John Porter was raised on a dairy farm in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.S. Degree in Animal Science; then went on to get a Master’s Degree from Cornell University in Animal Nutrition and Farm Management; and later got another Master’s Degree from Bob Jones University in Education Administration. He served as a Dairy Specialist for the UNH Cooperative Extension from 1974 until his retirement in 2006.

John still works part-time for UNH and operates his own consulting company, Farm Planning Services, LLC. In 2001, he co-authored the book “Preserving Old Barns”; in 2007, was editor and contributing author of “The History and Economics of the New Hampshire Dairy Industry”; and in 2011 was contributing author of “Crosscurrents of Change”, an updated history of Concord, NH.

Barn Talk

“Interesting Features of Old Barns” - Barns are admired for their structural beauty, but there are a lot of interesting features which tell the story of how the barns were used. This presentation will give a pictorial tour through several old barns in New England and explain the function of special items such as the scuttle hole, windlass, cupola, hay mow, barn bridge, and other things which had a specific function for the time.