Three-year-old Oakley climbed the horse barn stairs to explore the hay mow where she could run and jump as adults reminisced about their days playing and working among the hay bales. Folks arrived in campers, trucks and on motorcycles for the fall Iowa Barn Foundation tour of the freshly adorned red buildings by Kunkle Painting on the Mary Richards Heritage Greene County Farm.
Is this the farm featured in Heritage on the Prairie by Jacqueline Andre Schmeal people asked? It was another moment when Nathan Parker discovered the 1914 imprinted date in the cement block in the milking parlor.
The Iowa City camera club members had a day nurtured by the beauty of nature to capture folks exploring the barns surrounded by ready-to-harvest soybeans.
Questions were asked about the 1874 Gramma’s home, the chicken house, cellar and the agrarian life. Solitude is a word a visitor expressed about his thoughts of living on the richness of this soil as he walked among the century buildings.
Apple pie with homemade ice cream is the winner when Mary asked the tourists, “What do you think should be the official Iowa dessert using Iowa farm products?”
Darcy Maulsby added that the pie crust be made with lard. September was a time for folks to reminisce about Iowa’s agricultural way of life and share their stories strolling among the barns. Meanwhile, Oakley searched for triangle shaped objects inside the barns and voting for apple pie. Please share your choice for Iowa’s official dessert to Mary Richards at mrichards@ne tins.net. Please contact Mary if you have questions about the Iowa Barn Foundation.
