The Legacy Barn

A Place to Pour Into

A 90-year-old barn. Twenty years of iron family farmer reunions. A future held in community hands.

flyover video credits :: seekjoy; photos, voiceover + final video credit :: SoulPlaces Oasis

For two decades, we’ve gathered

under sun, sky, and storm to pour molten metal into sand and spirit. For two decades, we’ve gathered at the edge of the field to share meals, build molds, and feed the fire. To remember we are better in community where belonging finally finds us.

We’ve camped in fields, danced by starlight, and held ceremony on the pour floor. And through it all, the old barn has stood behind us—weathered, wise, and waiting, our visual anchor, our backstage, our eventual sanctuary.

The Down on the Farm Iron Pour is more than an art event—it’s a living ritual of community, creativity, and legacy.

Now, in our fallow year, as we navigate the tender handover of the farm from Kelly’s father, Ron (who would have turned 90 this year, just like the barn), to Kelly, we’re beginning the careful work of stewarding this space into its next life. We’re beginning the long and love-filled work of restoring the barn and securing the legacy of Down on the Farm Iron Pour for the next generation.

We’re calling this the Legacy Program—a developing vision that invites our community to help bring the barn back to life as a safe, functional, and reverent space for creativity, connection, healing and fire.

Phase One

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Urgent!

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Phase One ::: Urgent! :::

We need to raise $30,000+ by September 30, 2025 to secure the barn before winter.

What We’re Dreaming Into

We intend to raise $500,000 for a multi-faceted, multi-phased vision, the most pressing of which is to restore the barn and transform it into a vital space that includes:

  • A gathering hall for meals, meetings, and creative connection

  • Bathrooms and running water (finally!)

  • A kitchen to support epic meal crews and communal nourishment

  • A safe, weather-resistant shelter from Iowa’s unpredictable weather

  • Accessibility features that allow more people to pour, stay, and belong

But this project is about so much more than walls or plumbing. It’s about honoring what the Down on the Farm Iron Pour really is—and what it takes to sustain it. It’s about what’s held inside. And who shows up to hold it. Read on for the breakdown of the current phases.

Barn Legacy Supporter Tiers

Help us restore the 90-year-old barn that has stood watch over Down on the Farm Iron Pour for generations—soon to become a safe, soulful home for art, connection, and creative community.

  • What you receive:

    • Host your own private event in the restored barn (up to 50 guests)

    • 2-Iron Family Farmer VIP Sand Studio packages (includes up to 3 extra days of camping + meals above the standard package*)

    • Name on a communal bronze plaque by the barn

    • A commemorative bronze token

    • An original weathered barn board, engraved for you to take home

    • Name on our event banner

    • Name on our website

    What your gift could support:
    Repairs to the barn’s siding to make it weather-tight again

  • Choose one:

    • Host your own private event in the restored barn (up to 30 guests)
      OR

    • 4-Iron Family Farmer VIP Sand Studio packages (includes up to 3 extra days of camping + meals above the standard package*)

    Also includes:

    • A commemorative iron token

    • Name on our event banner

    • Name on our website

    What your gift could support:
    Framing repairs or structural stabilization

  • What you receive:

    • 2-Iron Family Farmer VIP Sand Studio packages (includes up to 3 extra days of camping + meals above the standard package*)

    • A commemorative iron token

    • Name on our website

    What your gift could support:
    New barn flooring to restore safe footing and workshop potential

  • What you receive:

    • 1-Iron Family Farmer VIP Sand Studio package (includes up to 3 extra days of camping + meals above the standard package*)

    • Name on our website

    What your gift could support:
    Primer and paint to help the barn shine again

  • What you receive:

    What your gift could support:
    Flexible funds to fill gaps or support smaller restoration needs

  • Choose one:

    Also includes:

    • Name on our website

    What your gift could support:
    Flexible funds to fill gaps or support smaller restoration needs

  • Have a vision or number in mind?
    Send us your own proposal for a custom exchange—let’s dream and build together.

*links to packages are for reference only (not currently available for individual purchase until registration opens in 2026).

**tier purchases are non-refundable + not tax-deductible - more details on our Barn Legacy Contribution Terms & Conditions and general Terms & Conditions.

