Barn conference includes tour of Trumbull County farmsteads

BURBANK, Ohio – The seventh annual Friends of Ohio Barns conference is April 7-9 at the Holiday Inn Metroplex in Girard.
The Ohio Barn Conference is Friends of Ohio Barns’ way of providing an annual event where folks have an opportunity to appreciate the heritage we have in our barns and to work as a community toward saving them.
Pennsylvania has passed a resolution to do a statewide inventory of its remaining historic barns. Barry Dent, director of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, will give a presentation about the state’s inventory.
Brian Snyder, director of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, will give a presentation called Preserving the Past or Sustaining the Future: What’s in a Barn?
Preservation. Other speakers will explore ways to save farmland and, in the process, save barns. Ron Holtman of Wayne County’s Killbuck Land Trust will cover development easements, land trusts and farmland protection options.
His presentation will be followed by an open discussion with a panel of local farmland protection leaders.
Wendell Lauth will introduce the history of Trumbull County and the Western Reserve. Dave Cover will share his knowledge of antique farm implements, tools and farming practices.
At last years’ conference, the Barn Repair Panel was so popular, organizers are offering another opportunity to bring photos of your barn and/or a list of repair questions to ask the experts.
Portage County’s Fred Maier will discuss his creative efforts to “Save a Farm” by using the Burma Shave marketing tactic of placing signs along the roadside.
Attendees will learn tips on how to date a barn and review the barn tour with the barn detectives. There will also be hands-on demonstrations showing timber repairs and information on slate work and barn siding options.
Conference organizers expanded the schedule to include Sunday morning presentations this year, one of which will be by Emily Masters, co-host of the Farm Bureau’s, Our Ohio TV show.
Those sessions will by followed by a lunch at which time the conference will end.
Tour. The April 7 day-long barn tour by motor coach (limited seating) will visit six Trumbull County farmstead barns and have lunch in a converted barn.
Trumbull County, named for Connecticut Gov. Jonathan Trumbull, was formed in 1800, and comprised within its original limits the whole of the Connecticut Western Reserve.
Books and art. The Wooster Book Store will be at the conference to offer many titles for barn or farming libraries and several artists will share their work as well.
Those attending are encouraged to bring photos of a barn to share with fellow barn enthusiasts at the Here’s my Barn! table.
There will be a silent auction April 8. Red Mountain Boys, a local bluegrass band, will provide entertainment. For more information call 330-524-7282.