New exhibit honors oldest farms, ranches

Off Island Ranch is one of 12 Rio Grande County farms to receive Colorado Centennial Farm designation. Photo courtesy of Rio Grande County Museum

DEL NORTE — A new exhibit at the Rio Grande County Museum showcases a dozen county farms and ranches that have received special historic recognition for more than 100 years in operation.
In 1986, then Gov. Richard Lamm, the Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado) and the Department of Agriculture partnered to create the Colorado Centennial Ranches and Farms recognition program. Now administered by the State Historical Fund program of History Colorado, the program acknowledges the strength, courage and perseverance of the families who have continuously raised crops and livestock for a hundred years or more.
The new exhibit highlights how agriculture plays a huge role in the development and economy of Colorado, particularly Rio Grande County. The first 11 recognized operations in the county include the following: the Edstrom/Stephens Ranch on Swede Lane; Fuchs Ranch near Del Norte; Off Island Ranch near Del Norte; Nelson Ranch on Swede Lane; Elkhorn Ranch west of Del Norte; Corset Ranch west of Del Norte; McNeil Ranch south of Monte Vista; Hanna/Myers Ranch on Pinos Creek near Del Norte; Knoblauch Ranch west of Del Norte; and the Getz South Farm and Elliott Farms near Monte Vista.
The most recent recipient is the Bond Metz Farm/Metz Potato Company. This  fourth-generation, family-owned business was started in 1917 by Raymond Metz and is currently being run by grandson Bill, Peggy Metz, their son, Greg and his wife, Jen.
The Centennial Farms and Ranches exhibit will run through the spring with stories and pictures of these 12 interesting operations and the people who run them. The exhibit also includes farms and ranches in the surrounding counties, including a few farms in Conejos and Costilla counties going back to the original land grant recipients. The Ortega Farms at San Luis date back to 1851.
For more information about the exhibit, contact the Rio Grande County Museum at 657-2847 (or visit their Facebook page). The museum is located at 580 Oak Street in Del Norte, just one block south of the stoplight.