Nevada Centennial Ranch and Farm Awards Program

 

 

Two Nevada Families Recognized at Ceremony at Governor's Mansion

The Lytle and Day-Annett-Costa Families were inducted into the Nevada Centennial Awards Program on Sept. 21 at the Governor's Mansion in Carson City.  The families were recognized for the contributions to Nevada's heritage, and their long-time commitment and dedication to agriculture and conservation.

The Lytle family arrived in 1865 when Brigham Young sent members of the family to settle in Eagle Valley.  Charles Lytle eventually bought out his brothers and other settlers and continued to expand his cattle operation.  The ranch contains private meadows, alfalfa fields, irrigated crop lands, and grazes on Bureau of Land Management allotments.  The ranch is currently owned by Kenny and Donna Lytle, and Patrick and Kena Lytle Gloeckner.

George Byron “By” Day headed to the Virginia City area in 1859 intending to become a miner but ended up raising cattle and sheep on his ranch in the Bridgeport, Calif. area.  In 1905, Day and his son, Charles, purchased 200 acres in Smith Valley to expand their grazing operation.  Onions, potatoes, garlic and alfalfa have also been raised on the ranch.  The ranch is currently operated by James Costa and is leased to the Bryan family of Smith Valley.  A fascinating account of By Day’s life was published by the Mono County Museum in 2005 and is available online at http://www.monocomuseum.org/newsletters.htm.

Centennial status is given to farms and ranches that have been in the same family for 100 years or more. Forty-five families have received Nevada Centennial status since the program started in 2004. The Centennial Awards Program is sponsored by the Agricultural Council of Nevada, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Farm Bureau, Nevada Ag Foundation, Nevada Heritage Foundation and Nevada Dept. of Agriculture.

For more information about the ceremony or the Centennial Awards Program, visit the Nevada NRCS Web site at http://www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov/centennial_awards.html or contact Liz Warner, (775) 857-8500 x 105 or liz.warner@nv.usda.gov.

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