I grew up on this farm and remember the big barn. I remember sleeping overnight in the hayloft and greeting the sunrise through the fog. The sounds of the cows below, the pigs in the pig lot, and the chickens and the rooster crowing behind us to the west meant the world was a wonderful place. We climbed down the ladder smelling like new alfalfa and headed for the house and a welcome breakfast

Barn is gone. Some trees on road in yard are gone. Many new trees to east of barn are now forty footers. Mid Michigan can change dramatically and quickly.

Tony and Francis Furst had this house and barn built and our parents, Philip and Blanche Stark were only the second owners and in 2016 there will be the third owner! When this photo was taken the 'free range' pig fence and pig house have been dismantled but of all the animals we raised, those were the ones that I fondly remember bringing into our bedroom as baby runts and their hams, bacon and hocks are what I fondly remember enjoying eating. Like so many farms then it had a little bit of everything from orchard, vineyard, garden, hen house, and a couple hives of bees. The path to the south of the house led out to an acre of blueberries, spending money for 'mom and the kids'.