Farming a tradition for these families

By ANNA WILLARD

Capital Press

When he arrived in the United States from Scotland in 1891, James Cruickshank was looking for a new beginning.

After working several jobs in the Willamette Valley, he found a place to call home on 242 acres near McMinnville, Ore., in 1908.

Now, 102 years later, the Cruickshank farm and 15 other family farms will be inducted as Century Farms at this year's Oregon State Fair.

The farm is now 575 acres run by his grandson, Gary Cruickshank and his great grandsons, Brian and Jeff Cruickshank.

Originally the farm was named Oakdale Stock Farm for the Shire draft horses and the Cotswool sheep. Hay and grain were also raised to feed the livestock.

Now, the Cruickshank family raises grass seed, clover, wheat and hazelnuts.

"I'm the third generation on the farm, and with perseverance and a little bit of luck, we've stayed in business," Gary Cruickshank said.

James and Lizzie Cruickshank's son, Alex Cruickshank, was the second generation to run the farm.

During Alex Cruickshank's time on the farm he had a registered Guernsey dairy herd as well as a flock of sheep.

When Alex's son Gary took over, he had to decide between expanding the dairy operation to make it profitable or selling the livestock.

He decided to sell the livestock and farm sweet corn, bush beans and squash alongside the grass seed, clover, wheat and hazelnuts.

"We've been in some hard times, but off-farm income helped get us through," Gary Cruickshank said.

The Charpilloz Family

Outside Silverton, Ore., Jeff and Stacy Charpilloz farm his great-grandparents' property.

The Charpilloz family came from Switzerland and purchased over 300 acres in Oregon. They originally raised sheep, draft horses and Thoroughbreds, dairy cattle, wheat, oats and grass seed.

The farm is now 32 acres, which is used for either grass seed or wheat and their Paint horses.

Jeff Charpilloz is a Mount Angel police officer and Stacy Charpilloz is a homemaker. The couple also has two children that they hope will keep the property in the family.

The Cherry Family

Henry Neiger Sr. left his homeland of Switzerland and arrived in Portland in the 1880s.

Prior to purchasing what is now the Century Farm, he raised dairy cattle and hogs west of Portland.

The animals were moved to the new 360-acre farm in 1909. The property, northwest of Salem, had a dairy, butcher shop and cheese-making facilities alongside the hay, grain and hops that were also raised.

Two generations reside on the farm and manage 158 acres of grass hay and pasture used for sheep. Grass seed is also harvested by a renter.

The Duyck Family

After being wounded in the battle of Chickamauga during the Civil War, Charles Herb Sr., was held as a prisoner of war for two years. Upon his release, he received medical treatment and was honorably discharged.

A doctor advised him to move to Oregon, so in 1882 he moved west and bought a farm in Washington County. The original farm was 160 acres and is now 20 acres. Today the family raises clover, corn, wheat, sugar beet seed, table beets and grass seed.

The current owners are Tom and Vickie Duyck. Vickie is the great-great-granddaughter of Charles Herb Sr.

The Edwards Family

Years of working as a packer with a sheep operation on Mount Adams prepared Claude Edwards to settle in Condon, Ore., and raise livestock, wheat and hay. Claude and his wife, Bertha, settled on 160 acres and expanded their operation.

One of their children, Jasper Edwards, and his wife, Marie Edwards, still live on the ranch.

Now they have 4,200 acres with 1,000 in the Conservation Reserve Program.

The Fiala Family

Jerry Fiala, a former metal artist, and his wife, Lucy, purchased 56 acres outside West Linn, Ore., in 1906. Originally from the present-day Czech Republic, they lived in New York, Illinois and Oklahoma before coming to Oregon.

In the beginning, wheat, hay, fruits, vegetables and dairy cattle were raised.

Today, their 22 acres of fruits and vegetables are sold to local stores, wholesale markets and the public. They also have a farmstand that has been operating since the early 1900s.

Grandchildren Wes, Doug and Richard Fiala all live on and manage the property.

The Gutoski Family

Outside Coburg, Ore., Clyde Sidwell grew mint and vegetables until 1958, when he sold his mint oil distillery and began growing barley for a neighbor.

Clyde and his wife, Pearl, were both born in Davis County, Iowa, but did not know each other until they met in Coburg.

Their granddaughter, Judy Gutoski, her husband Peter Gutoski and Toby Gutoski live and work on the operation. In 1970 the Gutoskis switched to growing wheat on 143 acres.

The Harnisch Family

When C.B. Harnisch built the Davis family house outside Jefferson, Ore., he knew he wanted to own that property one day, and in 1904 he bought it, according to Harnisch's great-granddaughter, Beth Christopherson.

