As told by:___________________________, ________________________of the founder.

(your name) (relationship to founder)

Sample Story

GIERHART FARM

Wheeler County

One mile west of Twitty on FM 592.

Founded In: 1907

Founder: Edson Byron Gierhart

Current Owner: Milton Leroy Gierhart

Edson Byron Gierhart was born in Jay County, Indiana. Edson traveled with his family from Indiana

through Oklahoma to Wheeler County. On October 5, 1907, Edson acquired 160 acres from J.M. Shelton.

He raised livestock, cotton, milo and wheat. Edson and his wife, Lucretia, had seven children – Milton

Elbridge, Guy Balser, Zenobia Amelia, Clell Edson, Verna Primrose, Harold Macklin and Bonnie

Catherine. They raised all seven children on the farm and had them schooled in Twitty and Shamrock.

Edson’s parents lived next door to the family.

Lucretia acquired title to the land in 1944 after Edson died. She raised livestock, cotton, milo and wheat.

In 1946 Milton Elbridge Gierhart acquired the land and continued to raise livestock, cotton, milo and

wheat. Milton and his wife, Thelma, had two children, Lucretia Inez and Milton Leroy.

Milton Leroy Gierhart acquired title to 80 acres of the land in 1981. He raised livestock, cotton, wheat and

milo. Milton and his wife, Mildred, have one son, Milton Leroy II. The family has been active in the

Wheeler Farm Service Agency and the Wheeler County Farm Bureau.

Acres in original parcel: 160

Crops or livestock raised: 1907 — Livestock, cotton, milo and wheat; 2007 — Wheat.

As told by Milton Leroy Gierhart, grandson of the founder.

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM Form

Related forms

Fillable FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank FAMILY LAND HERITAGE PROGRAM Form

Related forms

First 20 documents completely FREE!