Bilyeu Farm is the 160th Century Farm in Winnebago County

On Aug. 16, at the Iowa State Fair, the Bilyeu family was presented with a certificate designating their farm as a Century Farm. A Century farm is land that has been in the same family for 100 years. Josiah and Karen (Carrie) purchased the “Home Place” as the family calls it on July 2, 1918. They farmed the land until Josiah’s death in 1944 when Roy, the youngest son at 19, took over and farmed until 1959.There were eight children in the family, six of which were born on the farm. When Roy hung up his farming hat, the farm was sold to one of the siblings, Merle Bilyeu, until he retired in 1990. Since Merle’s retirement the land has been rented out to local farmers.