So what happens when you bring together 100 able-bodied Amish men, thousands of nails, piles of lumber and a perfect summer day? An Amish barn raising of course.

Chester Herschberger of rural Westby, has a new barn thanks to the joint efforts of Amish community members who took part in the barn raising on Friday, July 18 on County Trunk P. The crew of men from the ages of 16 to 60 took the task of raising the walls of the barn at 7 a.m. and the exterior of the barn was completed before nightfall.

An elder community member, Aden Yoder, has been involved with hundreds of barn raisings throughout his life, but at 80-years-old he prefers to provide advice from ground level, not a hundred feet in the air.

According to Yoder the barn raising process is simple, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Prior to the structure being raised the owner must have the foundation work completed; including digging the footers and laying the blocks. Once the foundation is complete a request is made to the Amish elders for assistance with the barn raising. When permission is granted, a date is set for construction, the word is spread throughout the community and members work together, without pay, for the sake of a fellow member. Workers begin arriving at dawn in preparation for the day’s work. While the Amish men construct the building the women and children prepare food and tend to the children.

Yoder added that it is customary for families involved in a barn raising to provide a dish to pass at lunch, but it is the responsibility of the family whose barn is being constructed to provide the majority of the food and beverages used throughout the day.

Yoder may be too old to take part in the actual barn raising, but he knows where to find breakfast, lunch and dinner. He wasn’t about to miss out on some good eats and the chance to visit with the rest of the community members either.

“It’s a lot of hard work. You sweat a lot, but everyone has a good time too,” Yoder said.