tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post1509079444254547800..comments2023-11-07T06:51:41.301-06:00Comments on The Beginning Farmer: A Farm UpdateEthan Bookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01333115493519268802noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-56272127815588347732008-12-02T06:27:00.000-06:002008-12-02T06:27:00.000-06:00Have you given any thought to the fabric covered s...Have you given any thought to the fabric covered structures such as <A HREF="http://www.clearspan.com" REL="nofollow">Clearspan Buildings</A>? I remember you looking in to carports but don't remember you mentioning the other buildings. I'm going to call and talk with the company, figured we might as well explore all our options. There are some big cattle operations further up in the Thumb that have similar buildings and they seem to hold up well in the heavy snows and winds here. It wouldn't last forever but the fabric supposedly has a 15 year warranty and with the cost being relatively low it seems like a person could afford to maintain it. I like that they are so bright inside and have good ventilation, plus we could get more square footage for our $$$.Jenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15171797412090628520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-22923492711722467642008-12-01T15:14:00.000-06:002008-12-01T15:14:00.000-06:00Have you considered building an outdoor adaptation...Have you considered building an outdoor adaptation of Salatin's deep bedding system? <BR/><BR/>I was thinking along the lines of a feeding area similar to Salatin's without the barn structure. <BR/><BR/>The result might not be as efficient, but the structure would be much easier to build <I>(some cattle panels, a gate, and a round bale feeder)</I>, could be rotated to a new area each winter, and would allow some experimenting with the concept to optimize it for different circumstances.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-30114670263386818652008-11-30T15:12:00.000-06:002008-11-30T15:12:00.000-06:00Rich and Jena - Right now I'm looking at 12 foot s...Rich and Jena - Right now I'm looking at 12 foot sidewalls. With these I figure that I can add a lean-to off the back (about 12-16 feet) and still have a 7 foot side wall in the lean-to. That area would probably be used for feeding cattle in the winter, kind of like Salatin talks about with deep bedding and such.Ethan Bookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01333115493519268802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-39044465669060837352008-11-29T23:37:00.000-06:002008-11-29T23:37:00.000-06:00I've been following your building plans and am exc...I've been following your building plans and am excited to see what you come up with. We lost a portion of our big barn last week to a fire so we are now faced with rebuilding decisions. Reading about your experience has been very helpful. The building we had was not ideal for cattle so we're looking for ways to improve. Eventually our cattle will be on pasture most of the warmer months but we need a place that can comfortably house them. We're going to get estimates on a few different setups including a hoophouse style building. Anyway, good luck with your project, I hope it goes up without a hitch!Jenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15171797412090628520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35188043.post-87176686415248944462008-11-29T13:15:00.000-06:002008-11-29T13:15:00.000-06:00How tall of a sidewall are you planning? It seems...How tall of a sidewall are you planning? It seems like almost every building I've either built or someone I know has built could or should have been built with the walls a couple feet higher.<I>(Of course there are limits, 16-20 foot walls might be a little too tall for me to tackle on my own)</I> <BR/><BR/>Building a 12 foot high wall usually costs just slightly more than a 10 foot wall but can be much more useful. <BR/><BR/>A slightly taller wall would allow you to add a "porch-like" extension along the back (<I> by extending the roof 10-12 feet)</I> in the future to park smaller equipment, build grain storage, build a separate shop area, etc. <BR/><BR/>A taller wall would also make it possible to park something like a larger tractor or a combine inside the building. It is amazing how often somebody builds a 10' tall door opening, then finds a deal on a piece of equipment that is 10'6 tall.Richhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11412944120622315804noreply@blogger.com