December 23, 2013

NBA President, Danae Peckler, addresses the barn-loving crowd last June at the CT Trust’s “Celebration of Barns” (photo: Jim Prager).

Dear Barn Preservation Advocate:

Today I am writing to express my gratitude for your continued support of the National Barn Alliance (NBA) and to update you on the organization’s 2013 activities.  Now in my second term as President of the NBA, I reminded everyday of how much people love America’s barns in the emails we receive, the pictures people share, and in the many comments exchanged through our social media. The character and charm of an old barn simply can’t be beat!

This past year we partnered with the Department of Historic Preservation at the University of Mary Washington to host our Winter Meeting in Fredericksburg, VA, and heard from students in their Agricultural Preservation class, as well as Preservation graduate students from the University of Delaware’s Center for Historic Architecture and Design, about the work being done at these institutions to document historic barns and study historic patterns of farming in the region. This past summer, NBA collaborated with the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation to join in their “Celebration of Barns” and hold our Annual Meeting in Old Saybrook, CT.  Continuing our presence at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the NBA attended their annual conference in Indianapolis, IN, where we added countless names to our contact list and touched base with old and new friends. Each of these events helped expand our barn-loving network as well as our awareness of the actions leading barn preservation in various parts of the country.

At the Annual Meeting, we welcomed Gina Drew to the Board of Directors (BOD).  Gina has been incredibly active on Restore Oregon’s Heritage Barn Taskforce and has graciously taken on the position of Secretary within the NBA. A special election this month also added Sonja Ingram to the BOD. Sonja comes to us from Preservation Virginia’s Tobacco Barns project and has been instrumental in that organization’s efforts to celebrate tobacco culture and save the barns that reflect it. Both ladies are helping make 2014 look very bright for the NBA!

Another important step taken this year was to revise the NBA’s Action Plan. Taking into account the results of our membership surveys and strategic planning sessions at the 2013 Winter Meeting, the BOD has outlined and refined a plan of action that builds upon many of the goals established in the previous version of 2009.  We hope this revised Action Plan will guide us into another four years of success, as we continue to connect with state and local barn organizations and interested barn preservationists across the country! Also around with us since 2009, the NBA continues to strengthen our Teamwork and Timbers program by sending our two timber-frame barn models into classrooms in the Midwest and Eastern parts of the country. This year we gained a new friend and a New England barn model by partnering with Massachusetts timber-framer, Tom Musco. This is just one example of how we look to further expand the geographical and educational reach of these barns in 2014, as we believe they are incredible assets that leave lasting impacts on students of all ages.

But the time to act to save our barns and rural heritage has never been more evident. More barns disappear from our landscape every day as time and weather take their toll. I urge you to look around www.barnalliance.org and review the information that we are continually improving, and to engage the NBA through social media where increasing numbers reflect our growing influence and the growing interest many have in rural heritage preservation. We are on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In, and You Tube trying to spread the word about the benefits of barn and rural heritage preservation – please join in the conversation!

The success of our alliance depends on continued action to promote the documentation, preservation, and celebration of these surviving features of our rural heritage! Members in the NBA agree that historic barns occupy an iconic status in our culture and memory.  Benefits of membership include unlimited access to barn preservation resources on our website and social media outlets, monthly e-newsletters, two printed NBA newsletters each year, and an open invitation to join in our sponsored and affiliated events including conferences, barn tours, and our 2014 Annual Membership Meeting to be held next June in upstate New York.

On behalf of the BOD and historic barns everywhere, I thank you for your interest in the NBA and I urge to join us in the effort to preserve our rural heritage in 2014. We just couldn’t do it without the support of our members and barn-loving preservationists like you!

Sincerely,

Danae Peckler, NBA President