Submit 2026 Pioneer, Heritage Farm Award Nominations By March 16

Monday, March 16, will be the deadline to apply for this year’s Aksarben Foundation’s Pioneer and Heritage Farm Family awards.
Please visit aksarben.org. Under Our Work, click on Farm Families. Scroll down and click on Apply Now.
Landowners in Johnson and Nemaha counties are among nearly 10,000 Nebraska families who have received the Pioneer Award since 1957. It recognizes families who have held continuous ownership of their farm for at least 100 years. In addition, regional residents are among more than 100 families who have received the Heritage Farm Award since 2014. It honors those with a family-owned farm for 150 years or longer. 
Applicants must complete a form and have it signed by a local county fair board member before forwarding it to Aksarben. Once staff members receive your application, they will work with your respective county fair board representative to ensure that all historical information and family lineage are verified. After the Foundation staff receives approval from the county officials, the plaque and gatepost marker are created. They will be presented to the family at their respective county fair throughout the summer.
The current minimum size required to apply is 40 acres, unless the original deed or homestead documents state the original homestead was less than 40 acres.
The award is presented by the Aksarben Foundation in partnership with the Nebraska Farm Bureau and the Nebraska Association of Fair Managers. 
A family may be conferred one honor at a time. Forms submitted after March 16 will be bestowed the following year.