Fort Atkinson-based Jones Dairy Farm has announced it will be commemorating its historical yellow barn.
Built on the current Jones property in 1922, the building’s centennial anniversary will be celebrated with a five-hour community event bringing together food, entertainment, agriculture and education, according to information released by the company.
The event — which will feature hay wagon tours of the Jones property, an all-you-can-eat pulled pork meal, live bluegrass music, a farm equipment display, and more than a dozen educational experiences — will be held Saturday, Sept. 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., beginning at the Jones Market, 601 Jones Ave., Fort Atkinson.
A limited number of tickets are available at $25 per person, with all proceeds benefitting local youth agriculture scholarships, the release stated.
About the barn
According to the release, the Jones family has operated its business, best known for all natural sausage, ham and bacon, for 133 years, spanning seven generations.
Jones Dairy Farm Chairman and CEO Philip Jones noted within the release that the two-story, gothic-roof structure, affectionally known as the “yellow barn” because of its distinctive, butter-yellow color, is the reason why the meat manufacturer has “dairy farm” in its company name.
Although run separately from its internationally known meat business, Jones Dairy Farm also was home to a working dairy farm until the mid-1980’s, the release stated.
The yellow barn was built along a wide bend in the Rock River about a mile southwest of Fort Atkinson by W.D. James, founder of The James Manufacturing Company. James, who bought 80-acres from the Jones family around 1919 to establish his own dairy farm, has become best known for creating “The James Way” that’s still synonymous with innovative dairy farm equipment today, the release continued.
State-of-the-art for its time, the yellow dairy barn was built with two interior silos and a single exterior silo, and equipped with the latest James Way ventilation, support columns, stanchions, stall fittings, drinking cups, mangers, and litter removal systems. Shortly after W. D.’s death in 1948, the farm, including the yellow barn, was sold back to the Jones family, which operated the property as a dairy farm and swine breeding operation until 1985.
“The 100th anniversary celebration provides the perfect opportunity to showcase our beloved yellow barn to the local community, commemorate its historical significance to the dairy farming industry, and support the next generation of agriculture leaders in our area,” Jones said in the release.
Educational experiences
During the planned celebration, educational experiences will include an Old World Wisconsin blacksmith demo; a “James Way” history presented by the Hoard Historical Museum; Live animals, including dairy cow breeds, swine and honey bees, and farmer talks about all aspects of dairy farming and the Jefferson County Barn Quilt Trail.
Event-goers arriving at the Jones Market will find hayrides to the barn leaving every 15 minutes.
For more information about the event or to register online for a specified time slot, visit: www.ShopJonesMarket.com.
An earlier story about the development of the Jefferson County Barn Quilt Trail is here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/county-fort-high-school-student-to-create-self-guided-barn-quilt-trail/.
Two photos above: The 1922-built “yellow barn,” graces the Jones Dairy Farm property. A celebration is planned to commemorate the barn’s centennial anniversary in September. Contributed photos.
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