Battle Creek. Communications and evaluation professional with foundations and nonprofits (retired). Award-winning writer/photographer and author of books, including American Barns (2013). Raised on an Upper Michigan dairy farm where the barn was the heart of the farm, Jan is known by the nickname, “The Barn Lady.” She is a co-founder of Barn Believers because “Barns are worth saving. This is a passion and a calling.”

Bedford. Retired nurse, focused in her career, on mothers and infants. Owner of a 1920s Sears Kit Barn named “Old Girl.” Co-author of the history of Bedford village and its buildings and barns. “My family’s roots are in farming. If I can make even a little difference in saving heritage barns I am thrilled to!”

Ceresco. Partner in agriculture. “I’ve lived on a farm most of my life and have been married to a farmer for 40+ years. We enjoy travel in the Midwest and are dismayed by the dwindling number of traditional barns as they fall to decay, neglect, or the fact that owners don’t realize their value. Once they are gone, nothing can replace them.”

St. Johns. Editor of both Michigan Farmer and Ohio Farmer magazines and co-editor for American Agriculturist. Board member of the Michigan 4-H Foundation. “Deeply aware of the challenges of agriculture today, I am concerned about how perceptions of farms and farm structures have changed. Informing and inspiring people to give new life to old barns is essential if these valuable structures are to be saved."

Lansing. "I grew up on a dairy farm in Menominee County, partially in our family’s old barn. In my professional life, I am the Director of the Office of Legal Affairs and Emergency Management for the Michigan Department of Agriculture and teach Agriculture Law at Michigan State University College of Law. My interest in how barns are used, maintained, and adapted for new purposes is both professional and personal."