Barn Restoration

One of my fondest memories as a kid was visiting a friends farm since it had a massive barn. I don't know if that barn still stands but it would be a shame if it was gone. Allyson Brooks with the Heritage Barn Register says that is what they are trying to prevent.

BROOKS: The King County historic preservation community along with the agricultural community in King County and some local historians were very concerned about deteriorating barns in King County and they were discussing the local barn program and everyone thought it was really something that needed to go statewide.

Senator Jim Honeyford and his wife from Yakima got involved.

BROOKS: They tasked our agency to work with staff from the legislature to develop a bill for a statewide program.

Created with the passage of Substitute HB 2115 in May of 2007, the Washington Heritage Barn Register commemorates barns as historically significant resources representing the agricultural, economic and cultural development of the State of Washington.

BROOKS: Legislators really understood the need for preservation of barns and while sometimes on the surface when we talk about barns or heritage barns people might say well there's more important things for government to do than take care of barns, a lot of people forget that you can't farm without a barn. It's critical to the agriculture industry and it's critical to farming.

That's today's Line On Agriculture. I'm Greg Martin on the Ag Information Network.