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Planning for Construction Projects on a Small FarmPaul Dietmann, Wisconsin Agricultural Extension AgentIt’s summertime and the thoughts of many small acreage farmers turn to…building stuff. Whether it’s fences, lambing sheds, feeders, or corrals, there are always a few construction projects that can be done on the farm to make life a little easier. However, not every farmer has the skills or ability to design and construct the things they need on their farm. Hiring skilled professionals to do the work can be costly, particularly when the project could be accomplished simply and cheaply if only the farmer had a good set of construction plans to follow. This is where the MidWest Plan Service (MWPS) and the Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) come to the small acreage farmer’s rescue. MWPS is a consortium of agricultural engineers from land grant universities in the Midwest and NRAES is the corresponding organization in the Northeastern United States. For many years, these two organizations have provided farmers with plans for all sorts of do-it-yourself projects. MWPS and NRAES construction plans run the gamut from simple hay feeders for sheep, to modern swine nursery facilities. Some of the very old MWPS plans we have in our office include big, elaborate poultry houses and schematics for farmhouses. My first exposure to MWPS plans came from a reference book that my dad used for years: Practical Carpentry (The Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc., 1963). My dad’s construction bible included several ingenious MWPS plans including one for a double movable farrowing house that’s convertible to a 300-bushel grain bin and another for a poultry range shelter on skids. While times have changed and there may no longer be much need for a combination farrowing house/grain bin, MWPS and NRAES continue to develop construction information and educational materials to meet the needs of farmers. No beef producer should be without MWPS-6, Beef Housing and Equipment Handbook (136 pages; $7). This handbook includes plans for a variety of cattle handling facilities including corrals, loading chutes, and treatment areas. It also has plans for feed storage, feed bunks, cattle guards, and more. It contains a great deal of planning data such as bunk space per head for cattle of various sizes, square feet of shelter cattle need under different conditions, the amount of feed and water cattle will consume and volume of manure they will produce. It also offers some tips on farmstead layout and other useful information. Sheep producers will find the Sheep Housing and Equipment Handbook (MWPS-3, $10) to be a valuable reference tool. Here you’ll find plans for lambing sheds, hay feeders, watering systems, etc. The book also has planning data similar to that in the Beef Housing and Equipment Handbook. The Swine Housing and Equipment Handbook (MWPS-8, $8) is geared more towards confinement hog production rather than pasture-based or loose housing systems. However, it still has quite a bit of information about feed handling, utilities, and building design, which could be useful information for small-scale producers. MWPS also offers a Horse Housing and Equipment Handbook (MWPS-15, $7), Dairy Freestall Housing and Equipment Handbook (MWPS-7, $22), and many other livestock publications. NRAES also has quite a number of publications related to dairy. For farmers who are not producing livestock, NRAES has recently released an excellent publication for people interested in greenhouse production: Greenhouses for Homeowners and Gardeners (NRAES-137, $25). It contains everything from plans for building or buying a greenhouse to troubleshooting problems. NRAES also has a variety of publications on storage facilities for fruits and vegetables, and another publication on construction of Facilities for Roadside Markets (NRAES-52, $8). MWPS and NRAES have several publications that contain useful information about construction methods. The Farm and Home Concrete Handbook (MWPS-35, $6) is very helpful in planning any sort of concrete construction project, whether you are doing the work yourself or hiring it done. The Post-Frame Building Handbook (NRAES-1, $14) shows many construction details and stresses the engineering aspects of post-frame building. The Farm Buildings Wiring Handbook (MWPS-28, $10) starts at the building’s service entrance and covers all aspects of wiring from that point. Even if you hire somebody to do the construction work on some of these more complicated projects, the MWPS and NRAES handbooks can help you become a more informed project supervisor. Click here for ordering information. Editor's note: Besides new MWPS/NRAES material requests, we frequently receive inquiries about old plans and materials pertaining to on-farm building and construction projects. This article discusses how to access this historical information. |
The information given in this publication is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement is implied.
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