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During the Arts and Crafts period 60-70% of the population of
the United States lived on the farm. Farms in those days
were designed to provide a living for the family with diversified
crops and livestock. Farming has changed since then and now
resembles a manufacturing operation. However, the advice
and instructions developed for that time apply nicely to hobby
farmers and small organic growers today. Many of the articles
promote the benefits of solar gain for farm buildings, the benefits
of fresh air, and the need for cleanliness.
We have collected the following:
- Star Farms Dairy Equipment Catalog
- Cotton Lumber building Catalog
Farm life in the USA in the 1920's and 1930's depended on buildings which
provided shelter for people and their livestock. Barns
and their design was a big
business. The Star Barn company gave away their plans and attempted to
make money on the sale of products. The Radford people sold expensive
plans and didn't deal with products.
What I find interesting is how valuable
old barn plans could be to hobby and organic farmers of today. In
the old days each farm grew much of what they needed. In modern times
farms are more like small industrial plants specialized in a single product. For
example, the hog farms that raise pigs in confinment. The land is just
a place to grow hog food and receive hog manure.
The old barn plans are sized and designed for a small
farmer with barns
that hold 10-15 large animals, chicken sheds that assume the chickens will
range out for most of their food, and all the other techniques which have regained
popularity with customers who want natural foods.
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