Living in the Driftless all my life, I have always appreciated my surroundings and photography was a way to get a snapshot in time of nature and agriculture. Growing up in the 70s and 80s, it was a lot simpler time. Agriculture was mainly dairy and barns dotted the landscape, cows grazed in the pastures, crops planted in contour strips, fences and trees lined the fields.

Driving the backroads can be like a treasure hunt, you never know what might be around the next corner — that old tile silo, a windmill still turning, a unique old barn with several additions and cupolas. They tell a tale of a way of life, the hard work it took to construct them, the efficiencies of simpler times. Sadly, often a farmstead can barely seen in thick brush, left in a pile of ruins, forgotten while the land around it is cropped.

A couple of years ago, I decided to challenge myself to shoot as many barns as I can in the surrounding counties and post some here on my website. Also captured are rural schools and churches, farmhouses, silos and other agricultural relics. I will be researching history on some of the buildings and adding it as I get time.

I hope you enjoy browsing through the site and find something that takes you back. All photos are available for purchase.

All images ©Driftless Backroads Photography, Jan Day. Usage without purchase or permission of photographer is prohibited.