The Barnetts dedicate their lives to their family, farm, and faith. As fourth generational owners of their family farm and first generational farmers, they have poured their hearts into working hard, raising animals, and supporting their children’s 4-H activities.

Recently, tragedy struck when a brooder heat lamp broke and caught their barn on fire. By the time Ed had walked inside from getting home from work, and then seeing the flames out his window, it was already too late. In just 10-15 minutes, the flames destroyed the barn and burned alive their hens, chicks, ducklings, gooselings, and bunnies. While they managed to save their two peacocks, they are still unsure of the extent of smoke inhalation, as the birds are not acting normal yet.

The fire also took all their 4-H and cattle supplies such as grain feed, feed buckets, grooming supplies, showing supplies, cattle wash rack, gates for pens, fans, halters, equipment, and everything they had worked so hard to collect since their oldest son was eight years old. The barn was the first barn they had ever built for themselves that was the core to their farm and their family’s legacy, and now they are left with nothing but ashes.

Any help is appreciated to get the Barnetts back on their feet. They did not ask for this help, but I know the blood, sweat, and tears they devote into these animals and this farm. They didn’t deserve this, and on top of being served lawsuits from their own mother and mother-in-law, recouping from this loss is almost impossible. Everything they saved and worked hard for to show and care for these animals was burned in that barn fire, and now they are back to square one. 2026 has already put a toll on them and this just topped the cake. Your support means the world to them as they try to rebuild and recover from this devastating loss.