Two Pike County farms were awarded Century Farm status by the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries at the 2016 Pike County Farm-City Week Banquet Wednesday night at Cattleman Park.

The Billy and Bobby Gray Farm in the Sandfield community was honored as a Century and Heritage Farm and the Billy Wesley Farm in the Josie community was honored as a Century Farm. The awards were presented by John McMillan, Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries.

McMillan congratulated the Wesley and Gray families for their continuing commitment to the farming way of life.

“These farms and these families have played a significant part in Alabama’s history,” he said, adding that the number of family farms continues to diminish. Farms with more than 100 years of ownership should be recognized for their significant achievement, McMillan said.

A Century and Heritage Farm is one that has been operated continuously as a family farm for at least 100 years and must possess interesting and important historical and agricultural aspects, including one or more structures at least 40 years old. A Century Farm is one that has been in the same family continuously for at least 100 years and currently has some agricultural activities on the farm. Both farms must be at least 40-acre farms that are owned and operated by the applicants, who must reside in Alabama.

The land for the Gray Farm was acquired by John Hamilton Reeves in 1898.

Billy Gray said Reeves farmed cotton, corn and wheat and raised hogs, cows, goats and horses. The log house that was standing at the time Reeves purchased the farm is incorporated into the Gray home and is dated around 1820. A mule barn, smokehouse and car house date back to the late 1920s.

Billy and Bobby Gray are Reeves’ great, great, great nephews. In 1995, the Gray brothers became co-owners of the 394-acre farm, which is maintained as a timber farm with pines and hardwoods.

The Billy Wesley Farm was originally owned by H. B. Wesley, the great-grandfather of Billy Wesley. H.B. Wesley acquired the 40-acre farm in October 1915. He farmed cotton, corn and peanuts. His son, Cliff Wesley acquired the farm in December 1919. In 1982, a nephew, Grady Wesley and a niece-in-law Florence Inez Wesley acquired the 40-acre farm and continued raising cotton and corn.

Billy Wesley acquired the farm in December 1995. Wesley Farms is comprised of 250 acres and is a poultry, cattle and hay operation.

The annual Farm-City awards were presented to those who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture during 2016.

Jonathan Jones was recognized as the 2016 Pike County: Young Farmer. The 2016 Male and Female Youth Awards were presented to Trent Thomas and Haven Dates.

The farming awards were presented to Kevin Stephens, row crops; Jim Shaver, poultry; Darrell Foster, conservation; Jon and Elaine Knight of Knight Oaks, timber; and Benny and Krissy Pinckard of Pinckard Pastures, beef.

The Pike/Bullock Farm Service Agency received the Service to Agriculture Award and the Pike County Farmers Federation received the 2016 Service to Agriculture City Award.

The winners in the 2016 Pike County Farm-City poster and essay contests were also recognized at the Farm-City Banquet.

The winners in the K-3 division of the poster contest are: First place, Seth Hitchcock, Troy Elementary School; second place, Alex Asher, Goshen Elementary; and third place, Jaxon McLendon, GES.

The winners in the fourth- through sixth-grade division of the poster contest are: First place, Emily Price, Pike Liberal Arts; second place, Annabelle Wesley, PLAS; and third place, Addison Armstrong, TES.

The winners of the 2016 Pike County Farm-City Essay Contest are: First place, Parish Adams, Pike Liberal Arts School; second place, Susie Stell, PLAS; and third place, Alisa-Kay Culpepper, Goshen Agriculture Academy.

Bailey Rushing and Taylor Spivey, PLAS, were the winners of the 2016 Multimedia Contest.