Joseph and Philomena Schmidt bought 361 acres in Greencreek, Idaho, for $87.50 an acre in 1916. The couple raised ten children and built an agricultural operation that has spanned more than a century.
In 1942, 120 acres were passed to their daughter Mary and her husband Leo, who expanded the farm into one of the first Grade A dairies on the Camas Prairie. The dairy kept the family’s farming tradition alive while raising eight children of their own.
The Schumacher family took ownership in 1965 and later sold the dairy in 1982 to focus on cattle. They also introduced fallow deer, pheasants and peacocks, turning the property into a diverse agricultural hub.
Crop production has evolved from alfalfa, wheat and cattle to include barley, grass and canola, reflecting market shifts and generational innovation. The farm’s resilience has kept the 361 acres productive for more than 110 years.
The Idaho State Department of Agriculture and the Idaho State Historical Society honored the property under the Century Farm and Ranch Program on September 21, 2026, a program that recognizes continuous family ownership for at least a century. Ambrose Schumacher said the designation honors the family’s legacy and the land’s enduring role in Idaho’s agricultural history.