Farm Horizons
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Oct. 10, 2016
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Page 10
Barn quilts: displaying the
fabric of rural Carver County
By Starrla Cray
Art, history, agriculture, and family traditions are all
rolled into one with The Barn Quilts of Carver County.
Made for barns, not beds, the 25 “quilts” are 8-by8-foot wooden panels painted with colorful quilt-patterned artwork.
Janet Fahey, owner of Barn Quilt Tours, LLC, helps
groups see the quilts and learn about the history of
Carver County.
“It’s really exciting, because we’ve attracted interest
from all sorts of groups,” Fahey said, explaining that
book clubs, churches, quilting groups, art councils, and
history clubs are among the tourists.
“One of the most interesting groups I had was the
Model A Ford Antique Club in Minneapolis,” Fahey
said. “They drove their cars during the tour.”
Most of the time, groups organize a bus for transporSubmitted photo
The Breeden Farm at 15015 70th St. in Mayer features a quilt
called “Starry Night.”
tation. At each stop, Fahey shares information about the
farm, the barn, and the quilt.
“I know the area very well,” said Fahey, who grew
up in rural Cologne and now lives in Norwood Young
America.
One barn on the tour is a business called “At the
Farm” in Waconia. Fahey said that stop is always fun,
because it includes a renovated walk-in hayloft with antiques. Often, participants will enjoy a homemade lunch
there, eaten on antique china.
Another popular stop is Deardorff Orchards in
Waconia, where tourists can browse the apple gift shop
or try wine samples.
An open-air art gallery
The idea to feature quilt-like artwork on barns began
in Adams County, OH, with a woman named Donna
Sue Groves, as a way to honor her mother’s Appalachian
heritage. Instead of stopping with a personal tribute,
though, Groves and community organizations worked
to install 20 quilts along a driving trail welcoming visitors to the countryside.
The idea spread, and now, barn quilt trails are in 48
states and Canada.
This unique open-air folk art gallery came to Carver