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About

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)
  • Andrea Corcoran (Des Moines, 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)
  • Kurt Meyer (St. Ansgar, Iowa)
  • Craig Pfantz (State Center, Iowa)
  • Roy Reiman (Greendale, Wisconsin)
  • Sue Robinson (Mechanicsville, Iowa)
  • Jack Smith (Epworth, Iowa)
  • Craig Stephens (Pleasantville, Iowa)
  • Steve Sukup (Clear Lake, Iowa)
  • Kelly 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