PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING RULES CAREFULLY.
DO NOT SUBMIT AN APPLICATION
UNLESS ALL REQUIREMENTS ARE FULFILLED.
Applications are accepted Dec. 1 – June 1 of each year.
OWNERSHIP RULES
1. Farm or ranch owners must reside in Texas.
2. The line of ownership from the first family member owning the land to the current owner(s) may be through wives, husbands, children, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins. Adopted children will be recognized equally with blood children. The line of ownership and dates must be clearly stated in the application and on the Land Ownership Timeline page.
3. Any land that has been sold or leased, or is in the process of being sold or leased to a non-relative is ineligible.
4. Owner or co-owner must actively manage and direct the everyday agricultural operation of the farm or ranch. Absentee ownership of land devoted only to hunting and timber leases or similar enterprise does not qualify for this program.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION RULES
1. The land must meet the following old U.S. Census definition of a farm: 10 acres or more with agricultural sales of $50 or more a year; or if less than 10 acres, sales of at least $250 a year.
2. The land must have been agriculturally productive and owned by family members for 100, 150 or 200 years or more.
3. If all the land has ever been rented or leased to someone outside the family, it does not qualify.
4. If only a portion of the land was leased, and if as much as 10 acres was retained in the family for continuous agricultural production with sales of at least $50 annually, it will qualify.
APPLICATION RULES
1. Please answer all questions on this application as applicable. If the application is unclear or incomplete, it could be returned to you for clarification.
2. Applications must be certified by the county judge in which the property is located. Supporting documents must be submitted with the application when appearing before the county judge. No notary is required. Final verification of the applicant’s admission in the FLH Program will be made by TDA.
3. TDA will provide one FLH certificate to each farm or ranch that is recognized. Additional certificates are available upon request for a fee (subject to availability).
4. Include information on all current owners and co-owners. Only the names of the current owners and co-owners residing in Texas will be listed in the FLH Program. If a co-owner of a property was not registered on a farm/ranch that qualifies, he or she may not re-apply.
5. Once a 100-year farm or ranch has been recognized, it will not qualify for another 100-year certificate even though the land may have changed hands. If family members have developed separate farms or ranches from the founder’s acreage and they meet all the program requirements, each property owner may apply separately for the program. For example, Hiram Johnson willed each of his three children a portion of his land and their descendants continue to farm or ranch separately. Each descendant’s farm or ranch can apply for the program.
6. If a farm or ranch has previously been recognized for 100 years and it still meets the requirements, owners can apply for it to be recognized again for reaching 150 and 200 years. A farm or ranch does not have to be recognized for 100 years to apply for the 150- and 200-year designation.