features

22 | 2008 Minnesota barn competition

2008 Minnesota Barn of the Year competition
View Slide Show

** Two barns in Murray County earned the top honors.**

WITH SO MANY BARNS collapsing at an alarming rate, one Minnesota organization has made it their mission “to preserve Minnesota’s rural heritage, mainly barns.” That’s according to Curt Richter, chairman of the Friends of Minnesota Barns and owner of Rustic Innovations based in Scandia.

The non-profit FoMB, begun in 2004 and with a membership of 100-plus, is striving to save this traditional symbol of hard work, agriculture and earlier times in Minnesota, Richter said.

FoMB wants to offer an alternative, he said, to the “put a match to it” attitude that some people have toward old barns. So the organization provides networking, ideas, encouragement and examples of preserved barns. Workshops, an annual fall barn tour, a harvest festival, coffee chats and the first-ever Barn of the Year awards are designed to accomplish those goals.

Seventy barns from 36 Minnesota counties vied for awards in the 2008 Minnesota Barn of the Year competition, a new event which Richter said not only honors those who have preserved barns, but aims to reach out to farmers and to get more statewide involvement in the FoMB. Two barns in Murray County earned the top honors. Lee Leysen of Tracy won in the family-owned division and Murray County took first place in the group-owned competition. (See related stories.) A preservationist, architect, historical consultant, historical society director and an artist/photographer selected the two winners from 10 finalists chosen by the FoMB.

For more information about the Friends of Minnesota Barns, log on to www.friendsofminnesotabarns.org, e-mail info(at)friendsofminnesotabarns.org or call (612) 338-BARN (2276)

28 | A look back at our first five years Five years, in the great scheme of things, isn’t that long. Five years in the publishing world is an eternity.

When Diane Wimmer and I began Minnesota Moments in 2004, we asked each other, “Where will we be in five years? Will we still be publishing?”Stories of failed magazines abound. In fact, in St. Cloud alone, five magazines have come and gone since we began publishing. Others statewide have folded as well. Some of those magazines failed because of a lack of advertising support. Some weren’t able to succeed because readers didn’t care. Some publications couldn’t even give their product away. Although recent economic times have proven difficult, we still are publishing. We are fortunate because readers continue to subscribe and embrace a quality publication that is written, photographed and designed by Minnesotans.

As we celebrate five years of publishing Minnesota Moments, we thought it would be fun to take a look back to see how we got here. So, we did just that in our Jan./Feb. 2009 issue. Pick up your copy today!

42 | The biggest gainer; are you up for the challenge?

It’s time to become a better you. The election is over. Inauguration is just a few days away. We’re putting the holiday season behind us and starting a new year, fresh with optimism and enthusiasm. Now’s the time to make those lifestyle changes you’ve talked about for weeks, months and maybe even years.

Whether you’re confronted with health issues, financial concerns, general stress, or problems with your diet, there’s no time like the present to begin making changes.

Minnesota Moments is here to help. And so is radio station Spirit 92.9, Sauk Rapids. The station again is running a contest called “The Biggest Gainer.” This is the contest’s second year. Minnesota Moments is following the contest this year to provide its readers a chance to change their lives.

Sponsored by Gold’N Plump, the contest is designed to help participants address the issues in their lives that are roadblocks to overall good health. This holistic approach helps contestants gain stability, not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well, said Diana Madsen, the station’s program director. To learn more about this contest pick up your copy of Minnesota Moments today!