Michigan Centennial/Sesquicentennial Farms & What Could Have Been In This Old Barn?
What Is A Centennial Farm?
According to the Michigan Centennial Farm Association(MCFA) "over 6,000 Centennial and Sesquicentennial Farms have been certified since the program’s inception in 1948".
"The purpose of the MCFA is to promote the Centennial Farm Program; to encourage the development of rural life in Michigan; to promote the history of local communities; and to carry out educational programs in cooperation with farmers, organizations, and other institutions."
To become a centennial or sesquicentennial farm you must meet certain criteria.
"The Centennial Farm Program is administered by the Historical Society of Michigan. The Centennial Farm Program recognizes farms that have remained in the same family for 100 years or more and highlights the farm’s contributions to Michigan’s development. In order to be designated as a Centennial Farm, a property must be a working farm of 10 or more acres that has been continuously owned by the same family for at least 100 years."
Old Barn
Yesterday we took a midday road trip down some dirt roads and on one of the roads, I saw this old barn and I couldn't resist but to take a picture as we drove by. It was on the property of a registered centennial farm; so it had to have been constructed decades ago. Just looking at the weathered structure you know it has stories to tell.
So being a writer and creative by nature, my mind started wandering and wondering, "what was that barn used for back in the day?"
- Could it have been a place for goats or sheep to sleep and get out of the elements?
- Was it a quick structure, homestead cabin, for when the family first arrived on the property?
- Maybe it was a makeshift feed storage for the livestock on the farm.
- A chicken coop?
- Or perhaps a small horse barn for the wagon's pair of steeds.
I mean, if you think about it, the possibilities are endless. And if you let your imagination wander enough (as mine has), you can come up with quite a story behind this barn.
I'm actually thinking about using this picture as a writing prompt for a future fiction historical novel.
So, what do you think this barn was used for?
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