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A farm needs a barn, part 2

  • July 9, 2015
  • 3 comments
  • 39 views
  • Rory

A barn with a view

Construction is complete!

Today we had our final inspection and we are so pleased with how everything turned out and so grateful for a competent team of builders who were here everyday weather-permitting, paying attention to every smallest detail.

Second floor under construction

Workers building the roof

Barn stairwell with kids

Second floor without walls

My father-in-law gave us the best compliment when he said, “it looks like it’s always been here.” It’s big, but sits on the edge of our woods, framed by much bigger oak trees.

Barn construction is complete

A neighbor came by and asked Ivar what his favorite part was and he answered, “the big sliding doors” then proceeded to give a demonstration.

Inside of the barn

The most common question we get is “what are you going to put in there?” The traditional layout of a barn has space for animals, machines, and a workshop. And that’s pretty much what we’re planning to house. Before we can take the next steps with our farm, we need a place to put bigger animals and equipment.

Checking out the upstairs

The second most common question is about the upstairs loft and what we plan to put up there. I don’t have a good answer for this. It could be storage. It could be for gatherings. It could be a play area for the kids in the dead of winter (Becca refers to this as the “playloft”). The truth is, we built this space and much of the barn for that matter on faith that it one day will make perfect sense.

A view from the outside

As much fun as it was to watch this barn go up, we’re even more excited to see all the ways it will be used.

 

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Rory

Rory Groves moved his family from the city to the country several years ago to begin the journey towards a more durable way of life. Rory and his wife Becca now reside in southern Minnesota where they farm, raise livestock, host workshops, and homeschool their six children. He is the author of Durable Trades: Family-Centered Economies That Have Stood the Test of Time.

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3 comments
  1. Jeffrey says:
    July 10, 2015 at 1:20 am

    Fantastic. I can feel your excitement. Looks great!

    Reply
  2. Jabe says:
    July 15, 2015 at 3:57 pm

    Very cool! We are actually in the process of putting in place some plans to build a barn ourselves. We’ve found it kind of difficult and stressful trying to think of “everything.” If you don’t mind me asking, what size is your barn?

    Reply
    1. Avatar photo Rory says:
      July 24, 2015 at 10:07 am

      Hi Jabe, not at all! Its approx 50 x 60. It took me a couple of months to think through as well. Lots of different sketches before we settled on the design we have now. Hard part is trying to anticipate what you *might* need years from now without going overboard and blowing the budget.

      Reply

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