It is sad to see an old barn go up in smoke…
yet this is exactly what happened to a farmer friend who has just lost a chunk of family heritage, vestige of a bygone agricultural world. His barn, a structure of blissful simplicity which I used to glance at every time I passed by on my way to Montreal, is no more, a casualty of human, albeit unintentional, carelessness. It took only a small spark to start the destructive fire, and within a scant fifteen minutes, the building was completely consumed by flames.
Those who know our farm are aware that its buildings date back to the same era,
i.e. the last third of the 19th century.
We are fortunate to have inherited structures that are representative of a time when everything was built from wood, using architectural and carpentry techniques that few, if any, can replicate nowadays.
I find myself thinking of our beautiful red barn,
older (and bigger) than the one that just burned down, where onions freshly harvested last week, and garlic, are curing, soon to be joined by our winter squashes. These buildings might seem useless from the road, but inside they are alive, and for that reason alone, they must be cherished and cared for.
Meanwhile, back to our baskets:
they will be filled this week with
watermelon, corn, eggplant, summer squash, green cabbage, tomatoes, fresh onions, and more.
We look forward to seeing you all again.