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<H2 style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt">Oregon</SPAN></st1:State></st1:place><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"> Century Farm & Ranch Program Seeks </SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on"><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2>Oregon</FONT></SPAN></st1:State></st1:place><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt"><FONT face=Arial size=2> Families Who Worked Land for at Least 100 Years</FONT> <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></H2>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face=Arial>Applications are now being accepted for the 2011 award year of the Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program, a statewide recognition program honoring farmers and ranchers who have worked the same land for at least 100 years. Applications are also available for the Sesquicentennial Award, introduced by the program in 2008, honoring families with farms or ranches continuously worked for 150 years or more. To date, 1,117 families have formally received the Century designation and 22 families have received the Sesquicentennial Award.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><o:p><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 4.5pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face=Arial>Celebrating its 53rd year, the program is administered through the Oregon Agricultural Education Foundation (OAEF) in Salem and is partially funded by the Oregon Farm Bureau, the State Historic Preservation Office (Department of Parks & Recreation), the Oregon Department of Agriculture, the Oregon Travel Information Council, various county farm bureaus, agriculture-based organizations and individuals.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoBodyText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><o:p><FONT face=Arial> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><FONT face=Arial>Family farmers and ranchers throughout Oregon are encouraged to apply for the Century Award and/or the Sesquicentennial Award by the <SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">June 1, 2011</SPAN> deadline. Successful applicants receive a personalized certificate with acknowledgment by the Governor and the director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. A durable metal road side sign to identify the family’s farm or ranch as having historic Century or Sesquicentennial status is also available.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each family will be honored during a special ceremony and reception at the Oregon State Fair September 3, 2011 at 3:00 p.m.<B> <o:p></o:p></B></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold"><FONT face=Arial>For more information on the program or to obtain application guidelines for either award, please visit </FONT><A href="http://www.oregonfb.org/"><FONT face=Arial>www.oregonfb.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> or contact Sharon Leighty, Oregon Century Farm & Ranch Program Coordinator at 503-400-7884 or </FONT><A href="mailto:cfr@oregonfb.org"><FONT face=Arial>cfr@oregonfb.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></BODY></HTML>