Decaying Farm Buildings - Photos by Bob Kelly

Drive anywhere on the gravel roads of Iowa and and you will soon see old farm buildings aging in place. The barns no long hold cows or horses, and the hay mows are empty. The corn cribs are not used as all, since all corn is shelled in the field as it is picked, and with people moving off the farms, the farm houses suffer the same decaying fate as corn cribs and barns. Within the last few years, as I have gone by areas again from time to time, I often find the building are in a pile of debris from a wind storm, or have been torn down. If you see a nice looking set of farm buildings along the roadways realize that someone is working hard and making an investment to keep them that way.