Barns -
they used to line the landscape with their beauty and serenity. Now, the barns
are disappearing and being replaced by pole sheds or farm fields. How can we
save them?
Should we save them? While they are beautiful to look at, how desirable are they? Each and every one of us has an opinion.
Should we save them? While they are beautiful to look at, how desirable are they? Each and every one of us has an opinion.
The technology
and farming practices are eliminating the need for barns. The farmers no longer
have the livestock that they once did with the transition to confinements. They
don't bale hay and can store any silage outdoors where space can be utilized on
a seasonal basis and taxes aren't spent on a large building. Machinery can be
stored conveniently in a pole shed with a high roof, sturdy timbers and
electricity. These modern replacements are fairly uniform with their shiny
steel and concrete floors. The Amish help preserve the lives of barns. They can
often utilize a barn as they generally maintain a small herd of livestock and
to some extent, their old ways of farming. But even more and more Amish rent
their farms and are going into commercial ventures.
The barns
of yesteryear are slowly deteriorating and farmers must decide if the structure
is worth maintaining and if they can benefit from its existence. As the owner
of a barn, I want to utilize it to its fullest potential, but how do I do that?
I welcome feedback from barn owners out there, or others that have an interest in
the subject. What can barns be used for these days to see that they don't sit
dormant and collapse upon their foundation? Some barns have been converted into
homes, which takes a lot of work and money. Others are used for storage, but
the layout may not accommodate the desired need. The Iowa Barn Foundation (http://www.iowabarnfoundation.org)
is one organization working to preserve the barns. Their tours help to inform
people of the history and designs of Iowa barns.
The
beautiful barns display weathered wood to show their age, some with a wind vane
or lightning rod at the top. They are massive and diverse. With each passing
barn, the standing becomes even rarer. We all can do our part to help preserve
the remaining barns and inspire others, not only regarding barns, but other
structures in fear of extinction. If we don't save them, the coming generations
will begin to ask, "What is a barn?"