Farm and Wilderness Barn

Built By Kids, For Kids

“ONE MILE of rope and two curved gin poles were used to pull up three large sections of a barn at the Farm & Wilderness Camp, in Plymouth, Vermont.  The cheers of a couple of hundred kids and friends acknowledged the spiritual triumph of the effort. Finishing right on schedule and on budget and influencing the lives of many young people, this project could only be considered another TFG success.”

For the Farm and Wilderness Camp, the Guild built a 30 x 48-ft. two-story barn with a 12:12 roof: pretty steep. This project may be a pinnacle of sorts for the Guild: an enormous number of children were involved in creating and raising the frame. The main deck of the barn was built by many groups of young people under close supervision, 30-40 kids at a time: hundreds total. Kids participated in building the frame itself as well. A professional development workshop was part of the project.

Local Partner
Farm and Wilderness Camp

Local Partner Hero
Judy Plouffe, FW

Local TFG hero
Randy Churchill

Notable aspects
Several varied outreach components. Hand tools, hand raising.  Kids very involved. Two-gin-pole raising, some crane.

TFG leaders
Randy Churchill, Rocco Bellebuono, Ellen Gibson, Rick Collins, Brian Felice, Joel McCarty, Grigg Mullen, Alicia Spence, Ben Yeomans.

In-kind donations
Denny Hambruch (Mafell), Deanna (Bailey's Woodsman Supply—rope), Northcott Woodturning—pegs, Rod Sienkiewicz (GRK Fasteners), Doug Anderson (Winter Panel), Brinton Baker (Cowls), Timberwolf Tools

Photographers
Joel McCarty, Farm & Wilderness Camp, Kurt Terrelly

Narrative
Scantlings 122, 123, 124, 125