Dull Tree Farm
How many times have you been in a barn? I mean a real barn with wood siding, a hip roof, and a hay mow that smells like alfalfa and pigeon poop. A barn with a door that opens its wide mouth so the track and sling can feed it every fall. A barn with timbers, all hewn with hand tools, held together by wooden pegs and the laws of physics. Sadly, most have to say no.
The complexity of a modern combine shows that farming has gone from a simple way of living to a technology advanced industry. Consequently the pace of rural life has increased to keep the pace. The image of ma and pa sitting on their front porch, or going over to visit the neighbors on a cool summer evening is no longer a reality.
I haven’t been to a real farm in a while. As Tom Dull showed me around his farm, I thought about my grandparent's farm and making straw mazes in the hay mow, scooping manure out of the gutters, watching cows give birth. Tom had the same sense of pride my Grandpa has about his old farm. Each building has a significance and purpose. Each reminds him of a different story, person, or even favorite milking cow. When the family farm died, it broke the possibility for younger generations to make similar memories.
With the help of Campbell’s Soup, Tom Dull and his family are working to preserve their old barn. Campbell’s Soup has teamed up with the FFA with a “Help Grow Your Food” initiative. Campbell’s goal is to help people become aware of where their food comes from. This year, the top five vote getters will be given money to help restore their barn. Tom said if they win, the money will be used to make necessary frame and structural repairs. Tom’s hope is that they will win and be able to make improvements to help make sure young children will be able to experience a piece of what farm life has to offer for years to come. Help save the Dull Family barn by taking a second to vote here.
