HENRY COUNTY (WSLS 10) - A Henry County farm is being recognized by the state forestry department.
Hemlock Haven Farm is the oldest of 23 farms to receive the state's first-ever Century Forest Designation.
The farm has been owned by the same family since 1781.
To receive the designation, owners had to prove that their farms had been in their family for at least 100 years, have at least 20 contiguous acres of managed forest, be lived on or managed by the family and have a history of forest management or timber harvest.
The two brothers that own the farm, Michael and Jim Hodges, said they are proud to have their family's history recognized.
"This recognition just reinforces what our ancestors, predecessors, have done and what, with the help of the department of forestry, we're trying to continue to do," Jim said.
"It's exciting. It's something that's been in your family for 200-plus years," Michael said.
Kevin Keith is the senior forester for Henry, Patrick, and Franklin counties and said Michael and Jim have been ideal landowners.
"When I first met Michael in 2008, I basically wrote him a forest stewardship plan and since then he's followed pretty much everything I've recommended," Keith explained. "They've been excited about doing things."
The farm has previously been designated by the Virginia Department of Agriculture as a century farm.
The brothers said as they get older, and with their children living out of the area, they are trying to make sure the farm stays in the family.
"There's a mental struggle that probably goes on, but we're doing our best to try to figure out a way to keep it going."
Two farms in Campbell County and one each in Pittsylvania, Giles, Pulaski County have also received the Century Forest Designation.