Barns are back

Kayla Jensen
Thu, 03 Nov 2011 16:39:09 +0000
Explore, Travel, barns, explore, farming, Jensen

By Kayla Jensen

All along the refuges and retreats of Wisconsin’s highways, old barns stand silently. Long left aside in the state’s thriving agritourism industry, the once-stately structures often crumble in disrepair. Formerly proud markers of a state’s economy and heritage, these empty barns lack proper care and financial support as disuse fades into dilapidation.

Red paint fades. Wood rots. Structures sag.

But as many of these markers wither and cave, a cherished few are coming back to life, honored by people renovating or rebuilding them as venues to celebrate events. From weddings to vacation homes to concert halls, barns are back.

The outside of Badger Farms. Photo by Evan Benner.

Badger Farms: from accountant to wedding planner

A small mound of decorations litters the corner of Dave and Betsy Muehl’s basement on their rural Wisconsin farm. White streamers, floral tablecloths and artificial autumn leaves build into a waist-high tribute to past weddings. Sitting on top of the pile is a makeshift road sign, indicating directions and miles from their farm to Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles and New Zealand.

Every weekend, people travel from around the country — and sometimes the world — to celebrate life-changing events at Badger Farms, home to a nearly century-old barn renovated to hold weddings, proms and other celebrations.

As a lifelong lover of aquatic activities, Dave wanted to find land with room for the Olympic-sized rowing facility he hopes to construct in the future. In 1996, he found land in Cottage Grove, Wis., complete with a 1920s barn and farmhouse, old barracks for migrant workers and thousands of trees in surrounding hay fields.

After Dave and Betsy remodeled the farmhouse and relocated from their home in Madison, they set their sights on the barn with a crumbling roof in need of attention. Through some work, the Muehls envisioned a place where people could host events, including weddings.

The pale gray steel siding still protected the interior of the barn from years of wear and tear, and the Muehls were able to preserve much of the original floors, sliding doors and wooden posts connecting the floor to the ceiling.

“A barn’s just a shell, really, so most of it is original,” said Dave.

Word of a rustic setting for weddings spread quickly, and the farm’s proximity to Madison made it an affordable alternative to venues in the city. Couples can have the ceremony and reception at the farm, where a larger room connected to the barn — The Shop — comes in handy on rainy days.

The Shop houses farming equipment during the week but is transformed by white walls and twinkling lights to create an airy venue for wedding ceremonies and dinners. Garage doors on one wall open to a wide view of the Muehls’ land and a brilliant sky on a clear night.

At 58 years old, Dave and Betsy had hoped to be fully retired by now. Betsy retired after 34 years of teaching when business at the farm was taking up much of her time, and, in addition to working on the farm, Dave is a semi-retired accountant.

Badger Farms holds wedding receptions from mid-March until November, often booking Saturday and Sunday. Though the Muehls haven’t spent a summer weekend away in years, being a part of such happy events is inspiring.

The interior of Badger Farms. Photo by Evan Benner.

“I always feel like we’ve acquired a new part of our family because we’re sharing such a special occasion with them,” Betsy said. “And, unfortunately, they have to leave.”

Jens Hansen: finding the story in the craftsmanship

The roadways of Wisconsin are dotted with traditional barns in various stages of aging. From proud red buildings standing out against endless fields to leaning and faded dairy barns, the craftsmanship behind barns is a dying art.

As a lifelong resident of Washington Island, Wis., and working carpenter for more than 40 years, Jens Hansen has made a living out of transforming old barns and log cabins into homes. Working on his property off the main road on the small island, population 718, Hansen recovers timber and constructs cabins log by log.

The changing dynamic of Wisconsin’s dairy and agriculture industry from small, family-owned farms to larger operations is changing the landscape of the state’s farmland. As families sell or downsize businesses, they often cannot afford the upkeep of a barn.

“It makes me sad to think of all these beautiful barns that are falling in, and people don’t have money to put a roof on them,” said Hansen. “It’s a total way of life that is just disappearing in Wisconsin.”

Hansen’s latest project sits neatly in the field behind the house. Made of strong white cedar from a double log barn, the cabin could sit year after year and fade into a silver sheen. Left unfinished until it finds an owner, the outer shell of a cabin is still marked by the blade of a broad axe used to create a flat side of the log long ago without the luxury of a sawmill.

Much of the timber Hansen uses on projects is recovered from barns and cabins over100 years old. The history of each building is like a story waiting to be discovered each time Hansen begins a project.

“When I’ve taken cabins apart, just by the neighbors stopping by during the process and sometimes in the papers I find stuffed in or left on the premises, I’ll find out who lived in that cabin and the descendants of those people,” said Hansen.

One of the challenges of building homes using old timber is weathering from years of rain, snow and wind. Logs warp and settle into place as they age, and for that, Hansen must mark each log on a diagram to fit it during the rebuilding process.

After spending two-thirds of his life working in all four of Wisconsin’s seasons, Hansen feels the impact of the work on his body.

“It’s hard labor and it’s hard on your body, hard on your knees. If you can stay healthy and do it your whole life you’re really lucky, but not a lot of people can,” Hansen said.