The original owner was J.J. Davis, the great-great-grandfather of Velma Harnisch, mother of the current owner, David Harnisch.

The farm was originally over 160 acres, producing wheat, oats, corn, potatoes, prunes, flax, dairy cows and hogs. In the 1960s the Harnisch family planted hazelnuts, cannery crops, specialty seeds and peppermint. Four generations currently live on the 69 acres, where they raise hazelnuts and blueberries.

The Hentze Family

The Faroe Islands, located in the north Atlantic Ocean between Iceland and Norway, was the home of Johan and Arina Hentze before they came to the United States.

They lived in Nebraska, then Chicago, where Johan Hentze learned carpentry, then after a brief stint in Wisconsin, they moved to Junction City, Ore., in 1902.

The Hentze family bought 42 acres to raise hogs, dairy cows, chickens, grains and prunes. In 1967 the dairy was sold and the dairy facilities were converted into a store and processing facility. This is where Gordon Hentze, Johan and Arina's great-grandson, sells the family's products. Three generations still live on the farm.

The Hollingsworth Family

John M. Hollingsworth left Michigan for a timber claim in Oregon where Hollingsworth and some friends cut firewood for the railroad near Detroit, Ore.

In 1906, he and his wife, Myrtle, purchased 160 acres near Sublimity, Ore. They raised strawberries, cut timber and rented land to a grass seed farmer.

In the 1990s, James Hollingsworth, John and Myrtle's son, switched to growing Christmas trees.

John E. Hollingsworth -- James Hollingsworth's son -- manages the farm with his wife, Adair, and Ronald Hollingsworth.

The Leighty Family

James and Maria Milne arrived in the Salem area from South Dakota in 1901 with their children and by 1904 owned 133 acres outside Silverton, Ore.

They started out raising wheat, grain, corn, and livestock. Wheat and corn are still produced, but over the years some crops have been exchanged for mustard seed, sunflowers, green beans and pumpkins.

Ronald Leighty, the great-great-nephew of the Milnes, lives on the farm, and owns the farm with his father, Glenn Leighty, and his sister, Sharon Leighty.

The Santoro Family

Italian immigrant Bruno Santoro came to the United States in 1896 then worked on the Canadian railroad for several years before he moved to Portland. He married Annunciata Rizutti in 1904 and they had 12 children.

In 1910, the Santoros bought 20 acres near Beaverton, Ore. They raised dairy cattle, chickens, pigs, berries, hay and horses.

An additional 15 acres was purchased and peaches and berries were planted. They had between 300 to 400 laying hens, but later their focus shifted to the dairy.

Today, two of their children -- Joe and Lena Santoro -- and a daughter-in-law, Eleanor Santoro, live on the farm. Oats are raised for 25 to 30 head of beef cattle and laying hens are still raised.

The Brentano Family

In 1910, George and Mary Vincent purchased the 80 acres where their great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren now live.

After years of running a dairy, George and Mary Vincent's daughter and son-in-law, Susie and Joe Brentano, switched to raising hogs. The family also raised beef, sheep, hay and grain.

From 1910 until 1985 the farm was the primary source of income for the family. In 1985, Susie Brentano started leasing the property to a grass seed producer.

The Silbernagel Family

Joseph Silbernagel was 10 years old when his family left Perham, Minn., for Stayton, Ore., in 1884. By 1907, Silbernagel was married, had three children, and had purchased 252 acres to raise livestock, grain, hay and corn.

Three of the Silbernagels' children, Marie, Henry and Agnes, stayed on the farm, while another brother, Al, also helped. Al Silbernagel's son, Paul, eventually took over and still operates the family's farm today.

He raises grass seed, grain, hay, and livestock on the 150 acres still in use out of 230.

The Smutz Family

The Smutz Family has managed their operation outside La Grande, Ore., since 1910, when I.D. Smutz purchased 749 acres. The family raised hay, grain, cattle, horses, hogs and chickens.

The only change has been the elimination of hogs and chickens from the operation. Three generations still live and work on the family's operation.

The Werth Family

After immigrating from east Prussia in the 1880s with four children, Frederick Werth and his wife settled in South Dakota, where they had 10 more children.

They moved to Newberg, Ore., in 1902 and bought 630 acres near Willamina, Ore., in 1909.

The Werths originally raised dairy cattle, horses, sheep, timber, hay and cereal grains.

Grain, grass seed, hay, and timber are harvested by cousins of the Werth family as well as Elmer Werth, a grandson, and Dennis Werth, a great-grandson.

Editor's Note: Information on the farms was provided by the families in their applications.