The Barn Raising
The hoop barn as it was at our old house
We didn’t know what to expect Saturday because everyone is busy. Our local preparedness group was meeting here that evening for a tour of our off-grid homestead. Anyone could come early for a barn raising: assembling the hoop barn to be our greenhouse. The foundation had to be placed and rafters reassembled before being put up. We thought we’d be doing great to get the first rafter up.
This hoop barn was first used for hay a few years ago. Silver Oak sold premium horse hay from PA to many local ranchers till the economy forced most horse owners to purchase lower grades grown locally. The barn is 30’x40’ and 15’ high in the middle. It will now be repurposed as a greenhouse with a clear cover and shade cloth, and will hopefully house our aquaponics system (growing vegetables and tilapia fish), raised beds, and a few tropical trees.
Giving our tiny house a much needed scrub
The tour was scheduled for 4:30pm. Around 1:30pm some workers started trickling in, and by 4pm the work was in full swing. The men worked on the hoop barn while the women folk scrubbed the outside of our tiny house, watched children, or sorted blueberries which had been brought by Silver Oak’s cousin (yum!).
Sorting blueberries to freeze
At 4pm I noticed the men were really getting into what they were doing and reminded Silver Oak that in 30 minutes we were to do the tour. Ha! Have you ever tried pulling a palmetto out of the ground with your bare hands? Impossible! Tour time came and went and they acted like the fun had just started. There was no pulling them away, especially once the first rafter was raised. They wanted to do just one more. The second rafter was much easier so why not do another? And then another? Finally, they said to just scratch the tour! They could come and do that another time.
Assembling rafters
Silver Oak and his first cousins who helped with the barn raising...don't you love the varying hat styles?
What fun it was watching those conquerors. God knew what He was doing when He placed that drive in men. The sun set and they were working on the scaffolding by lamplight, but eventually the darkness forced them to call it quits. But they had put up five of the nine rafters!
Setting rafters in order
Preparing the foundation
More foundation work
The first rafter lifted...
...and put in place
Number two going up
Finally stopped with five
Lots of yummy food!
Everyone had brought food and there was quite a spread to be devoured. What an enjoyable time we had exchanging preparedness ideas and stories. We are all on a journey, and our goal is to encourage and share with each other as we seek the Lord’s will in preparing for the future.
Enjoying food and followship.
Working and sharing together brings a sense of community that is vital for survival in difficult times. Much of this barn raising mentality has been lost in our independent culture. What a loss! May it not be so in the Body of Christ, but may we freely give and receive as we are able.
Blessings,
Linked w/Frugally Sustainable , Barn Hop, Live Renewed, A Rural Journal, Our Simple Farm, Simple Lives Thursday, Farmgirl Friday!, Ole’ Saturday Homesteading Trading Post, and Seasonal Celebration Sunday.
- Around the table
P.S. The kiddos were also busy at the barn raising. I think they had a contest to see who could get the dirtiest face. 
And I think this one won! Just too cute!
Awwwww!
I found your blog not too long ago and am in love with it. Your blog is an inspiration and blessing to read.
Your right, its a shame that we as a country have lost the *community* that once kept this country going.
Have a blessed Thursday in THE LORD!
Amanda
Matthew 6:33
Thank you Amanda. We are blessed! In spite of what we deserve.
It looks like you are building a giant greenhouse! That looks very simple to build. Most of all I love that it was an old fashion barn raising! Thanks for sharing!
It is quite simple to build, especially since we’ve done it before. The first time around was a lot more difficult, and we had complications simply because we didn’t know the proper order of everything (the company had failed to send all of the instructions). Experience is priceless!
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen a ‘hoop barn’ before….and the raising process is wonderful to experience through your photos.
We purchased our hoop barn several years ago from FarmTek for around $5k total w/shipping and accessories. It had a canvas cover, but now we will use greenhouse cover & shadecloth. Thanks for visiting.
How awesome to come together for the building! Looks like you had some fun too!
Yes we did have fun!
Now, that’s what I call good neighbors. How wonderful to have help with this large endeavor. Great photos and information.
Thanks so much for sharing with us at Rural Thursdays.
We are indeed blessed! Thanks for the opportunity to share.
i really enjoyed this post and that cute little dirty faced boy at the end!
Ha! I tried to post a few more pictures of some of the other dirty little faces, but had too many technical problems with it so gave up.
What a great turnout and it looks like everyone enjoyed themselves; even the men that were working! (I also think everyone wanted to delay the tour so that they could come back again!)
I love the fact that people came together, just like they used to do in the past, and helped with the barn/greenhouse raising! I think we’ve lost that sense of community as a society now and it’s a shame. You are blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people!
I can’t wait to see it when it’s finished and how you plan to set up the interior for your aquaponics system.
I will let you know…I can’t wait to see it either.
Wonderful. I’d love something like that, but finances prevent it. I’m getting materilas together to put together a much smaller greenhouse using recycled replacement windows I collected in the trash in a neaarby town. I found a tossed screendoor for it also and with some purchased materials I will have a greenhouse approx. 8′x10′ and 6-7′ tall with the slope from the 1′ difference to drain and collect rainwater for watering. It’s too cold here, Ohio, to use it year round but maybe I can grow early greens along with starting veggies and maybe splitting some perennials to sell at the Farmers’ Market. Love all the pix and think it’s so wonderful to have the community sharing. If I was close by I’d love to see all your progress on becoming self-sufficient. I admire all you’re able to do. Thanks for posting.
When you get your greenhouse done I would love it if you’d like to share pictures and how you made it as a guest post so others can get ideas as well. I’ve seen that idea done before and think it’s so neat. We feel so blessed with this huge greenhouse/hoop barn. We used savings several years ago to purchase it as an investment so Silver Oak could do something more home-based (sell premium horse hay from PA), but the business fell apart when the economy fell, so it felt like a flop. Now we see God’s provision in the “flop.”
Rose Petal,
What an amazing day. I love what you’ve said in this post, and I agree. This has become a society focused on the self and we have lost touch with community. Events like this demonstrate just how much community enriches the soul and fills the heart. It’s what we were made for, to care for and nurture eachother. Great post. Thank you for sharing this wonderful example on Farmgirl Friday. Oh yeah, that IS the cutest dirt covered face I’ve ever seen.
Thanks for your comments. I actually had a few other dirty faces but I had technical problems posting them and gave up.
I love how you are a part of a community that is all committed to helping each other achieve a sustainable lifestyle that is just awe inspiring!
The worst thing about this group is that some of the families are moving out of state soon.
We’ll just have to find more families, I guess.
I love the striking blonde hair against the dirt covered face!
And what about those grubby little hands stuffing tangerine into the mouth?
Hi! Thank you for linking this to Your Green Resource! I like it so well, I featured it and pinned it! Andrea
Thank you for the honor, Andrea!