The other day as I was enjoying the ride from home to the Post Office, I noticed new surveyor’s stakes in a field around an old wooden barn. Another farm is being turned into a subdivision.
Then I started counting how many wooden barns are left for me to enjoy seeing on my way from home to the Post Office.
The Barn Score was invented.
It is really simple and fun to find your Barn Score. Simply count how many wooden barns you go by between where you live and the nearest traffic light.
If you go by five old wooden barns before you get to the nearest traffic light, your Barn Score would be "5".
Now the rules have not been ratified by the international committee yet, so they are left up to each individual. It is up to the integrity of each individual player to interpret these rules.
•What qualifies as an old wooden barn?
•When you say “go by” do they have to be on the road or just visible from the road?
•What about an old wooden barn that is part metal?
•If the old wooden barn is half fallen down does that count as a half point?
The nearest traffic light rule keeps you from driving out of the way to avoid the traffic light and pad your score.
For those who live in a barn-deficient area, the scoring is similar but in reverse. How many traffic lights are between your home and the nearest wooden barn? This of course is a negative Barn Score. If you pass eight traffic lights before you get to the nearest wooden barn, your score is “minus 8”.
Why is it important? Because, they are putting up more traffic lights and they are taking down old wooden barns. It is important to know your Barn Score now. That way you will know the rate of “progress” by how fast your score drops.
Our church has an annual Lord’s Acre Craft Sale every October. The most popular craft items are things made from "old barn wood". We found our about a small barn that was going to be torn down to make room for a school bus turn-around.
We jumped at the chance to get another supply of "old barn wood". The 25 foot tall oak timbers, although sawmill cut, were pegged together! Our best guess at the age of the barn is between 1870 and 1920 vintage. If only we had more time, manpower and equipment. But I guess that is why it is easier and cheaper to tear them down.
If this starts you noticing more old wooden barns and appreciating them, then you have won. No matter what your score.
The next time you are leaving home, see if you can discover your Barn Score
Thanks,
I would like to appeal to the International Rules Committee for a ruling about chicken houses. Is the BS based on intended use of the structure, its size, or solely on its shape? I’ll grant you that the classic barn shape adds a serene or homey touch to the landscape and is quickly dwindling. Is it then the intent of the BS to hold in esteem only these classic structures? I think not! While the classic barn is a scenic addition to most landscapes we need to also consider pole barns, tobacco barns, too. Not just diary barns. If prejudice is applied to the shape of the barn then where will it stop? Will we next disallow a submission just because it’s not pained red?
I’m not looking to artificially inflate my BS by counting non-compliant structures, however I feel that the omission of chicken houses is a practice of unfair BS profiling. Many of our local chicken houses exceed the capacity of many so called barns. Just because the structure houses poultry and not livestock that is no reason to limit my BS. My BS is just as good or better than many others BS.
This practice of husbandry profiling should be stopped. Sure, chicken are among the smallest farm animals commonly raised but their sheer numbers more than make up for their lack in stature. Now I’m not advocating counting every rabbit hutch in the BS just because it contains a few fertile bunnies but due to the enormous size and numbers of chicken houses in some areas they should be considered towards the BS.
I look forward to presenting my appeal at the next meeting of the Rules Committee.