If Barns Could Talk

My how time flies--5 years ago when I turned 65, I celebrated with the gift of a barn quilt.

You may have noticed that there are barn quilts all across Benton County  and the 

state of Arkansas.  We are on the Arkansas Quilt Trail.  

If barns could talk, this one on our farm would tell you it was built in 1957.

It has been a place for milking cows, storing machinery, providing housing 

for calves and hay storage.

Before the introduction of big round hay bales, the barn stored over

 8000 square bales during summer harvest. Even in those hot August harvest days,

 stacking hay in the Anglin Barn was not all bad when you were treated

 to a late-night supper and homemade ice cream prepared by Bonnah Lyn Anglin. 

The barn continues to be used as part of our farming operation.  

When we painted the barn this fall , we discovered that the barn quilt 

needed more than a fresh coat of paint. After 5 years of weathering, 

it required a new board and a fresh paint job. 

It was our good fortune to find the willing soul to paint a new board.

I am one lucky Mother to have two sons and their good friends that were willing

to  install it on the barn. 

Like many jobs on the farm, it takes communication, coordination

and a lot of craziness.

The boys started with one in the bucket and several on the ground.

To hold the painted board and get it on the barn,

it took two in the bucket.  It was a tight fit!

If barns could talk--I think she would be proud of her

new paint and quilt!

                                                         

                                                              Merry Christmas to me!!

Dairy Farmer's Thankful Thursday

Early this year I became aware that Benton County was seeking

 to develop a Benton County Quilt Trail that would become a part

 of the Arkansas Quilt Trail. Benton County will be the 24th county

 in the state to join the state trail.

Quilt trails have become a sightseeing and destination movement

 across the U.S. inspired by quilt making, storytelling and local history.

With the disappearance of so many farms in our county,

I couldn't think of a better way to share our rich local 

farming history while also celebrating my 65th birthday!

Since I'm not a quilter or an artist, 

I am thankful  I was introduced to a maker

of barn quilts through a mutual friend.

My  Rising Star Barn Quilt was painted by

Holly Duck of  Duck Hollow Barn Quilts.

We had the hanging of the Barn Quilt this week!

It was so much fun to watch the long awaited 

completion of the project.

It was obvious from the beginning that 

a tall ladder just wouldn't work.

Milford Crane Service made the job look easy

and a whole lot safer than my vision of

family members on a ladder!

In preparation to be accepted to be a part of the quilt trail, 

 the application asks the participant to write a little bit about the history of the barn.

This is what I submitted:

The Rising Star barn quilt block brightens up the hip roof style barn built with

 oak lumber  handpicked by owner Bill Anglin in 1957. If barns could talk,

 it would tell you that it has been a place for milking cows, 

storing machinery, providing housing for calves and hay storage. 

Before the introduction of big round hay bales, 

the barn stored over 8000 square bales during summer harvest. Even on those

 hot August harvest days, stacking hay in the Anglin Barn was not all bad 

when you were treated to a late night supper and homemade ice cream 

prepared by Bonnah Lyn Anglin.

 The barn continues to be used by the fourth generation of the Anglin family

 as part of their Triple A Farms dairy and beef operation.

I'm thankful for this gift from my family that 

celebrates our rich Benton County agricultural history

and the legacy of our farming family.