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A farm needs a barn

  • June 16, 2015
  • 2 comments
  • 61 views
  • Rory

Workers place posts in ground

It has been an exciting few weeks here at the Grovestead. We broke ground on our new barn project in mid-May and, weather-permitting, the activity hasn’t stopped since. In a swift two days the ground was leveled and made ready for construction using 80 cubic yards of clay from our own hillside.

Bull dozer prepares the site pad for new barn construction

Bull dozer pushing dirt

Skid loader smoothes out clay pad

The site was built up as much as 5 feet in some places. But the excavators did such a fine job of smoothing out the hillside where they scooped up the dirt, you’d never know they were here.

Dumping sand

Atop the clay pad was dumped 5 truckloads of fill sand.

Happy boy

One boy in particular was happy watching all the real-life “toys” moving about the property.

Boy atop excavated hill of topsoil

After hours Ivar and Elsie played in the dirt berms and clay pits. This became a smooth hillside 12 hours later.

Kids playing in excavated trench

The workers arrived a few days later and began squaring the site for construction.

Squaring the site for new barn construction

Barn materials arrive

Most of the materials arrived the same day on two flatbed trucks. The posts were so long the forklift driver had to raise the skids 7 feet off the ground to avoid hitting the apple trees 30′ apart.

Materials are carried to site from truck

Holes being dug for posts

Holes were dug and posts dropped into place at breakneck speed, considering there were only two workers and 40 posts.

Placing first post in ground

Overall the construction has been going very smoothly. Only a few minor delays, mostly weather-related. We’ve been holding our breath a lot around here, watching to see how our simple plans-on-paper take shape in real life (“…those are really tall poles!”). But mostly we have been thrilled with the progress.

Posts are finished for new barn construction

 

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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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  • Barn
  • Barn
  • Our Field
  • Our Field
  • Tractors
  • Tractors

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