2025 Annual Meeting & Barn Forum

The 2025 Indiana Barn Foundation Forum and Annual Meeting was held on Saturday, July 12th at Beck’s Hybrids in Atlanta, Hamilton County, Indiana. The program included words from Beck’s Hybrids CEO, Sonny Beck and an introduction of IBF’s new executive director, Christine Page. The featured speaker was retired Ball State University historic preservation professor and IBF founding board member, Duncan Campbell. His talk, “Indiana Barns: Settlement, Imprint and Evolution,” focused on the construction techniques of barns into the 20th century using photos taken during assessments of Indiana’s heritage barns. Beginning with timber framing, barn construction later evolved to truss and plank framing and embraced the technical and scientific movements. Attendees were able to further understand the talk by viewing IBF’s newest of two scale barn models, which were unveiled at the meeting.

After lunch attendees were invited invited to gather onsite at Fieldgate Farm in Sheridan for a tour given by the owners, Kyle and Mindi McMillan. In 2020, the circa 1850 house and turn-of-the-century barn of the Baker-Johnson-Pickett Farm were saved from demolition for a road project through a partnership between Indiana Landmarks and the Indiana Department of Transportation. Participants learned about the documentation and 2024 reconstruction of the buildings at their new location, while visiting the Scottish Highland cattle and other animals that call the boutique farm home.

Thank you to Beck’s Hybrids for sponsoring this year’s meeting.

Homestead Barn Before Renovation

Homestead Barn After Renovation

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