With spring just around the corner, with warmer temperatures and longer days, it's time to start thinking about volunteering for the Green County Historical Society's Green County Barn Inventory Project, which is to begin in early March.

The genesis of this worthy project is to make a historical record of the extant barns that dot the Green County countryside. Numerous barns are lost each year to fire, severe weather, and real estate development or to deterioration.

As you drive the countryside and see one of these country cathedrals slowly deteriorating, the question is often asked, "Why a...