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Our story

Built by hard work.

The passion behind the barn began more than 10 years ago, when the vision started in a simple garage, training people and helping them discover what they were capable of.

A family project.

Over time, that passion grew into something deeper, a commitment to investing in people’s lives and helping them experience the confidence and self-belief that come with achieving a personal record (PR). There is something special about watching someone accomplish something they once thought was beyond their reach, and that feeling continues to inspire the vision behind this space.

In 2020, the vision for the timber-frame barn began to take shape. What started as an idea became a hands-on family project for the Aartun family. From grading the raw land and designing the structure to cutting the logs, completing the electrical work, and installing the windows, each step was part of a shared effort to bring the vision to life.

Throughout the building process, care was given to every detail, both large and small. From sawing the logs and sanding the beams to adding the finishing trim around the windows, each element was approached with thought and purpose. The goal was not simply to build a barn, but to create a space that reflects the values, hard work, and intention behind it.

The Aartun family is incredibly proud of what has been built, but even more grateful for what this place has the potential to become. The barn represents more than a physical structure, it is a place where people can challenge themselves, grow in confidence, support one another, and discover what they are capable of. Above all, the hope is that this space will make a meaningful difference in people’s lives for years to come.

A log on the sawmill, the sawyer looking down the blade

From model to barn.

  1. The old farmhouse that originally stood on the property, under two bare trees
  2. A wooden scale model of the timber frame on a workbench
  3. A log on the sawmill, ready to be cut into timbers
  4. Timber trusses laid out on the ground beside a skid steer
  5. The first walls standing on the cleared site
  6. The crew laying out the first timbers on the new slab, inside the framed walls
  7. A finished timber truss lying on the slab, ready to lift
  8. A crane lifting the timber truss off the slab
  9. The first timber bents standing on the slab, with the crane behind them
  10. The crane swinging a long timber over the slab while a builder watches
  11. A builder watching a timber post swing into place in the frame
  12. The timber roof trusses standing above the framed walls
  13. The timber frame standing, with a truck parked beside it
  14. The crew standing on the framed upper floor beside the timber gable
  15. The barn closed in with sheathing, the gable still bare plywood
  16. The barn wrapped and closed in, on a dirt lot
  17. The wrapped barn at dusk across the bare lot

The barn today.

The barn at dusk across the lawn, every window lit
The barn behind the lawn in fall
The barn at dusk from the edge of the gravel lot
The barn under a yellow fall tree
The long side of the barn across the lawn in fall
The Farm Fitness Project logo: two F's and a P in the shape of a torii gate

The name

Behind the logo.

Farm Fitness Project was built through hard work and dedication. Our logo is inspired by the torii gates of Japan. In Japanese culture, a torii marks a sanctuary: a sacred place that welcomes and transforms those who pass through it.

The first F, for Farm, stands for the hard work, resilience, and dedication that farmers embody, the same values that built this community from the ground up. The second F, for Fitness, stands for the belief that we are designed to move, and that through movement we can unlock our full potential. The P is a person willing to better themselves in every part of life: growth, discipline, and the commitment to getting stronger physically, mentally, and personally every day.

“That torii meaning perfectly reflects the vision I have for our barn: a place where everyone feels empowered, confident, and supported. Most importantly, it's a place where hard work happens and growth is earned together.”

Come see it in person.

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