Benefit barn calendars hit the streets

A cold fog flows around the ancient barn, highlighted by the virgin green of spring wheat shoots. The March photo is one of 12 depictions of Whitman County barns included in a 2011 calendar now being sold in the county.

The photo calendar was put together by WSU extension crop specialist Steve Van Vleet who takes pictures of barns as he drives the farm-barn-dotted expanse of the Palouse while making his rounds.

Proceeds from the calendar will be given to the county library.

Van Vleet said taking pictures of the region’s barns has become an ongoing hobby for him.

Of the March photo he said, “I was in awe of the fog and how it had moved down - and the barn was falling down,” Van Vleet said. “The wheat is starting to come up. It’s really almost majestic.”

He published his first calendar of Palouse barns for the 2010 year and sold 250. Proceeds from those sales went to the county library as will proceeds from the sale of the 2011 calendars.

Some of the barns are on the state historic register. Some are located along arterials in the county and others are in remote locations.

Van Vleet said he likes taking photos to capture changes in the appearance of the barns. He has seen changes over the four years he has been photographing them.

“Some of the barns are still being used. The character really appeals to me. It’s just beautiful,” said Van Vleet.

Each month’s photo was shot in that month to reflect the colors and change of seasons on the Palouse.

Library Director Kristie Kirkpatrick said she encouraged VanVleet to do another edition of his barns calendar because the first year’s edition had such a strong response.

“They were so popular they were gone before we could get them to every branch that requested them. We had requests from all of our branches,” Kirkpatrick said.

The calendars are selling for $5 at county library branches, Colfax’s Rosauers and Folsom Ace Hardware.