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   Governor Jennifer M. Granholm  Signs Proclamation

Designating May 2008

"Barn and Farm Heritage Month"

                                         

       Governor Jennifer M. Granholm, Barn Door Publishing's President, John R. Ervin, and author Brenda Ervin pictured moments after the signing of "Barn and Farm Heritage Month" Proclamation April 23, 2008

"We are making history tonight," said Governor Jennifer Granholm as she signed the first "Barn and Farm Heritage Month" into Michigan's historical archives. "We are profoundly grateful and recognize those who have committed their lives to maintaining the family farm and building the barns and to those who are maintaining them today," said the Governor.

Under the proclamation entities such as historical museums, historical societies, generational farms, farm museums, barn preservation groups, farmland conservancy groups, will benefit as they work to preserve and educate our second-to-none agricultural landscape. "I am grateful to the families who are carrying on the farming tradition as well as to those people who preserve and protect our beautiful barns," says Governor Granholm, "The preservation of Michigan's barns and farms connects us to all those people who worked the land and helped make agriculture one of Michigan's leading industries." 

Joining with award-winning agricultural preservation publisher Barn Door Publishing, the Governor recognized its preservation and promotional efforts on behalf of the state of Michigan. Barn Door Publishing's spokesperson and President of the family-owned company, John R. Ervin says, "Our wonderful barns and farm family stories are the heart and soul of what we do-- to keep Michigan's agricultural legacy from being lost." 

                        

Michigan Farms & Farm Families by author Brenda Ervin  is our newest release pictured here at the historic signing of "Barn and Farm Heritage Month" by  Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. 

"Michigan Farms and Farm Families: Farm Markets, Ag-Tourism & Barn Preservation" is the result of documentarian and author Brenda Ervin's years of research and pursuit chronicling Michigan's barn and farm stories before they are  gone. "Through your book our farm heritage and unique buildings associated with that heritage, will remain alive," says the Governor. Sited in the pictorial book are many historic barns never published before, and centennial farms like Westcroft Gardens, the oldest family farm in the state, farm markets such as Centennial Cranberry Farm, and ag-tourism farms. "Its the stories of our past that we depend on to understand who we are as a state, and my life has been dedicated to that mission," Brenda Ervin says.
        

Barn Door Publishing was founded in 2000 with the purpose of preserving Michigan's agricultural heritage and promoting farm markets.