The Peru Gazette

By John T Ryan 

Peru, NY, September 3, 2026 – If you’ve ever admired the Irwins’ Maplegrand Farm on Jarvis Road, you might have noticed something different yesterday afternoon. One of the farm’s five silos is no longer there. 

Early Wednesday, six Amish men arrived and set up scaffolding inside the empty silo. By 8:30, 30 more Amish men joined them. Some climbed the 60-foot-high scaffolding and soon removed the silo’s metal crown. Then they removed the hoops encircling the silo before yanking out the 80-pound cement interlocking sections (staves) . Then they passed the staves to a man who shouted a warning before dropping them onto the hay pile below. Young men quickly gathered the staves and carried them to men stacking them on two large flatbed trailers. By 3 p.m., the silo was gone. The 1,200-plus staves and the crown were ready to be transported to an Amish farm in Ellenburg. The Amish said the silo would be rebuilt there by this afternoon. Why take down the silo? Jim Irwin explained, “We haven’t used the silos since we sold the cows in 2017. We needed more space to turn the equipment around. So, we offered the silo to the Amish.” 

Today, the Irwin brothers—Jim, Bob, Melvin, and Jim’s son, Tyler—focus on growing crops. Near the four silos that remain, a cornfield is thriving. Not far away, hay is almost ready for a second cut. A few days ago, the Irwins harvested oats across the road, and their nearby apple orchard is almost ready for picking. The Irwins are still farmers!

Jim, Bob, Melvin, and Tyler no plans to take down the silos that are still standing.  Maplegrand Farm is still a thing of beauty!  Thank you, Irwins. 

Editor’s Note – The Gazette respected the Amish request that photos not be taken of them.