I was assisting a researcher with farm history not long ago and through the course of finding information for him came upon a resource that might be helpful to other researchers. The Minnesota Farm Bureau administers the Century Farms and 150 Year Farms programs. When people apply for these designations, their applications are scanned and can be found online. The original paper applications are sent to the Minnesota Historical Society to be archived.
To find the online applications, go to the Minnesota Farm Bureau’s website and click on the link in the left sidebar labeled “Century Farms & 150 Year Farms.” You will be taken to a screen that allows you to search by specific name and year of designation or by selecting a county from a state map. The latter might be easier if you don’t have a specific farm in mind. I found the search by name to be a little bit difficult.