Century Farm Award Honors Generations of Prairie Stewardship
Ferdinand, ID · September 22, 2026
Gray skies are settling across the stubble fields this morning, but the quiet rhythm of fall chores moves right along. If you are heading down the highway tonight, rival volleyball action awaits in the neighboring gym.
The Lead
Agricultural roots run deep across our section of the prairie, and yesterday brought formal recognition for one of our closest neighbors. The Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the Idaho State Historical Society designated the Ambrose and Marge Schumacher Farm in Greencreek as an official Idaho Century Farm, honoring more than a century of uninterrupted family cultivation.
The homestead began in 1916 when Ambrose’s grandparents, Joseph and Philomena Schmidt, purchased 361 acres for roughly $87.50 an acre to raise ten children. Ownership shifted in 1942 to Mary and Leo Schumacher, who established one of the Camas Prairie's earliest Grade A dairies in 1948, before Ambrose and Marge took the reins in 1965 and later transitioned the ground to cattle. In an era when working family acreages increasingly consolidate or disappear, reaching the century milestone marks a rare, lasting commitment to the soil.
Today's Outlook
- High 73°F · Low 53°F — Overcast
- Keep a light layer handy under gray skies for an easy, comfortable afternoon.
What's On Around Town
Today
Weekly Storytime Prairie Community Library (506 King St), Cottonwood, 10:00–11:00 AM · Free Morning stories, songs, and play for young prairie readers.
Varsity Volleyball vs. Grangeville Prairie High School (453 Keuterville Rd), Cottonwood, 7:00 PM Cheer on the Pirates as they host a neighboring rival.
Tomorrow
- Back to School Bash St. Mary's Catholic Church, Cottonwood, 6:30–9:00 PM
Thursday
- Community Ukulele Jam Prairie Community Library (506 King St), Cottonwood, 4:00–5:30 PM · Free
- Pirates Varsity Football vs. Kamiah Prairie High School (453 Keuterville Rd), Cottonwood, 7:00 PM
Spotlight & Story
- Winchester Lake
- Before it drew regional anglers for rainbow trout, this 103-acre reservoir was created in 1910 by the Craig Mountain Lumber Company. A dam across Lapwai Creek powered a mill employing 270 sawmill hands who processed timber from the surrounding mountain slopes.
Ferdinand Daily Digest — compiled from local sources as of 6 AM. For breaking updates, follow your local newsrooms.
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