Join us at Windsor Historical Society on Tuesday, September 29^th at 7 p.m. as barns expert John Porter takes us on a chronological walk through time in his presentation The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns.  For almost three hundred years, barns were an essential part of most home lots and efficiently housed animals and feed, vehicles, and farm equipment.  Porter’s presentation will show how (and why) New England’s barns evolved from the early English style to Yankee style, then to gambrel and later pole-roofed barns to accommodate changes in agricultural methods and equipment. 

John Porter was raised on a dairy farm in Lebanon, New Hampshire.  He graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. Degree in Animal Science, then went on to get a Master’s Degree from Cornell University in Animal Nutrition and Farm Management.  He has served as a Dairy Specialist for the University of New Hampshire’s Cooperative Extension and operates Farm Planning Services, LLC which advises on animal nutrition, farmstead planning and labor management.  In 2001, he co-authored the book Preserving Old Barns.   His lecture should appeal to anyone with interests in agriculture, architecture, landscapes, preservation, and history.  Cost for the program is $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and students, and $4 for WHS members.  Refreshments will be served after the program.

Porter’s lecture will be complimented by Windsor photographer Lowell Fewster’s exhibition Windsor Barn Stories which may be viewed on the walls of the Society’s meeting room.   A beautiful 2010 calendar featuring Fewster’s Windsor barn photographs is available for purchase at $10.99.