Richland Observer

July 5, 2007

Jerry Apps will be a special guest

At Merry Farm July field day

The Center for Creativity and Innovation (C4C) July field day, “Grandpa’s Barn is Falling Down, Falling Down, Falling Down,” will be hosted by Henk Newenhouse at his home, The Merry Farm, in rural Lone Rock on Tuesday evening, July 10, from 6-9 p.m. If you are an owner of an old barn or just interested in the history or future of old barns in Wisconsin, you will love this workshop.

Special guest speaker Jerry Apps will begin the program remembering what farm life was like in old barns through the seasons, but especially during haying season in the summer and cold winter days in winter. Apps, born and raised on a Wisconsin farm, is professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the author of more than 20 books, many of them on rural history and country life, including, “Barns of Wisconsin.” His presentation will include information about the early history of barns in Wisconsin and the contributions of the many ethnic groups that settled here.

Newenhouse will explain why and how he remodeled and expanded his former dairy barn into a facility that at one time housed a private school, later was used for ballroom dancing, still later for workshops and seminars, and currently for weddings and tourist rooms. He will talk about his goal of maintaining the barn’s character and will also share financial aspects of the project. Newenhouse, an immigrant from Holland, had many very interesting occupations in the professional and business world before settling in the Lone Rock area, where he now owns and manages Merry Farm, officiating at an average of 50 weddings a year.

Register for the field day and get directions to the farm by calling 588-2188, ext 25 or e-mailing landscapeproject@yahoo.com.

This field day is the sixth of a series planned for 2007 as part of the C4C Landscape Project, partially funded by a grant from the UW Department of Liberal Arts.