RECYCLING A BARN

In a cornfield near Joice, Iowa, a white barn slowly appears above the stalks, a striking vision against the yellow crop blowing in the wind. Traveling in a straight path as the crow flies, the barn hovers through the grain, and you might think you're seeing a magician's illusion, until about a mile later it emerges from the field, firmly hoisted on steel beams and powered by truck, not levitation. The Holland Moving company is relocating Tom Halvorson's barn from his hog and grain farm to the Top of Iowa Wind Farm about six miles away.

What does a wind farm need with a barn? This barn is a symbol of Horizon's commitment to its neighbors. Mike Kelly, Director of Operations Services, describes the barn's move as a gesture towards giving back to the local community. Horizon feels at home in Iowa and likes being part of the neighborhood. A pre-fab steel building just could not add the feeling of home to the wind farm the way this old barn does. So recycling a barn satisfies two of the company's goals: building beautiful wind farms and making environmentally sensitive decisions.

The farmers in Iowa say, "The barn built a house, but the house never built a barn," to describe the pivotal part a barn plays in a working farm's well-being. Hog farm or wind farm, the saying applies. The three-story Horizon barn houses the administration facilities for the wind farm and also accommodates an on-site office for Vestas, the Danish wind turbine manufacturer. The SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system is located where the hayloft used to be. The wind farm crew can monitor and assess data from each of the farm's 89 individual turbines. Before its reinvention, the barn stored seed corn and supplies on the Halvorson Family farm; now it stores the brains of the Top of Iowa Wind Farm.

The Barn as the Operations and Maintenance Building

The barn is an ideal size to accommodate the Top of Iowa's operations and maintenance facilities. Measuring 34 feet at its peak, it is 32 feet wide by 70 feet long. The original two-story configuration has been altered at the new location to add a third floor, comprised of an 8-foot 8-inch split-block foundation, and the roof now accommodates eight new dormer windows. The interior of the barn has been completely renovated to house the wind farm's offices and maintenance facilities, which take up 2000 square feet and 2200 square feet respectively. A few of the original implements share space with the tools of a modern wind farm: desks and computers. Artfully displayed two-man saws and other seemingly ancient farm equipment decorate the new offices. The contrast between modern and old reminds everyone of just how different a wind crop is from a grain crop. But many farmers also see the similarities: the wind has added a new revenue stream to this area and is breathing new life into farming.

"A lot of barns are withering away in the Midwest," says Mike Kelly. Lack of use leads to a building's quick deterioration, and many small barns are being left to wither on farms, as farmers replace them with newer, metal barns. Using a barn is key to its longevity.

The Halvorson barn had a long history before starting its new life on the Horizon wind farm. It was built in the hip roof style in the 1920s. Excellent materials were employed by skilled craftsmen; the original exterior siding, for example, is still in use today.

This beautiful barn preserves part of Iowa's history and at the same time speaks to its future as a land cared for by people whose priority is a sense of community. Both Horizon and its neighbors in Iowa value the relationship between livelihood and the land.

Watch a video of the barn being moved.