JACKSON, Mich., Jan. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Consumers Energy awarded 53 Michigan Centennial and Sesquicentennial Farm signs to farms in 2014, recognizing them as being working farms owned by the same families for 100 and 150 years.
"We have roots going back more than 125 years serving customers throughout the state, including the agricultural sector. Consumers Energy takes pride in sponsoring the Michigan Centennial Farm program by donating $20,000 annually to the Historical Society of Michigan to support their work on the program," said Carolyn Bloodworth, Consumers Energy's director of corporate giving.
"These heritage farms are very deserving of being spotlighted for their role in building and maintaining the economic force that is Michigan agriculture."
The Historical Society of Michigan, which approves Centennial Farm designation, is seeing more families seeking this recognition in recent years.
"Stable funding from our corporate sponsors such as Consumers Energy is enabling us to actively promote Centennial Farms and administer the program effectively, in addition to paying for the signs that are installed on the property," said Larry Wagenaar, executive director of the Historical Society of Michigan. "We are seeing a positive increase in program awareness result within the farming community which is leading to more certified Centennial Farms."
Across Michigan's Upper and Lower peninsulas, 70 farms were certified as Centennial Farms in 2014. The Michigan Centennial Farm Association reports more than 6,000 farms have been certified as being in the same family for 100 years or more.
Consumers Energy, Michigan's largest utility, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy (NYSE: CMS), providing natural gas and electricity to 6.5 million of the state's 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.
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Michigan Centennial Farm Association: www.michigancentennialfarm.org
Historical Society of Michigan: www.hsmichigan.org
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SOURCE Consumers Energy