The Kubesches do not consider themselves preservationists in the strictest sense, but they have a preservationist respect and appreciation for the past. As a collection, they are simply outstanding. All four barns are constructed of native timber and secured with wooden pegs. They feature handcrafted woodwork and custom-made gate hinges and latches dating from the 1930s. And they have been carefully maintained through the years.
Preservation is ongoing.
We replace materials only when needed, but we do it with appropriate materials. That means a coat of paint every 10 years or so, periodic repairs to roofs, sliding doors and windows, and in some cases, installing steel rods in the haymows to keep the barns straight. Joey's grandfather Omar Cole started a family tradition of raising Angus cattle, exhibiting the Grand Champion Angus heifer at the International Livestock Exposition of 1938. When Joey and Sid returned to run the farms in 1970, they revived the registered purebred Angus herd that Omar had started. They now run about 220 head on 850 acres.