10th annual DeKalb County Barn Tour showcases agricultural history

It’s been 10 years of the DeKalb County Barn Tour, and organizers have some new additions to the event they’ll roll out Saturday.

The J.F. Glidden Homestead and Historical Center and DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association are teaming up to sponsor their annual Barn Tour from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday in Cortland Township and Sycamore. The tour costs $40 a carload.

Sue Breese, board member for DeKalb Area Agricultural Heritage Association and committee member for DeKalb County Barn Tour, said embarking on this milestone means a great deal to her.

“It’s a great thing because when we first started this [event] people questioned whether it would go, whether people would be interested in seeing barns in the area,” Breese said. “Ten years later, I guess the answer is yes, that people are interested in knowing about agriculture in DeKalb County.”

New this time around, organizers are selling “brag buttons.” Also new: Storyteller Kyle White will host a program at the Johnson barn in Cortland Township; the Waterman Lions Club will have pork chop sandwiches; and the Glidden Homestead will have ironwork created by volunteer blacksmiths.

“DeKalb has got a tremendous history in the agricultural sphere. A lot of innovators have come from this area. Of course, the soil is excellent for growing things. It’s important to highlight this to remind people what our past is all about and hopefully, through this kind of thing inspire future generations to want to be part of it.”

—  Sue Breese

This year’s event features six barns in Cortland Township and Sycamore, which guests may visit at their leisure.

Breese said she has taken part in the barn tour every year since its inception.

On average, the event draws about 450 people to tour the barns.

Breese said she’s enjoyed each and every opportunity she’s had to tour the county’s barns.

“I’ve been on all 10 of them,” Breese said. “It’s great because it grows every year. You see a lot of the same people come back every year. It’s just a fun day to socialize with people and to, like I said, just tell the story of agriculture in the county.”

Breese said DeKalb County’s agricultural history may get overlooked at times.

“A lot of people don’t think about it too much,” Breese said. “They don’t think about where their food comes from. They don’t think about what happens to these buildings that have been standing for a very long time.”

Breese said people tend to have positive things to share about their experiences on the tour.

“A lot of people just really enjoy the day,” she said. “A lot of people come from the Chicago area. ... They’re looking to buy fresh produce, fresh vegetables. We try to accommodate them.”

One such thing, Breese said, she hopes people take away from the event is how precious the county’s barns have become.

“The fact that we’re seeing less and less of them because modern equipment won’t fit into a lot of the older barns,” she said. “They’re not big enough.”

Breese said it’s important to recognize the community’s agricultural roots.

“DeKalb has got a tremendous history in the agricultural sphere,” she said. “A lot of innovators have come from this area. Of course, the soil is excellent for growing things. It’s important to highlight this to remind people what our past is all about and hopefully, through this kind of thing inspire future generations to want to be part of it.”