The Family Land Heritage program sponsored by the Texas Department of Agriculture recently honored 61 Texas family farms and ranches engaged in continuous agricultural production for 100 years or more, including the family farms and ranches of several Farm Bureau members.

Texas Farm Bureau was a title sponsor of the Oct. 9 awards ceremony in New Braunfels as part of its longstanding support of family land heritage and ownership.

The 61 farms and ranches recognized represented 43 counties. The Family Land Heritage program began in 1974 and has honored more than 5,000 Texas family farms and ranches in its 50-year history.

There was one 200-year honoree, 10 150-year honorees and 50 100-year honorees at this year’s awards ceremony.

Among the farms and ranches of Farm Bureau members recognized were Lindig Farms, Elliott Ranch and Richter Farms-Charles Alvin Patschke Homeplace.

Lindig Farms in Gillespie County was founded in 1874 by Andreas F. Lindig. The current owner is Kenneth Lindig. Keith and Kevin Lindig are his sons.

The farm now contains 750 areas of land where small grain and oat crops are grown, along with hay.

“The land means more than money. There’s so much history there, I can’t walk away from it,” said Keith Lindig of Stonewall, a Gillespie County Farm Bureau member and fifth generation on the family property. “Where I’m at in Gillespie County, the value of land has really gone stupid. We’ve been offered stupid money for our land. We just keep turning it down. Just don’t look at the money. I don’t measure my success in dollars and cents. I’m really working hard to get the next generation involved and seeing the importance of keeping the land.”

The Elliott Ranch in Medina County was founded in 1876 by Focke E. Saathoff. Current owners of the are Dorene Elliott, Dorene Elliott trust and Doyce Elliott Justiss. It is currently used to raise cattle.

“The ranch at one time was over 7,000 acres. Our part of it is the last one left, right at 1,200 acres. To know that it’s still going in our family means the world,” said Dane Elliott, a Live Oak County Farm Bureau member and fifth-generation family member. “You have to diversify. You have to find alternate revenue streams for the property. We run cattle when there is grass, and we lease for hunting. You want to make sure that the land is not a detriment, that’s there’s not a huge burden revenue-wise on the family.”

The Richter Farms-Charles Alvin Patschke Homeplace was founded in 1910 by Charles “Chas” Alvin Patschke. Its current owner is Charles Frederick “Fred” Richter.

The land in Williamson County is used to grow corn, cotton, wheat, milo, forage sorghum, cover crops and raise cattle.

“It is an honor. It’s just a good feeling,” said Vincent Richter, a Williamson County Farm Bureau member who currently farms the property as a family member. “We’re lucky where we live. They call us the Wise Men from the East. We’re as close to the east side of the county as you can get, so we’re still15 to 20 miles away from Samsung. We’re on the edge of development. They’re not hitting us too hard, yet, and we are lucky to have a farm around us that’s been in the family for maybe 100-200 years, so we’re buffered from development a little bit.”

Applications for inclusion in the 2025 Family Land Heritage Registry will open Nov. 1.

A farm or ranch qualifies for inclusion if the family has maintained at least 10 acres of the land in continuous agricultural production for at least 100 years. “Family” can include relatives by blood, marriage or adoption; the ability to trace ownership from the founder to the present generation; and the land fits the old U.S. Census definition of a farm: 10 acres or more with agricultural sales of $50 or more a year.

Owners must be actively managing the everyday operation of the property.

For more information about the Family Land Heritage program, visit texasagriculture.gov.