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| Welcome to Shepherd's Corner |
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An Old Barn Gets a New Lease on Life!
Once upon a time barns were used to store hay, straw, miscellaneous farm machinery, and house livestock. Today, as housing developments and warehouses replace farmlands, old barns must either succumb to a bulldozer or be creatively reconfigured into a modern structure. The majority of the time reconfiguring also means relocating. That is exactly what we have planned to do with an historic, 100 year old timber framed barn that was about to meet it’s end.
In the past three years over 3000 people have participated in our programs and over 12,000 hours have been logged by volunteers helping with our operations. As we rapidly expand to meet the needs of the surrounding community we realize that having a multipurpose building is essential.
We felt that recycling a timber framed building would best represent us as a farm and as an ecological ministry, and so we set out to find the perfect one! After investigating many abandoned barns, we eventually found the one that met our specific needs. It was then generously donated to us by the Pizutti Company.
The barn has been rebuilt at its new location at 987 N Waggoner Rd in Blacklick on the Dominican Acres property. Architect Jack Hedge, of Design Group Columbus, has generously given his time and leadership towards the development of the building. With his knowledge of green, sustainable building techniques, we have been able to register the building with the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program through the US Green Building Council. With additional donations and funding we hope to add photovoltaic solar cells to the roof, wetlands for gray water recycling, rain barrels, and a patio. John Forgos & Associates, along with The Durable Slate Company have taken the lead in reconstructing the barn. John, along with several other subcontractors will see the building to completion. They deserve many thanks for their hard work, dedication, and vision.
Activities to take place in the barn include days of spiritual retreat, art classes such as working with clay, wool spinning and loom weaving; produce cleaning and processing for food bound for local food pantries and CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) members; cooking/canning classes and environmental education for local school children, church groups, and summer camps. This is just a short list of the possibilities that exist to engage the local community. We look forward to what the future will hold!
We owe a sincere debt of gratitude to the following for their support, donations, and grants, as we couldn’t have gotten this project off the ground without them:
Dominican Sisters, St. Mary of the Springs
Design Group Columbus
The Barn Consultant
Pizutti Company
John Forgos
Jess Howard Electric
HCS Foundation ($140,000)
The Charles Frederic Goss Foundation ($10,000)
There is a lot more to accomplish with this building. Your donations (fully tax deductable) and volunteer support will help us realize the dream of a sustainable building where people can reconnect with the earth and one another. Our wish list includes:
$40,000 for photovoltaic solar panels
$2,000 for a walk-in cooler
$130 for a rain barrel (we need 2)
$600 for a pottery wheel (kick style)
Other items include: Books and videos/DVDs for the resource library, AV equipment, clay, glazes, clay tools, canning jars, trees for screening, containers for packing out produce, crocks for pickling, organic throw rugs, organic or recycled carpeting for library, maintenance shop organizers (for tools, nuts/bolts etc). Volunteer support includes expertise in gray water system development, carpentry, landscaping, sawmilling, and general cleaning.
Donations can be sent directly to:
Shepherd’s Corner
987 N Waggoner Rd
Blacklick, OH 43004
For volunteer support please fill out the volunteer application form (available on-line) or call our office for more information at (614) 866-4302 or email: shepcorner@columbusmail.com
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| Shepherd's Corner is a small corner of creation seeking to recreate the land's wholeness by rediscovering the life-giving harmony between the people and the land. Here, people of all backgrounds can learn to become reconnected with the natural environment, themselves, one another and the Creator who made them all. |