Barn in the City

Believe it or not, everything used to be grass land in Iowa. And then it was farm land. There would be an occasional township here and there, but it was mostly farmland. It's how Iowans made a living. It's our history. It's your history.

But the population of Iowa grew. People moved out of the rural areas and into cities and suburbs. Now, going to the farm meant driving 20-30 minutes rather than just down the road. Good Iowa farmland was being plowed and dug but shopping malls and parking lots were taking the place of cornfields and grazing areas.

Iowa is being transformed. But we need to keep our heritage and history in mind. That's why when I heard that the barn at Valley High School was going to be torn down, I had to do something. I joined the facebook group and invited friends to join. But I wanted to do more.


Before preschool, I loaded all three boys in the van and drove by Valley High School. I explained to the boys about how this was all farm land at one time and we were going to see an old barn. I told them that some people wanted to tear it down. Liam asked, "Why?" I said, "Because some people think it's old and useless." Liam said, "Just because it's old doesn't mean it needs to be torn down."


My five year old gets it. He even said, "That barn looks nice," as we pulled up to it. I snapped a few pictures of it, because who knows how much longer it will stand. The FFA class can use the barn for real life experience. The shop class can do the up keep on the barn. I don't understand why they think they need to get rid of it!


As the lyrics go in "The Town I Love So Well":

"For what's done is done and what's won is won
and what's lost is lost and gone forever"

Maybe I'm being unreasonable. Maybe it's because I'm a farm girl at heart. 

Yes, I live in the city now, but my heart is always back on the farm. 

I recall the summers I played under the big tree at the old farm house.

I recall crying as the corn crib burned down. I recall returning home covered in soot, having to scrub as it was caked on my face after my tears dried.

I recall helping with potatoes on the old farm and playing hide and seek in the corn. 

The countless hours we spent in the big white barn playing, the day that turned into night as we loaded hay out of the barn and onto trailers...

Remember, city folk, "What's lost is lost and gone forever".  Don't lose this.