Founded in 1997, the Iowa Barn Foundation is dedicated to preserving Iowa’s rural buildings, symbols of Iowa’s early agricultural heritage. The Iowa Barn Foundation is an Iowa non-profit corporation with tax-exempt status under paragraph 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
The Iowa Barn Foundation, its board of directors and county representatives work to preserve Iowa’s agricultural history and endangered barns by educating people in Iowa – and beyond – about our rural heritage and the importance of barn preservation. This is being accomplished through the bi-annual Iowa Barn Foundation Magazine, the Iowa Barn Foundation website (this website), the annual All-State Barn Tour, and through picnics, open meetings, and through worldwide publicity in newspapers, magazines, and television.
We provide matching grants to property owners to help restore qualified barns. We also recognize barn owners who rehabilitate their barns at their own expense with our Award of Distinction and Preservation Award programs.
Have questions? Please see list of county representatives below to contact someone in your area.
Board of Directors
- Ober Anderson (Ankeny, Iowa)
- Dave Austin (Ankeny, Iowa)
- Jim Boeding (Decorah, Iowa)
- Olivia Chalfant (Guthrie Center, Iowa)
- Wayne Frost (Waterloo, Iowa)
- Tom Hertz (Ames, Iowa)
- Dwight Hughes (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
- Carrie Jones (Ocheyedon, Iowa)
- Paul Kruse (Granger, Iowa)
- Steve Lawler (Urbandale, Iowa)
- Brad Marek (Riverside, Iowa)
- Kurt Meyer (St. Ansgar, Iowa)
- Laura Morine (Lamont, Iowa)
- Craig Pfantz (State Center, Iowa)
- Sue Robinson (Mechanicsville, Iowa)
- Jack Smith (Epworth, Iowa)
- Craig Stephens (Pleasantville, Iowa)
- Steve Sukup (Clear Lake, Iowa)
- Kevin Tobin (Ames, Iowa)
County Representatives
County representatives promote the preservation of barns in their area through Iowa Barn Foundation programs and membership. Key responsibilities include actively responding to inquiries by phone/email, assisting with barn tour organization/promotion, and providing in-person visits to barns to assist with grant/award programs. We are actively seeking volunteers for several counties who are passionate about barns and enjoy helping others. If interested, please contact our county representative’s coordinator, Craig Stephens, at 515-681-1009 or cdstephens@fngi.net.
County Representatives
Allamakee: Marlene Fenstermann, 563-382-3439, dwf02@fenstermann.de
Allamakee: Jim Palmer, 563-419-1736, jim.siebrechtag@gmail.com
Audubon: Bob & Janet Nelson, 712-304-5809, save.ross.elevator@gmail.com, beccaben7@gmail.com
Benton: Wayne Frost, 319-427-3531, frostwf@lpctel.net (Seeking Replacement)
Black Hawk: Wayne Frost, 319-427-3531, frostwf@lpctel.net
Boone: Steve Rimathe, 515-290-5258, srimathe89@gmail.com
Bremer: Wayne Frost, 319-427-3531, frostwf@lpctel.net (Seeking Volunteer)
Buchanan: Wayne Frost, 319-427-3531, frostwf@lpctel.net (Seeking Replacement)
Buena Vista: Becky Bryant, 712-213-0598, bbryant@evertek.net
Butler: Wayne Frost, 319-427-3531, frostwf@lpctel.net (Seeking Replacement)
Calhoun: Larry Ellis , 712-210-0423, redrockarabians@gmail.com
Calhoun: Deann Haden, 515-571-7196, bradluke@lvcta.com
Carroll: Kent Brant, 712-830-2241, kbrant42@hotmail.com
Cerro Gordo: Dale & Judy Mills, 641-420-9227, cupolainn@gmail.com
Cherokee: Becky Bryant, 712-213-0598, bbryant@evertek.net
Clarke: Ginnie Hargis & Ron McBroom, 515-834-2026, cabot1@hughes.net
Clay: Kelli Ireland, 507-320-0542, kellbell45@yahoo.com