Be Part of the Legacy—Now

The barn is calling—and the time to act is now.

We’ve listened. We’ve dreamed. Now we’re building.
Phase One is underway, and your support is urgently needed to keep the momentum alive.

This first phase of restoration is estimated at $30,000 USD and includes:

  • Making the barn weather-tight (new siding, patching, all new batten)

  • Laying down a new floor (did you see the holes and warping in that video?!)

  • Painting (starting with primer)

  • Critical structural repairs to keep the building safe and sound

We’ve shared the current Legacy Contribution Tiers above—each one an invitation to stand beside us in this restoration effort.

While we are endlessly grateful for our iron-pouring, grit-filled, hands-on crew, what we need most right now is money for critical supplies and equipment rental—like the boom lift required to reach the 60+ foot peak on the East side of the barn where more + more boards go missing every month.

If you feel stirred to help raise the bones of this space—through funds, skills, or fierce encouragement—we invite you to step in now.

There’s a place for you in this legacy.
Say it with us: “I see it. I believe in it. I’m in.”

Fill out the brief form below to discuss how to take your place in this story.

Looking Ahead:

Phase 2 :: Electrical upgrade

Phase 3 :: Septic system + new waterlines

Phase 4 :: Commercial kitchen with walk-in cooler

Phase 5 :: Indoor restrooms and potential shower facilities
(Though folks sure love the outdoor shower under the stars!)

Phase 6 :: Summer Kitchen transformation into bunkhouse for residency

Phase 7 :: Smaller Corn Bin transformation into temporary housing

Phase 8 :: Larger Corn Bin transformation into temporary housing

Barn Legacy Program FAQ

  • Phase One construction is underway, focusing on structural repairs, new siding, a fresh floor, and priming. While we don’t have an exact date yet, we’ll notify all supporters when the barn is deemed “event-ready” and able to host gatherings. Our goal is safety, durability, and warmth—something worth waiting for.

  • All experience-based packages must be redeemed or scheduled by December 31, 2028, unless otherwise noted. After that, they may be forfeited or honored at our discretion based on availability.

    These include the following packages in various tiers:

    • Family Farmer Sand Studio for 3 Nights

    • Hobby Farmer Tile or Bowl for 3 Nights

    • Urban Farmer Scratch Tile or Bowl for 2 Nights

    • Green Thumb Along for the Ride for 1 Night

  • For those in the $10,000 Legacy Barn Founder tier or $5,000 Flamekeeper Circle tier that chooses the private event: you’ll have five (5) years from the date the barn is deemed event-ready to host your private gathering (up to 50 guests). We’ll coordinate with you once we cross that milestone to find the best date, season, and setup for your celebration.

  • No. These are not donations. This is a legacy-based experience crowdfunding campaign. You’re purchasing a set of meaningful experiences, a place in DOTF history + access to opportunities in support of this community-led renovation.

  • We’re in the thick of Phase One (out of Eight planned phases), which includes:

    • Making the barn weather-tight (new siding, including all new battens + replacing the remaining nails with screws)

    • All new doors, including the large double doors on the South side where the tractors + wagons full of feed used to enter the loft

    • Renting a boom lift to safely reach the 60+ foot peak on the East side

    • Installing a new floor

    • Structural stabilization

    • Priming and sealing before winter

  • Yes, with prior written notice. You may gift or transfer your experience to someone else if you’re unable to attend, subject to approval.

  • We know life happens. We’ll do our best to offer flexible options or alternate experiences of similar value when possible.

  • Yes! We deeply value hands-on support, wisdom, and in-kind resources. If you’d like to offer your skills or materials toward the barn’s restoration, let us know via the form linked in the buttons above.

Kelly + Diane (in full barn cleanup mode)

We know this barn isn’t just ours—it belongs to every soul who’s ever felt held, fed, or forged here.

It has seen generations come and go.
It has held up through storms, and reflected (y)our reaction-mold firelight, and laughter.
With your help, it will stand strong for the next 90 years—and keep holding this wild, radiant thing we’ve built together.

Thank you for pouring into the legacy.

With grit & gratitude,

Diane & Kelly Ludeking

Co-Stewards, Co-Dreamers, Joyful Doers

Down on the Farm Iron Pour

a Ludeking Legacy ambassador project