Jan holds a B.A. in English from Albion College; an M.A. from
Nazareth College, Kalamazoo; and has studied holistic health through Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo and
program evaluation at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Share your thoughts!
Write Jan via e-mail at jan@jancoreyarnett.com.
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I was raised on Coralan Farm, an Upper Michigan dairy farm settled in 1883 by my great grandfather. The bigger of
the two barns pictured here was built by Grandpa Corey. My dad, Ken Corey, took over the farm in the late 1930's and,
with my mom's help, made it into one of the finest in the Upper Peninsula, a favorite for farm tours to showcase top-notch
dairy and crop management. The addition to the barn was built in the early 1960's.
My family reluctantly and sadly left the farm in the late 1960's because of dad's declining health. In the late 1990's,
the house, barns and 40 acres of farmland were sold by the second farmer to own the land after us. Neither owner maintained
the barns and though, with some modifications, they could have served today's agricultural and non-farm needs very well,
they fell into disrepair.
I had visited the farm on occasion (with permission), to spend time in the barn, walk the fields and woods, and renew
my spiritual connection to it, wishing I could bring the farm back into the family and restore it to former glory in
Dad's memory.
My commitment to barn preservation was solidified after the main barn, with its massive pegged timbers, was destroyed.
To this day, I grieve the loss of this magnificent cathedral to the earth's spirit and, through the Michigan Barn Preservation
Network, encourage barn owners, realtors, developers, and insurance agents to save these irreplaceable structures. They
have much to offer to modern agriculture, business and neighborhoods through adaptive reuse.
Visit www.mibarn.net for more information.
The Barns on Coralan Farm - 1968
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