Clinton: Travis Mueller, 563-506-9285, bigtravesty@gmail.com
Crawford: Don Poggensee, 712-369-3454, donpoggensee@gmail.com (Seeking Volunteer)
Delaware: John Heffernen, 563-920-5826, Johnheffernen@gmail.com
Des Moines: Jeff Taeger, 319-759-5722, jataeger@icloud.com
Dubuque: Jack Smith, 563-599-3061, jackwsmith@icloud.com
Emmet: Terrence Jensen, 515-230-8972, tcjensen52@gmail.com
Floyd: Barbara Brown, 641-756-3552, brownb@myomnitel.com
Greene: Mary Richards, 515-386-4750, mrichards@netins.net
Guthrie: Kent Brant, 712-830-2241, kbrant42@hotmail.com
Hamilton: Ron Adams, 515-368-1678, ronadams144@gmail.com
Hancock: Thomas Chizek, 641-430-4456, chizeklandandcattle56@gmail.com
Hardin: Stephen Kahl, 972-467-2354, stephen.kahl1942@gmail.com
Harrison: Anna Brantz-Buckingham, 402-651-7018, annambuckingham@gmail.com
Ida: Don Poggensee, 712-369-3454, donpoggensee@gmail.com
Iowa: Bonnie Winslow-Garvin, (319) 360-4832, bwinslow@southslope.net
Jackson: Caroline Bredekamp, h)563-689-4970 c)563-689-3581, caroline.bredekamp@yahoo.com
Jasper: Tyler Wilhelm, 402-525-1833, wilhelmacres@gmail.com
Johnson: Wilford Yoder, 319-338-6596, weyoder820@msn.com (Seeking Replacement)
Jones: David McDonald, 319-389-4437, fogebotom@yahoo.com
Lee: Brian Foecke, 319-470-0329, bjfoecke@ft.newyorklife.com
Linn: David McDonald, 319-389-4437, clydesiowa@yahoo.com
Louisa: Travis Mueller, 563-506-9285, bigtravesty@gmail.com
Madison: Ginnie Hargis & Ron McBroom, 515-834-2026, cabot1@hughes.net
Mahaska: Charles Oldham, 641-969-4272, oakknoll@iowatelecom.net
Marion: Craig & Shiela Stephens, 515-681-1009, cdstephens@fngi.net
Marshall: Rod & Kristi Hassler, 641-750-4946 (c) 641-753-3276, rhassler@mchsi.com, kcasper@mchsi.com
Mills: Anna Brantz-Buckingham, 402-651-7018, annambuckingham@gmail.com
Monona: Peggy and Richard Hanner, 712-251-0405, peggy.hanner@outlook.com
Montgomery: Montgomery County Historical Society, 712-623-2289, mchsociet@myfmtc.com
Muscatine: Kas Kelly, 563-260-0869, kaskelly@machlink.com
O’Brien: Joe Ascherl, 712-212-4247, donnajoeascherl@gmail.com
Osceola: Carrie Jones, 712-832-3227, carrie@joneslawofficeplc.com
Pocahontas: Terry Ferguson, 712-845-4978, ctferguson@ncn.net
Polk: Ober Anderson, 515-964-0964, ojanderson@aol.com
Pottawattamie: Anna Brantz-Buckingham, 402-651-7018, annambuckingham@gmail.com
Poweshiek: Bonnie Winslow-Garvin, (319) 360-4832, bwinslow@southslope.net
Sac: Jack & Jane Hogue, 712-668-4663, jhogue@netins.net
Scott: Travis Mueller, 563-506-9285, bigtravesty@gmail.com
Shelby: Dennis & Linda Heflin, 712-579-1943, jewelray@fmctc.com
Sioux: Ron & Nance Vos, 712-203-8703, nvos72@yahoo.com
Story: Steve Rimathe, 515-290-5258, srimathe89@gmail.com
Tama: Rod & Kristi Hassler, 641-750-4946 (c) 641-753-3276, rhassler@mchsi.com kcasper@mchsi.com
Warren: Craig & Shiela Stephens, 515-681-1009, cdstephens@fngi.net
Washington: Brad Marek, 319-430-1077, bmarek@msn.com
Webster: Deann Haden, 515-571-7196, bradluke@lvcta.com
Winneshiek: Marlene Fenstermann, 563-382-3439, dwf02@fenstermann.de
Winneshiek: Jim Palmer, 563-419-1736, jim.siebrechtag@gmail.com
Woodbury: Peggy and Richard Hanner, 712-251-0405, peggyhanner@outlook.com
Counties Without A Representative
Adair, Adams, Adams, Appanoose, Cass, Cedar, Chickasaw, Clayton, Dallas, Davis, Decatur, Dickinson, Fayette, Franklin, Freemont, Grundy, Henry, Howard, Humboldt, Jefferson, Keokuk, Kossuth, Lucas, Lyon, Mitchell, Monroe, Page, Palo Alto, Plymouth, Ringgold, Taylor, Union, Van Buren, Wapello, Wayne, Winnebago, Worth, Wright