New Hampton Historical Society presents 'The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns'

NEW HAMPTON ― The New Hampton Historical Society presents "The History of Agriculture as Told by Barns" on Tuesday, March 17, at 7 p.m. at Gordon-Nash Library on Main St. 

The evolution of barn architecture tells the story of New Hampshire agriculture. Barns changed from early English style, to Yankee style, to gambrel and then pole barns to accommodate the changing agriculture. Majestic barns represent Yankee ingenuity, hard work and skilled craftsmanship. Learn how barn styles evolved to meet the needs of population growth and changes in society.

This presentation will be a chronological walk through time, with photo illustrations of barns around the state that are examples of these eras of agricultural history. “Barn Talk” will be presented by John Porter who was raised on a dairy farm in Lebanon, graduated from University of New Hampshire with a bachelor's in animal science and then went on to get a master’s degree in animal nutrition and farm management from Cornell University. He served as a Dairy Specialist for the UNH Cooperative Extension from 1974 until his retirement in 2006.

He still works part time for UNH and operates his own consulting company, Farm Planning Services, LLC. He has edited, published and contributed to books on the NH Dairy Industry and the preservation of old barns including "Preserving Old Barns," "The History and Economics of the New Hampshire Dairy Industry," and the Concord History Book, "Crosscurrents of Change."

Light refreshments will be served. Visit newhamptonhistory.org for more information.