Families who have owned the same farm for a century or more will be honoured at the New Zealand Century Farm Awards in Lawrence next Saturday.
Twenty-five families will attend the official function at the Simpson Park complex, with four families receiving sesquicentennial awards marking 150 years or more of farm ownership.
New Zealand Century Farm and Station Awards Committee chairman Symon Howard said the awards were the brainchild of the former Lawrence Heritage and Opportunities Working Party, which decided to recognise New Zealand farming families with a connection to the land of at least 100 years.
"A local Lawrence person saw similar awards overseas and thought it would be great to have in New Zealand. It all developed from there."
Planning was in the final stages, with event booklets being printed. Mr Howard hoped the awards would host about 200 people.
Clutha-Southland MP Bill English will be guest speaker, and radio farming personality Jamie Mackay will return to compere the awards for his fourth year.
The awards are intheir seventh year, and were first held in 2006.
The gathering will start at 6pm with nibbles and drinks before dinner at 7pm. A few dinner tickets remain for the public and previous recipients of the awards.
