The Iowa Barn Foundation’s annual barn tour is this weekend. Foundation president Jackie Schmeal says the all-volunteer group has one purpose. She says they raise money and give matching grants to property owners to save their barns. She says they’ve given over 500-thousand dollars in matching grants to over 50 property owners. The barn tour is a way to show off the results of their work. The tour features the barns they’ve helped restore and there are 34 on this year’s tour. Schmeal says saving the barns is important to Iowa. She says “imagine Iowa without any barns. They stand for hard work,integrity.” She says our grandfathers came and built the barns because they were going to make their livelihood in them. Schmeal says it’s a matter of saving our heritage. For more information on the barn tour, call 641-487-7690, or surf to:www.iowabarnfoundation.org.
