Historic corn crib at Montgomery’s Dickson-Murst Farm reroofed; special events near

Local nonprofit The Conservation Foundation was the grateful recipient of a grant of $9,520 from The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution as part of its Historic Preservation grant program. The local Amos-Kendall Chapter specifically supported the grant to work toward replacing the corn crib roof at The Conservation Foundation’s Dickson Murst Farm in Montgomery.

“With wooden structures on the farm, they have to have a good roof to protect what’s underneath,” said Ken Wolf, volunteer leader of Dickson-Murst Farm Partners. “Without this grant, no way we could have protected this structure. It was a sigh of relief, being the last structure that needed to be saved on the farm.”

The Conservation Foundation owns the sesquicentennial historical Dickson-Murst Farm. However, the buildings and grounds are maintained by a group of 30 volunteers called the Dickson-Murst Farm Partners. Once a fully operational farm, the historic Dickson-Murst Farm is now used for events, office space and education. The corn crib is one of many farm buildings used to educate people on how farming played a role on the land in the past.

The roof replacement was completed in early July. Thanks to the DAR grant, awarded by Carol A. Felsen, the national vice chair of Historic Preservation Grants, the all-volunteer farm partners will be able to continue sharing the rural heritage of what original farm life was like in Kendall County and its surrounding areas to the public

Community events return in August and September

As summer winds down, The Conservation Foundation will welcome the community back to the Dickson-Murst Farm for two much-loved events, sponsored by Allied First Bank of Oswego.

Visit The Dickson-Murst Farm for a “Day at the Farm” Sunday, Aug. 22. Bring the family to experience different farm demonstrations, tractor and pony rides and children’s activities, and enjoy some good food. Then, on Sept. 18, savor some craft beer and food while jamming to local music acts at “Beers, Bands, and Barns.” Featured performers include Redhorse, Natalie Kassab and Jason Hubbard. Both of the events are free and open to the public. You can find information at www.theconservationfoundation.org/events.

The Dickson-Murst Farm is at 2550 Dickson Road, Montgomery.

The Conservation Foundation is a nonprofit that serves DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Will, LaSalle, DeKalb and Grundy counties. With many diverse programs, The Conservation Foundation has nearly 6,000 members and 500 volunteers. The organization’s mission is to improve the health of communities by preserving and restoring open space and natural lands, protecting rivers and watersheds, and promoting stewardship of the environment. To learn about what the foundation does and what you can do, visit www.theconservationfoundation.org.