GRANVILLE — Joe and Donna Ascherl own this majestic barn, which is on the other side of the road into O’Brien County. “In 1997, we moved to northwest Iowa because we both have farm backgrounds and wanted to raise our kids on a farm,” said Joe Ascherl. “The barn was still in ...
HARRIS — “Our grandparents Henry and Bertha Vellema bought this place in 1955,” said Neal Vellema. “They were diversified, and they had dairy cows in the old section of the barn through the 1960s. My parents Paul and Phyllis Vellema started this dairy in the late 1980s. My brother ...
WEST BEND — Some barn owners know exactly what year their barn was built. Others only have clues, like bark-covered beams or wooden pegs, that allude to the barn’s age. Such is the case with Ron and Kay Brown, whose barn is located southwest of West Bend. “Kay searched through tax ...
LE MARS — Round barns built with domed roofs are now a rare commodity. At one time, there were more than 2,500 round barns in North America, and only 66 of those were made with a domed roof; only 24 round barns are left and far fewer domed ones these days. One of those, however, resides ...
LAURENS — “If these old walls could talk” could be the calling card of Jerry Sobotka’s century-old barn five and a half miles south of Laurens — but the stories would have plenty of wild twists and turns. Roy and Annie McCormick built this 32-foot-by-50-foot barn in Marshall ...
POLK CITY — As the seventh generation of farmers to tend their land outside Polk City, Anna and Tyler Moeckly work hand in hand with Tyler’s parents. A dominant feature of the family farm happens to be a huge red barn that catches everyone’s attention driving by. The farm was settled ...
AUBURN — It’s a rare person who knows both the builder and the history of his or her barn. Donetta Stewart is well-versed in both, since her father helped build the Gothic-style barn that has graced her family’s Sac County property since 1939. “Overall, the barn is still in good ...
ALTON — The De Graaf family has owned this farm since 1952, and — while the exact date of the barn’s construction isn’t known — the family figures it has been around since the 1920s. “There are a few leather bridles hanging in the barn,” said Jeff De Graaf, current owner ...
STORY CITY — In 1873, Ashley Keech’s great-grandparents established the family farm in Story County, which several years later included the construction of a state-of-the-art dairy barn that also doubled as an entertainment center for the square-dancing parties they used to host. But ...
GOWRIE — They came here from a place of love — and heartbreak. For Dave and Kim Rolfes, the barn on their acreage outside of Gowrie is a storehouse of family memories, where the blended family they nurtured together set down roots and built a strong foundation of love. “When we bought ...
