America 250: The Story of the American Farmer
America’s 250th birthday honors the farmers who have fueled the nation’s growth and food security since its founding. Century farms stand as a living testament to this legacy, celebrating families who have stewarded the land for generations. Agriculture remains the heartbeat of the American story, bridging ancestral heritage with the innovative spirit of today’s producers.
After more than 400 years, Shirley Plantation remains both a working farm and a living record of American ag. Not only is it the oldest family-owned business in America, but it still unlocks pieces of America’s past.
Located along Virginia’s James River, Berkeley Plantation is the site of America’s first Thanksgiving in 1619, the birthplace of President William Henry Harrison and a thriving 400-year-old working farm.
For 100 years, Ed Koger’s family has bought Angus bulls from Dalebanks Angus, proving in the cattle business, the most valuable trait you can breed for is integrity.
Virginia’s Mainland Farm is considered America’s oldest continuously farmed land, cultivated since the early 1600s. Today it still produces crops while preserving 400+ years of agricultural and Revolutionary War history.
Marshall and Loretta Ensor transformed an 1890s farmhouse into a hub for amateur radio, teaching 10,000 operators by air and helping shape the early history of wireless communication.
Incredibly surviving the Civil War, world wars, depressions, epidemics, and every milestone for two centuries, the Taylor gathering may be the oldest reunion on the planet.
At MVP Dairy, two fourth-generation farm families with more than 100 years of farming history have come together to build a system where every decision is made with the next generation in mind.
From 1776 homesteads to the modern dairy of 2026, discover how 250 years of American dairy innovation have transformed the family farm into a global leader in nutrition.