The Indiana Barn Foundation (IBF) will hold its 2023 Forum and Annual Meeting on Saturday, July 15, at The Rustic Barn at Hopewell in Urbana, Indiana in Wabash County. The event is located at 2238 N 500 E, Urbana, just 15 minutes northeast of Wabash.
Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. with coffee and pastries. The meeting will run from 9 a.m. until approximately 3 p.m. Those wishing to attend the entire annual meeting event and have lunch are asked to register. Lunch is included in the registration fee. Non-members of the Indiana Barn Foundation are welcome to attend.
This year’s featured speaker is timber framing specialist Rick Collins, owner of Trillium Dell/Firmitas in Galesburg, Illinois. His talk is entitled, “Practical Stewardship: Barns and Historic Timber Structures—How Everyday Folks Can Save and Preserve Their Timber Buildings.” Every building faces a common set of challenges. As a result, the areas likely in need of repair are predictable, and corresponding best practice repairs are the same. This overview and discussion are helpful to put things that might seem complicated, into perspective. You’ll gain a broad understanding of how an individual, a family, or a lightly funded/small organization can maintain and care for a timber framed building now and into the future. You’ll also learn practical tools that will allow you to know your building better and anticipate what it will need. The IBF will review a broad range of completed projects to illustrate each section.
Collins’ talk begins at 10:30 a.m. and is sponsored by the Cornelius O’Brien Lecture Series at Indiana University. His talk is also free and open to the public.
Following his talk, IBF will have an “Ask Rick” session and he will be on hand throughout the day for additional questions. There will also be a panel discussing barn reuse, a break-out session about the County Rep program and more including IBF annual meeting business.
To register, go to the link on the IBF website at https://indianabarnfoundation.wildapricot.org/event-5138140.
For more information, please email indianabarnfoundation@gmail.com.
Please visit https://www.visitwabashcounty.com for details on restaurants and accommodations and how you can make a weekend of your visit.
