Exhibit puts Century Farms into focus

By Liz Tenney Jarvis

Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum in Sterling will be exhibiting 11 photographic prints capturing those Loudoun farms that are part of the State of Virginia’s Century Farm initiative. Professional photographer Philip Ulanowsky visited 11 out of the currently registered 22 farms that meet the Century Farm criteria. 

According to the Code of Virginia: Virginia Century Farm Program recognizes and honors those farms that have been in operation for at least 100 consecutive years and the generations of Virginia farm families whose diligent and dedicated efforts have maintained these farms, provided nourishment to their fellow citizens and contributed so greatly to the economy of the Commonwealth.

Century Farms must meet several criteria in order to be eligible to apply for entrance into the program. The farm must have been owned by the same family for at least 100 consecutive years; it must be lived on or actually farmed by a descendant of the original farm owner; and the farm must grow over $2,500 annually from the sale of farm products.  

For participation in the program, families receive recognition of their designation as a Virginia Century Farm, they receive a certificate signed by the Governor and a sign appropriate for outdoor display. In addition, the name of the farm and its owners are listed on the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services website.

While there are farms throughout Virginia that may qualify as Century Farms, not all owners go through the process to receive that designation. The same could be true in Loudoun County where there are currently 22 Century Farms that are recognized officially.  

Photographer Philip Ulanowsky visited 11 of these farms, meeting with the owners, touring the properties and scouting out the best location for a portrait of the families with their property. The result is a series of images that evoke the powerful connection between landowner and land.

Purcellville resident Philip Ulanowksky is a photojournalist and professional photographer. From an early age, Ulanowsky was fascinated by the photographic image and the development of that image on paper.  

Having studied at the Philadelphia College of Art, Ulanowsky is largely self-taught and favors the non-digital, traditional methods of photography on film and the process of developing said film in a darkroom.  

In addition to working in photojournalism and in the commercial sector, he was the Loudoun Ballet Company’s photographer for 14 years. His black and white photographs utilizing the silver gelatin method create deep darks and have a lushness that is not found in the digital or AI manipulations of current photography.

Ulnaowsky speaks of how the renewed interest in the non-digital process of photography has sparked the return of long-lost community darkrooms, cameras that use actual film and modified photography equipment that stays true to the original but with modern upgrades. 

Similarly, where the American farmer is now well recognized as a dying breed, there is hope in another kind of renewal. Many of the next generation of Americans want to know where their food comes from and prefer to purchase it locally.  

The Covid-19 pandemic brought to light the possibilities of supply chain issues, labor problems, food safety and lengthy shortages. The large farming conglomerates that have decimated the small farms, the family farms, to the tune of thousands lost, have created a terrible crisis. Ulanowsky believes that family farms are the backbone of America, not the large cartels. “I thought I might be able to show these Loudoun farms and in a small way contribute to the recognition of their value,” he says. 

The mission statement of the Loudoun Heritage Farm Museum says that it is “dedicated to preserving, promoting, and bringing to life the rich agricultural heritage of Loudoun County.”  Echoing the museum’s purpose, Ulanowsky believes that education of the public is key to understanding not only agricultural production, but it is a factor in the renewal of a once productive society. 

The Century Farms exhibit opened Nov. 26, and runs for three weeks. Each of Ulanowsky’s photographs will have an information card displayed next to it. The farm owners depicted are names will be familiar to many visitors as these are families dating back generations in Loudoun County.  

Sara Brown, 9th generation farmer at Oakland Green Farm near Lincoln is one of Ulanowsky’s featured subjects. Brown says, “I enjoyed meeting Philip and understanding his enthusiasm for these unique spaces. I don’t get much of an opportunity to step back and appreciate the enormity of the effort that goes into preserving a family farm because I’m in the midst of it.But these spaces we’ve been given to care for are important. From a practical perspective they are productive and useful but they are also a living history with much yet to reveal.”

For museum hours and information:  heritagefarmmuseum.org.