Farm History

                                  Kevin and wife, Faith Chamberlain

                            Daughter Natalie, and husband Joe Wright

 

My name is Kevin Chamberlain and I am the fifth generation, farmer, farming this land.    Century Hills (Inc) farm was homesteaded in 1853 by my great-great grandparents Theodore and Caroline (Felton) Chamberlain. Theodore and Caroline and their one-year old son, William, followed Caroline’s parents from Pennsylvania, to the area, after they had settled here. In fact, it is considered that Caroline’s mother, Mahala Felton was the first white woman settler in the river town of Hastings (FKA as Oliver’s Grove).  My family history has deep roots in here.  

 

Morris along with his wife Amy (Peterson) raised two sons and a daughter.  Benjamin dreamt of having a dairy herd but before his dream could come to fruition he passed away.  Amy held a family meeting with her children asking if they should stay or leave the family farm and with a resounding NO to leaving, they stayed.  You need to understand they were just kids.  The boys were four and eight years old, and the eldest was a girl only age twelve.   With the backing of her three young children Amy forged on.  A short time later, in the early 1930s the herd was purchased.  Even though times were hard she was able to fulfill his dream.  During the depression with the help of amazing family and friends the farm survived.  

 

My father Harold and his wife Edith (Stoudt) Chamberlain was the fourth generation to purchase the farm and they raised five sons.  In 1977 my father started following organic practices.  He was ahead of the curve.  

 

My dream was to work side by side with my dad and learn everything that I could from him.  One day, I would follow suit and be the next generation to purchase the family farm.  Unfortunately, my days working side by side with my father came to a halt.  He too passed away before my dream became a reality.  I was able to purchase the farm and continued my father’s farming practices. 

After many years of being a dairy farm and the struggles that came with it, we started thinking about how we could utilize the farm and land best.  So, alongside my wife, daughter, Natalie and her husband Joe, we decided to board horses (Century Hills Stables, LLC.,).  Utilizing the education, knowledge and experience that Natalie has, was perfect. Also, the extra hands and experience that Joe provides the farm, creates a win-win situation.  

 

The dairy herd left in March of 2020 but you can still see a few cows grazing in the fields.  We still love cows and now we started a beef herd.  We grow hay and grains.  We also planted an ancient grain, Turkey Red wheat, that we hope to market. 

 

We hope you enjoy the farm as much as we do.  Please contact us to learn more.